Archives

University Center - Preparing For The Future

It’s not only the “reading, writing, and arithmetic” that is part of education, but the social skills developed as a student progresses through his or her education. The staff of the University Center, located at 525 South State Street in Chicago, has developed a unique approach to providing the way for this to be accomplished in the form of a student dorm development.

Student housing is not new. From the dawn of college development, the need to house students from out-of-state has been a concern for college campuses. But when these college campuses are located in the heart of a big city, room to expand and provide these housing units becomes a challenge. When the need arose in Chicago, the challenge went out to provide quality dorm housing and the cry was met with innovation and technology.

U.S. Equities Student Housing, LLC. now manages a brand new high-rise residential facility comprised of students from Columbia College, Roosevelt University and DePaul University. As we spoke that day with Chief Engineer Matt McManus, we inquired as to what prompted the interest in high-rise dormitories. He introduced us to Project Manager, Bill Vail, who told us that U.S. Equities, who owns numerous properties in the Chicago area, is always looking at where there might be a need for development. Bill told us that more students will graduate from high school in the next four years than in the history of the United States. U.S. Equities targets the market they feel has potential, and with that fact in mind, student housing seemed to be the rising need. University Center has proven them right. “We are excited about this project. We provide a service that at the end of the day has a lot of value,” he told us.

And that value is being recognized throughout the United States and countries abroad. University Center has been visited by Ivy League schools and from schools in countries as far away as Mexico and Japan interested in seeing how this has been accomplished and how to begin the same project within their own educational system.

Beginning as a parking garage, University Center saw new life in the form of student housing. The 18-story building constructed of steel reinforced concrete, now provides over 702,000 square feet of residential living area, retail space, and all the amenities that go along with a first-class property. At a cost of approximately $150 million, University Center can be proud of its new look and the two awards it won within the construction industry.

Matt told us that although his office wasn’t located on the property in the beginning, he was on-board for all pre-construction meetings and planning. Because this was such a unique venue, all the engineers were brought into the facility four months before students were allowed to move in. They received extensive training in all areas of housing concerns and were trained in “student management” as well as building management. Opening for occupancy in August of 2004, Matt said there hasn’t been a dull moment yet.

“ All of the students here are wonderful. Although every day brings something different to the table, we really haven’t had any major difficulties. The uniqueness of this building gives every day a different challenge.”

What makes this building unique is the dramatic shift in occupancy that occurs throughout the year. During school months the building is in full function. When college breaks occur, around Christmas, spring break, etc., the students go home and the engineering department “ramps” up. Projects that cannot be accomplished while students are in their rooms are quickly scheduled and completed.

This type of Demand Management allows for work to be completed during the times available. But as the staff “ramped up”, equipment needed to be able to “ramp down”.

It is precisely this shift in occupancy that had us curious as to what occurred in the building during the summer months while the students were gone. “We go into hotel mode,” Matt told us. Part of what makes this building a success is the fact that it can be marketed year round. University Center has lent itself to the corporate world as well. Out-of-town business travelers can find top-notch living arrangements in the form of apartments and suite-style rooms. All amenities including the fitness center, laundry facilities, outdoor terrace and dining room are available for use during the stay. Companies can find nine, state-of-the-art conference rooms outfitted with smart whiteboards, a full range of video and audio visual equipment, video conferencing and high speed internet technology available. In addition, a separate entrance to the conference rooms is available as well as a full complement of catering services provided by Aramark.

We started our tour in the dining room area of the center. Here students are able to eat three square meals a day or eat on the go as their schedules allow. Modern decorations and an open air atmosphere lend a quality to the room that only says “student.” Seating is provided for those students who want to access an internet connection or for those who want to sit in front of a TV and “veg.” While here Matt showed us the new manual pull fire system. Every stairwell and entrance door has been outfitted with this system. In the past if a fire alarm is pulled, the engineer would run to the fire panel to see where the alarm was sounded. With this new system, a code installed on each unit tells the engineer the exact floor, device and location of the alarm sounded. With an automatic wet sprinkler system covering the entire building, driven by a 1,500 gpm, 200hp Peerless fire pump, the hope is that this alarm will never be heard.

All the mechanical equipment is located on the 19th floor. Known as the Penthouse, this is not your typical first-class living accommodations area. Here 8,500 sq. ft. of space house the chiller pumps, electrical room, elevator room and boiler/pump room.

From its inception, all the mechanical equipment that has been installed was chosen for the energy savings that could be provided. A frequency driven dual temperature HVAC system with frequency driven pumps are used. Pumps ramp up or down as occupancy demands. Specifically, these drives regulate the 1,000 fan coil units installed in all of the rooms.

These pumps were so economical that they were also installed on the domestic water system. Metropolitan Industries installed a Triplex System which, Matt told us, “is a beautiful system.”

The other unique system Matt explained to us revolved around the Baltimore Air Cooled towers on the roof. A closed internal fluid cooler system runs water through a closed coil located in the cooling tower. When the tower is drained in the winter, fans inside the cooling tower are used to draw cold air over the coil and cool the condenser water. “This is unique. It is an energy saving solution that has worked well for us,” Matt said.

Having a daughter who is in college, I inquired about security issues at University Center. First, Matt told us, all students and employees are issued a pass card. All access to the building is through the main lobby located on the first floor where the pass card must be used to gain access. Security personnel are on hand 24 hours a day as well as 30+ cameras located on the interior and exterior of the building. Video can be viewed live on any of the monitors located on the main security console. Blue duress buttons located throughout the building immediately notify security of a problem. The students are given a handbook reminding them of the rules and regulations which strictly enforce visitation rules. Access to the retail space is available only from the street.

In the event that a fire occurs, all doors in the center stairway unlock automatically. Emergency doors are equipped with panic hardware and lighted exit signs covered by the emergency lighting system. Evacuation drills are held periodically during the year. Evacuation maps are posted in each room. In the event of an actual evacuation, floor wardens participate in their “sweep” activities and are instructed to assist residents with disabilities. An emergency generator will supply power to the emergency light system, communications system and one elevator.

Which led to the next question: Was the building ADA compliant? “Yes,” Matt told us. “That was a construction requirement.” Five percent of the building was deemed to be compliant. Resident rooms are fully outfitted with visual aids. Free-standing smoke detectors are both visual, with a red strobe light indicating a life safety issue, and audible. They are 110V power with battery backup. Disability rooms include safety bars in the shower area, lowered sinks and counters and wider doorframes.

Resident rooms come in several different settings. From a semi-suite to a four-bedroom quad, rooms start at 580 sq. ft and are fully furnished. With 108 beds per floor, and floors 3 thru 18 housing students, Matt and the engineering department are kept very busy. University Center runs 24/7/365. Eight employees in engineering handle three shifts and are available around the clock as needed. Occasionally, students are assigned to help out - everything from general cleaning to painting and decorating help Matt in his everyday duties.

But student life isn’t all studying. Social skills are developed and friendships are made with students not only from their campus but other campuses as well. A fully furnished game room provides a welcome break from studies and a little friendly competition on the pool table. Not into games? Take a good book and sit by the fireplace in the great room. Or a stroll on the fully landscaped terrace on a warm Chicago day will provide all the relaxation necessary to clear the mind and strengthen the body. Whatever it is that you look for, chances are it can be found somewhere between floors 2 and 18 at University Center.

Education – the portal to the future. U.S. Equities saw the future, and has done its part to ensure that the young adults of today are prepared to be the leaders of tomorrow. With the success of University Center, the doorway has been opened for others to follow. Let’s lead the way.

Archives