IIT Innovation Center

The Ed Kaplan Family Institute for Innovation and Technology Entrepreneurship at Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) is a steel frame structure with composite floors and braced cores. The two-storey building was constructed with a basement. Apart from the regular grid and rectangular floor plan, the ETFE facade on the upper floor is striking. It is supported by cantilevers up to 5 m long.

LEED Gold Certification Achieved

The ground floor facade is completely glazed. The supporting structure is designed to be extremely efficient and slender. Connections and details were worked out with the utmost care according to strict aesthetic specifications. The solar radiation into the building can be varied with the help of the ETFE facade. Heating and cooling are provided by building component activation.

Due to its sustainability, the building was awarded a LEED Gold certification.

The Ed Kaplan Family Institute for Innovation and Technology Entrepreneurship was designed by John Ronan, Werner Sobek was responsible for the structural design and the facade design substructure.