Arup Completes Engineering For University of Chicago Laboratory School, Earl Shapiro Hall

CHICAGO, Feb. 27, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Arup, a multidisciplinary engineering and consulting firm with a reputation for delivering innovative and sustainable designs, announced today that it recently completed the design and coordination of mechanical, plumbing, and fire protection services (MP/FP) for the Earl Shapiro Hall at the Laboratory Schools Early Childhood Campus. The 117,000 SF high-tech and energy efficient school facility is associated with the University of Chicago and offers an innovative, experience-based learning program emphasizing flexible child-teacher interaction and imagination. The new facility houses nursery, kindergarten, and first- and second-grade students from across the City of Chicago.

Arup worked with executive architect FGM Architects, and design architect Valerio Dewalt Train Associates to thoughtfully determine the functional needs of the facility in the framework of energy efficiency and natural light. In response to the well-lit, floor-to-ceiling glass situated along the perimeter of the new facility, Arup engineered a radiant floor system to off-set heat loss and provide regulatory comfort for the children and staff.  To ensure long-term energy savings, modular multi-stack chillers and condensing boilers were selected for the facility's central plant. Providing isolation valves at the modular chillers enables both the chilled water and condensed water systems to operate variable flow, resulting in significant reductions in consumption.

Earl Shapiro Hall opened in the fall of 2013 with a rooftop celebration.  The building is targeting LEED™ Silver certification.

Additional project team members include:

• Architect of Record: FGM Architects
• Design Architect: Valerio Dewalt Train
• Construction Manager: Lend Lease
• Project manager: University of Chicago Facilities Services
• Landscape designer: Mikyoung Kim Design
• Civil engineer: Environmental Design International (EDI)
• Structural engineer: Rubinos & Mesia Engineers, Inc.
• Mechanical engineer: Arup
• Electrical engineer: Primera Engineers
• Acoustical/AV engineer: Threshold Acoustics
• Architectural Lighting: Hugh Lighting Design
• Signage: Naughton & Associates, Inc.
• LEED: HJKessler Associates, Inc.

About Arup
Arup is the creative force at the heart of many of the world's most prominent projects in the built environment and across industry. Its engineers and consultants deliver innovative projects across the world. Arup opened its first US office 25 years ago, and now employs 1,000 in the Americas. The firm was founded in 1946 with an enduring set of values that fosters a distinctive culture, intellectual independence and collaborative approach. The people at Arup are driven to find a better way to deliver better solutions for their clients. (www.arup.com)

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SOURCE Arup