The University of Chicago Crerar Science Quadrangle

JRA Landscape Architecture PLLC

Landscape Architects

www.jacobsryan.com

(p) 312.664.3217 / (f) 312.337.1550

1527 N. Sandburg Terrace, Chicago IL 60610

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Featured Projects
The University of Chicago Crerar Science Quadrangle, Chicago, Illinois


		The University of Chicago, known for its beautiful campus, wanted a Landscape Architect to work with the Offices of the President and Facilities Services to develop a garden design to be located at the University’s Crerar Sciences Quadrangle. The quad was a campus open space that was formed with left over space in the mid-1980s during the construction of the Crerar Library and has never had a distinguished feature or character. The site is located at the south end of the quadrangle beginning with the newly created pedestrian-way along vacated East 58th Street, north to the diagonal walk from Crerar Library to the Bookstore and café plaza. The term “garden” was used to denote a specific area not necessarily a design direction, left open to the landscape architect’s imagination.



Jacobs/Ryan Associates understood the client’s desire to explore a whole range of ideas for the garden space, so cutting edge landscape images were presented as precedent references for the eventual design. The project design started as a 44 foot square plaza with a circular configuration of shade sails upon which lights or images could be projected. This idea gave way to a custom light feature, designed and engineered in conjunction with a site furniture manufacturer. The light feature consists of two concentric circles which are suspended from four posts with catenary cables. This “circle of light” is a focal point in the quad which also features a plaza with pavers, a surrounding circle of trees, a circular plant bed featuring RedPointe Maples, custom cast concrete benches, various walkways with new lighting and two side perennial gardens.




		Jacobs/Ryan Associates was the Prime Consultant and Landscape Architect, in charge of the overall site design and landscape architectural development. Rubinos & Mesia provided civil and structural engineering, while Primera provided lighting design and electrical engineering. Maglin assisted in the product engineering and manufacture of this custom light feature which houses an i-Light LED product. The project was the subject of an article in Landscape Architecture Magazine, January 2019, won a 2019 American Architecture Award from The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies; an (IES) Illuminating Engineering Society Chicago Section 2019 Merit Award; and a 2019 Illinois Chapter ASLA Merit award. Client: University of Chicago Facilities; Engineers: Rubinos & Mesia (Civil and Structural), Primera Engineering (Lighting and Electrical) Photography by Kale Joyce