Illinois Tech opens a new research facility that takes cues from the Mies-designed campus

Illinois Tech has opened a new facility in Fulton Labs, a life and health sciences campus developed by Trammell Crow Company. 

Designed by Perkins&Will, the 34,000-sf facility addresses Illinois Tech’s need for collaborative research space, helping researchers develop technologies that can have real-world impact. Illinois Tech occupies the entire seventh floor of Fulton Labs’ 400 N Aberdeen location.

With elements of midcentury design, Illinois Tech at Fulton Labs takes cues from the university’s historic campus, including Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s academic buildings and OMA’s McCormick Tribune Campus Center. 

A large sliding glass entry door, made with steel and brushed chrome hardware, recalls the glass and steel of Illinois Tech’s Mies Campus. The reception area’s color scheme of blues, grays, greens, and pinks complements Illinois Tech’s red brand color. 

An accent wall features handmade wallpaper produced through an ancient Japanese marbling technique. The wallpaper’s bold colors and biophilic patterns contrast with the subdued Miesian material palette, including black metal, white oak, concrete, chrome, and frosted glass. Wallcoverings and upholsteries continue the color scheme throughout the space.

The open structure, with floating walls and thin ceiling planes, nod to Mies’s concept of universal space. Two lab areas—biomedical sciences and chemical sciences—occupy opposite sides of the floor, both with city views.  

The expansive open labs with modular benching are paired with support spaces housing microscopy, cell culture, and laser research. The workstations include adjustable lab benches and motorized sit-stand desks. Collaborative spaces, including eight flex rooms, support interaction and various working styles. Write-up and multipurpose rooms support both science and education. 

Large interior windows provide daylight and visual connectivity while safely showcasing the research to visitors. All exterior windows have electrochromic glass that tints automatically in response to sun exposure. Wall and ceiling finishes, such as high-performance ceiling tiles and acoustic felt, mitigate sound in the open-plan space.

On the project team: Trammell Crow Company (developer and landlord), Illinois Tech (tenant), Perkins&Will (design architect and architect of record), CRB (MEP engineer), Power Construction (general contractor).