SM&W Contribution
Richard J. Daley College recently designed and constructed a new Manufacturing Technology & Engineering Center in Chicago, IL. The project includes a high bay manufacturing lab space, lobby, classrooms, a computer lab, and other educational/office spaces to support Daley College’s advanced manufacturing certificate and associates degree programs. SM&W provided acoustics, audiovisual, IT infrastructure, and security consulting on the project.
The 57,000 SF building spans the main thoroughfare of 76th Street, linking to the original college facility via a pedestrian bridge. Inside, high-bay space and five engineering and manufacturing labs provide students with the requisite training for highly-specialized, technology-oriented careers. The building’s bold interior finishes and yellow exterior accents echo the brightly-colored machinery in the high bay. Expansive views of the high-bay training area from the main lobby and 76th Street draw attention to the center’s high-tech manufacturing equipment, which served as an inspiration for the building’s palette. The facility’s industrial aesthetic is further expressed through the use of metal panels, glass and steel, as well as the “Caution Yellow” on the underside of the pedestrian bridge. Inside the bridge, circulation space intentionally collides with seating areas, platforms, and alcoves, encouraging students to congregate and participate in incidental learning outside of class.
The materials chosen to create the facility’s industrial aesthetic and the adjacency of manufacturing labs to other spaces posed challenges with acoustics that SM&W was able to successfully address to create learning and gathering spaces where students can focus and collaborate without the intrusion of sound from large equipment.
Awards & Associated Press:
- 2021 Education International Interior Design Association (IIDA) Award – Read Here
- Daley College opens $45 million manufacturing and engineering center – Read Here
- Daley College Manufacturing Technology & Engineering Center – Read Here
- Manufacturing Technology Department – Read Here
- New Engineering and Advanced Manufacturing Center Coming to Richard J. Daley College – Read Here