Bird-friendly environmental center in Calumet

Planned on a brownfield industrial site that is a major migratory route for birds, the 29,000-sf Ford Calumet Environmental Center will be wrapped with a screen made from reclaimed steel rebar designed to keep birds from crashing into the 300-foot-long, south-facing glass wall. The building, which is being designed to achieve LEED Platinum, will incorporate a geothermal system, daylight harvesting features, and a natural ventilation system that utilizes 12 rooftop wind turbines to circulate and ventilate air. Chicago-based Studio Gang Architects is the design architect, with CCJM Engineers, also based in Chicago, handling the MEP engineering.