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The Chinese American Service League (CASL), Illinois' largest and most comprehensive social service agency, had several offices throughout Chicago's Chinatown. After over 20 years of service, CASL was ready to consolidate its offices under one roof.
The project consisted of the design and construction of a new 37,000
SF, two-story community center located in Chicago Chinatown to serve
as CASL's headquarters and base of operations. The facility includes a
day care center, meeting rooms, classrooms, a multi-purpose room,
full-service kitchen, administrative offices, and an outdoor play area.
R.M. Chin & Associates, Inc. (RMCA) served as Owner Representative.
RMCA was involved in every aspect of the project, including the following
services: identifying and securing funding, design oversight, value
engineering, procurement of contractors, quality assurance, and
complete construction management services. |
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The new CASL Building is cladded entirely with titanium, the first of its kind in Chicago. This design required additional testing to determine how titanium would respond to the Chicago environment and the development of a weather-proofing system behind the titanium. The added challenge was to design a multi-use building to meet the client's needs, but keep within the building's footprint and budget.
Funding for the CASL Building came from a variety of sources, including private, federal, and state grants as well as lending institutions. |
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RMCA managed the project architect, the weather materials, and the titanium manufacturers to ensure all components of the titanium shell were not only compatible, but that warranties would not be at risk. Through value engineering, RMCA identified two significant cost-savings alternatives: changing the column spacing of the structure to be uniform, allowing the building to be simplified and cost-effective; and, due to the soil and site condition changing the foundation system from caissons to a structural slab, making it more efficient and more cost-effective.
RMCA was responsible for the creation of the overall budget allowing efficient management of the multiple draw requests and providing the due diligence for each funding source. |
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| 1. |
American Institute of Architects: Distinguished Building Award, Citation of Merit, 2004 |
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| 2. |
Midwest Construction Magazine, Best of 2004 Awards, Institutional Category |
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| 3. |
Friends of Downtown, 2005: Best Institutional Project |
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