Pickard Chilton-designed River Point in Chicago, Ill. Receives Connecticut Green Building Council Award

10/13/18

Pickard Chilton,an award-winning architecture studio best known for its innovative and cutting-edge design of corporate headquarters and campuses, announced that River Point, a 52-story corporate office tower and 1.5-acre, terraced public park at 444 West Lake Street in Chicago, Illinois, has received the Out-of-State Award of Merit from the Connecticut Green Building Council (CTGBC). The award was presented at a ceremony on October 4, 2018 at the Stony Creek Brewery in Branford, Connecticut.

The CTGBC Out-of-State Award of Merit recognizes noteworthy accomplishments, and is awarded to Connecticut firms that engage in green building projects outside of Connecticut. A jury of professionals chosen by the CTGBC 2018 Awards Committee reviewed all of the submissions, which were critiqued according to sustainable goals and challenges, the quality of design solutions, overall aesthetics, innovative strategies and technologies, and performance metrics.

“River Point is one of Chicago’s most sustainable office towers, offering innovative sustainable design as well as public access to River Point Park, the largest riverfront park in the city,” said Principal Anthony Markese FAIA, LEED AP of Pickard Chilton. “It is an honor to have this high-performance building duly recognized by the Green Building Council in our home state of Connecticut.”   nnnnnnnn lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll

Located on a triangular site in downtown Chicago at the confluence of the branching North and South Chicago Rivers, River Point was constructed adjacent to and over active rail lines to enhance the character of this prominent river frontage while concealing the existing rail lines below. The project transformed and maximized the underutilized riverfront site to now accommodate the 1.2 million gsf office tower; River Point Park, a 1.5-acre public park; and, a 560-foot section of the Riverwalk. Designed by OJB Landscape Architecture, River Point Park features seating, pedestrian-friendly spaces, native and botanical gardens, and public art.

Sustainable design features at the LEED-CS Gold-certified project include low-flow water fixtures, a 50% green roof, and a bio-infiltration system within landscaped areas that filters storm water prior to discharge. Tower and plaza runoff is collected and reused to irrigate the green roof and native landscaping, recycling approximately 390 gallons of water per week. Interior strategies such as motion-detecting light fixtures to minimize energy usage and high-efficiency air filtration systems to increase indoor air quality. 

In addition to this honor from the CTGBC, River Point was previously recognized by the Structural Engineers Association of Illinois, and the Chicago Building Congress. It received an American Architecture Award in 2018 and was a finalist for the Urban Land Institute’s 2017 Global Awards for Excellence.

ABOUT PICKARD CHILTON

Pickard Chilton is an international architectural practice noted for its expertise in the design of large, complex and often high-profile buildings including corporate headquarters, high-rise commercial office towers, hotels, and academic and health care facilities. The firm’s layered perspective informs all of its work, presenting clients with a sophisticated, knowledge-based approach that emphasizes design vision, integrity, a focus on client objectives, and exceptional service. Headquartered in New Haven, Conn., the firm’s recent completed projects include: Northwestern Mutual Tower and Commons in Milwaukee, Wisconsin; 609 Main in Houston, Texas; the ATCO Campus in Calgary, Alberta; and, 1144 Fifteenth in Denver, Colorado. Current projects include 2+U in Seattle, Washington; 145 Broadway in Cambridge, Massachusetts; Canal Place for Dominion Energy in Richmond, Va.; and a mixed-use project in Tampa, Fla.; as well as commercial and residential developments in Austin, Atlanta, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Miami and Tokyo, Japan. Please visit www.pickardchilton.com for more information.

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