With a skylight flooding natural daylight throughout a two-story atrium, a salt-water fish tank and a state-of-the-art green wall, the brand new Chicago Mitzvah Campaign (CMC) building is nothing short of idyllic.
But, it’s what actually will occur within the center that is lofty. CMC is a social service agency serving Chicago’s Jewish community with social support in challenging times, material aid and Jewish spiritual counsel.
Designed by architect Yoseph Kalman of YMK Architecture, the building brings a fresh, modern feel to the West Rogers Park neighborhood. Kalman says, “It was an honor to get involved because of the work that the Chicago Mitzvah Campaign does. Building this center for them was exciting because they were open to trying something different and more creative.”
From the outside, the building features the vertical wood paneling as a prominent addition to the busy public corner drawing everyone’s eyes to the appealing and energy-efficient E.I.F.S. Chicago Masonry Construction installed the E.I.F.S.
The project was particularly challenging as the team built the new center around a local store that remained open throughout the construction period. Kalman says, “It was a tricky project to work around the Quick Stop. We had to design the structure to envelop the Quick Stop in a way where they could still operate during construction. We had to keep the roof intact, make sure there was no water infiltration and remove parts of the roof to tie into the new building. It was tricky designing it and just as tricky to construct it.”
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Charity reflected in the design
Rabbi Aron Wolf of Chicago Mitzvah Campaign approached Kalman to design the building as a space where seniors would come in and feel welcome. “We incorporated a skylight fenestration in a grid with a coffered ceiling that gives the central atrium natural light and openness.”
It’s clear from the design of the building that the CMC’s charitable mission influenced the look and feel of the building. “The space will hold many social activities, such as general religious enrichment programs for seniors, so I wanted to design a central connection space along with many individual meeting spaces. There is connectivity to the building and every part is easily accessible,” says Kalman.
It’s not uncommon to find a senior center with a cold, more hospital feel. The CMC senior center is just the opposite. Kalman says, “We wanted to create a space where people didn’t feel like they were being treated like a patient, but rather feel proud to be in a welcoming, supportive place.”
The building also features an oversized commercial kitchen to provide meals for those in need.
Installing E.I.F.S. for aesthetics and function
To bring YMK Architecture’s vision to life, Chicago Masonry Construction was tasked with furnishing and installing and furnishing approximately 6,254 sq.-ft. of new E.I.F.S. at exterior elevations as per the drawings provided by Kalman.
The Dryvit system was applied as an air and moisture barrier, as necessary. Additionally, Chicago Masonry was responsible for furnishing and applying Dryvit Primer/Basecoat to the back of the insulation board using a notched trowel and then applying insulation board to the substrate.
Next, they furnished and applied a 48-in. standard mesh over previously rasped insulation board (9.5-in. at termination points) and then embedded mesh into the wet base coat by troweling from the center to the edges of the mesh, as well as double wrapping mesh at all the corners.
They applied a Finesse finish in a custom-color match of Musket Gray and furnished the base coat using a trowel to scrape material down to a uniform thickness. Chicago Masonry also installed the aesthetic accents (trims, quoins, cornices, V-grooves, drip edges, etc.) per drawings.
Chicago Masonry furnished and installed caulking in those areas where the E.I.F.S. meets against dissimilar material as per the drawings (metal, masonry, wood, etc.).The caulking consisted of installing ⅜-in. backer rod and filling with a one-part silicone sealant (Tremco® 3 or equal).
Kalman adds, “The wood cladding (longboard), which is really an extruded aluminum product, is what’s called a rain-screen cladding system. As an exterior finish, material wood looks beautiful but tends to require a fair amount of upkeep and is susceptible to rot, insects, and may weather unpredictably. Aluminum, however, is far more durable and will retain its appeal for many years. A rain screen cladding system is an exterior cladding infrastructure that sits away from a building’s outside wall’s weather-resistant barrier, creating an air cavity directly behind the cladding that helps to protect the building’s important weather-resistant barrier. This is a relatively new approach to designing facade systems.”
The decision to use E.I.F.S. for the exterior was due to its durability and modern feel. Kalman says, “E.I.F.S. is both aesthetically pleasing and provides a control joint to minimize cracking. It was an economic and appealing choice. We only used high-quality materials to make it efficient and sustainable.”
Key features
Creativity, passion and hard work were poured into this building along with the concrete. Kalman has a couple of features he is particularly proud of in the new center. “The coffered skylight system draws substantial daylight into the space. Daylight has an impact on how people feel, so flooding the space with daylight will perk the mood of anyone who enters,” says Kalman.
For the skylight, Chicago Masonry used a specific type Solatube uniquely arranged in a grid recessed within the coffered ceiling. “The skylight with the two-story atrium was designed in a beautiful way to appeal to anyone walking into the building,” says Kalman.
On the exterior side, Kalman highlighted the corner wall to draw people’s attention to the building. Kalman says, “The wood feature wall on the corner has vertical wood paneling and a modern aesthetic. It’s a very exciting feature and unique to the neighborhood. It’s warm look and feel makes it more approachable and serves as a prominent spot on the building.” The wood wall stands out partly because of placement and partly because of the unique material used. The height was also elevated for added emphasis.
Another major feature of the building is the grand stairway cascading up from the first to the second floor. Kalman says, “The second floor creates a beautiful perimeter walkway around the building to oversee the first floor.”
The building was designed and constructed to enable the Chicago Mitzvah Campaign to serve the community and continue to make a positive impact. No doubt it will do just that.
Chicago Masonry Construction is a full-service commercial masonry, EIFS/stucco and caulking contractor serving architects, construction managers, condominium associations, developers, general contractors, homeowners and both private and public institutions since 1986.