The University of Illinois School System, Discovery Partners Institute (DPI), and Illinois Capital Development Board (CDB)
Discovery Partners Institute Headquarters
Living Habitats is the landscape architect of record for the Discovery Partners Institute (DPI) Headquarters, a part of the University of Illinois School System and a new University of Illinois research and development hub within the emerging 78 neighborhood found on the City of Chicago’s near west side. This new district links the energy and private venture of the city’s central business district with the nearby educational institutions and the University of Illinois system that are interested in cultivating public-private partnerships.
The DPI Headquarters will also benefit from other strategic positions, with nearby riverfront parks and Chinatown to the south and the Chicago River to the immediate west, providing a water connection through the South Loop. The site’s main feature will be a richly detailed public plaza that knits together the site and structure, serving as a platform for connectivity between future green spaces within The 78 Neighborhood and existing open spaces to the south and west.
In alignment with DPI’s vision, the main plaza provides an inclusive and welcoming public realm that cultivates opportunities for collaboration and exchange. A large and graphically striking paving pattern with integrated seating that links indoor and outdoor spaces is evocative of the innovation district at The 78, enlivens the ground plane and will add visual interest to the public realm and for those looking out the upper floor windows. Detailed concrete planters will be planted with robust native species to maximize urban biodiversity while offering visual interest throughout all seasons. These plantings will complement the surrounding urban landscape and the impressive views from the building that include a green roof, bioswale and native gardens.
Location:
Chicago, Illinois – The 78 Neighborhood
Date:
2020 – Present
Team:
OMA: Lead Design Architect
JACOBS: Prime and Executive Architect, Lab Planning Consultant
MEP/FP, IDEO: Innovation Consultant
STEARN JOGLEKAR and THORNTON THOMASETTI: Structure
PRIMERA and JACOBS: MEP/FP
THORNTON THOMASETTI: Façade
LIVING HABITATS: Landscape Architect of Record
KOO: Interior Design and FFE
AKLD: Lighting
SM+W: AV/IT, Acoustics, Data, Security
COLLINS: Civil & Geotech Engineer
LERCH BATES: Vertical Transportation, Waste Management, Material Handling, and Façade Access
ATELIER TEN and UPFRONT REGENERATIVE DESIGN: Sustainability
VISTARA and VERMEULENS: Cost Control
SGH: Code
