1101 West Van Buren

Project Overview 

The 1101 West Van Buren project in Chicago is a testament to innovative architectural design and functionality. The building, managed by Coppia, is a 21-story mixed-use building completed in the early summer of 2024. The building, which emerged in a once vacant spot, features 298 apartments and ground-level retail shops. The lower level includes a parking garage for residents, prominently featuring Perforated Metal from Accurate. The key feature behind this beautiful, seamless building is the Talon Wall® Curtainwall system, a custom façade solution developed by Entekk. This system, leveraging 40 years of contract installation experience from its sister company, Chicago Heights Glass, Inc., was designed to be both aesthetically pleasing, highly functional, and economical. Its unique features, such as the innovative use of perforated metal, set it apart in the construction industry.

The Challenge 

During the design and construction phases of 1101 West Van Buren, Entekk faced the challenge of aligning the project designer's vision for a flat, clean, uniform, and visually appealing façade while still meeting the practical requirements for having a parking garage built into a new high-rise apartment complex, including the importance of open area ventilation. To achieve the clean look that glass brings to perforated metal, they needed to develop an alternative support frame system that avoided the bulky, difficult-to-install, and unattractive nature of existing 'legacy' support systems.  In addition, the construction team desired a fully unitized solution that could be installed quickly and entirely from the interior floor slabs of the building.

Why Perforated Metal? 

Industry trends and space considerations drove the use of perforated metal in the Talon Wall system. With limited parking on Van Buren, providing a parking solution for tenants was crucial. With its balanced form and function, perforated metal was the perfect choice, emphasizing the need for free area ventilation in façade designs. It allowed for an attractive, lightweight, and durable façade that met all ventilation requirements, adding significant value to the project.

Innovative Design and Implementation

The Talon Wall by Entekk Group, is a patented, fully engineered curtain wall system that is quick and easy to install with one-third of the crew size and twice as quickly as competing for window or curtain wall systems. It features a simple design with just two components to install: the finished unit and a single floor trim piece. The system is designed for superior performance, meeting or exceeding thermal, structural, air, and water standards while simplifying installation without requiring acoustic insulation, sealant, or anchor pre-setting. The Talon Wall® system supports LEED goals, reduces material waste, and enhances thermal performance, making it a cost-effective and environmentally friendly choice for building facades.

Entekk introduced perforated metal into the Talon Wall system by designing a custom perimeter adaptor extrusion member. This innovation provided the necessary structural support while minimizing the aesthetic impact, eliminating the need for panel edge returns that often cause the panels to 'pillow' at the perimeters. The result was a sleek, modern façade that maintained its visual appeal without compromising functionality.

Collaboration with Accurate Perforating 

Incorporating perforated metal into the Talon Wall system at 1101 West Van Buren resulted from a successful partnership between Entekk and Accurate Perforating. Mike Beck, Vice President of Sales and Engineering at Accurate, provided timely pricing, design, and finish options during the design development. His contributions enabled Entekk to achieve a cost-effective solution that met the designer's requirements, ultimately leading to a stunning final product.

Positive Reception

The installers, the general contractor, and the client have reacted overwhelmingly positively. The Talon Wall system, with its innovative use of perforated metal, has been praised for its distinctive appearance and functional advantages over similar applications. The perforated metal seems to blend in with the rest of the façade, helping the building stand out as the crown jewel of the entire block. This positive reception reassures the potential success of similar projects and underscores the Talon Wall system's potential for future applications.

Cost and Productivity Benefits 

The use of perforated metal in the Talon Wall system enhanced the building's aesthetic appeal and provided significant cost and productivity benefits. The new support framework system was easier to install, more accessible, and more attractive than the traditional 'legacy' systems, leading to overall project savings and increased efficiency. This success instills optimism about the Talon Wall system's efficiency and underscores its value in the construction industry.

Future Applications

Looking ahead, Entekk sees the potential for perforated metal and the Talon Wall system to be leveraged in similar projects in Chicago and across the U.S. The success at 1101 West Van Buren is a powerful example of how innovative façade design, coupled with high-quality materials like perforated metal, can set new standards in the construction industry.

Conclusion 

The collaboration between Entekk and Accurate Perforating on the 1101 West Van Buren project resulted in a groundbreaking façade system that meets aesthetic and functional demands. The importance of innovative design, expert collaboration, and using high-quality materials, like perforated metal, will achieve outstanding architectural outcomes in future projects.