Award of Merit: Interior Design/Fitout

Chicago-based Exelon Corp., an energy firm, wanted to consolidate its three downtown locations to support productivity by eliminating travel times among these offices and reducing long-term occupancy costs.

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A 220,000-sq-ft space for the corporate headquarters was constructed in Chicago. A lease was signed for 10 floors in the Chase Tower, a 60-story office, at 10 S. Dearborn St.

The firm desired a flexible workspace that would provide a productive atmosphere for employees. In addition, Exelon wanted sustainable design features to be used wherever possible to earn the highest LEED rating.

The challenge was to create a functional office space that would achieve the highest LEED rating in a 40-year-old office building.

Sustainability Emphasized

The project includes sustainable design features, such as a daylight dimming system using direct/indirect lighting with controllable task lighting for every employee. The system reduced the lighting load from 5 watts/sq ft to 0.8 watts/sq ft.

Materials were chosen for recycled content and local manufacture, and plumbing fixtures were selected to reduce water consumption compared with code. Furniture from Exelon’s previous locations was saved.

Indoor air quality was a major element of the project. Materials were selected to have low of no volatile organic compounds.

A universal plan locates activity centers at the ends of each floor and private work zones in the center to promote a quiet, stable work environment. The plan has a variety of pre-planned “functional modules” that can be implemented in a few days without construction.

The focus on sustainable design resulted in a LEED Platinum rating from the U.S. Green Building Council in Washington, D.C.

There are other features of the project:

• Gathering cafes were provided on each floor to promote employee interaction.

• Employee lockers and shower rooms were required to achieve the LEED bicycle credit. Capitalizing on this, an exercise room was added to promote employee health.

• A conference room was designed to provide a centralized space for outside visitors and to reduce traffic on floors.

• Fourteen video conference rooms were incorporated into the design to reduce travel, thereby reducing the effect on the environment and promoting employee life/work balance.

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