The Kaplan Institute at the Illinois Institute of Technology is a dramatic new presence on the university's iconic Ludwig Mies van der Rohe-designed campus. The building was conceived as a hybrid of campus and academic space, organized around two open-air courtyards through which visitors enter the building. So-called "collision nodes" encourage chance encounters and exchange across departments and disciplines. Open, horizontal floor plates allow visual connection to multiple interior spaces at once, fostering the sense of a collaborative community of users. The striking design features a cantilevered second floor that shades the ground floor. A façade of ETFE (Ethylene Tetrafluoroethylene) foil cushions lends the building a light, billowy appearance while regulating the amount of solar energy gain. With the aid of advanced heating and cooling systems, the Kaplan Institute has earned a rigorous LEED Gold certification.
