Epstein's Top 100 Projects: #65: OneEleven

No. 65 in Epstein's Top 100 Projects countdown is OneEleven, a LEED-NC Gold high-rise residential building located at 111 W. Wacker in Chicago, Illinois.

For OneEleven, Epstein served as the Architect of Record for the completion of a structure that was originally designed as a 90-story Shangri-La hotel with high-end condominiums. Construction on the Shangri-La began in 2007 and, due to economic crash of 2008, was halted after 24 levels were constructed. In 2010, Related purchased the property from the original developers with the goal of redeveloping the building into a 60-story rental residential tower.

Epstein worked with the New York-based design architect, Handel Architects, in modifying the existing built structure and creating a new image for the property. The original shell building at 111 West Wacker consisted of 24 floors of existing structure (concrete frame), plus 4 levels of below grade support, including 2 parking levels. The above grade existing structure was comprised of 10 levels of parking and 14 floors of podium apartments with mechanical and amenity spaces. The newly envisioned structure included a new structural transfer floor at level 25 with an additional 30 floors of apartments above. This 60-story building, which was completed in 2014, now features 504 rental units, 445 parking spaces, and generous amenities.

OneEleven’s sustainable design features included a reduction in the Heat Island Effect through a vegetated roof that covers 68.5 percent of the base building roof. In addition, OneEleven achieved significant potable water use reduction through the use of efficient plumbing fixtures and landscaping/irrigation systems. Furthermore, OneEleven’s mechanical systems, which included an improved thermal envelope, high efficiency glazing, reeducated interior lighting density, occupancy sensors, high-efficient water heaters and water source heat pumps, achieved annual cost savings of 20.56 percent.