How can a building foster a sense of openness and dialogue with the public? This challenge inspired HOK’s design of a new police headquarters in the western suburbs of Chicago.
ENR Midwest has named the Village of Oswego, Illinois, police headquarters and training facility one of its Best Projects of 2019.
Excerpted from ENR:
Built to provide a fast-growing village with a much-needed modern police facility, the $27.2-million, 72,000-sq.-ft. building symbolizes the open engagement and dialogue between law enforcement officers and the citizens they protect and serve that police everywhere strive for.
The design of the brick- and glass-clad building, developed in collaboration with community members and other stakeholders, is punctuated by a 60-ft. tower that serves as both a “community beacon of safety” and a renewable energy source. Solar arrays incorporated into the tower facade power an evacuated tube water heating system, expressing the village’s commitment to sustainability. The new building also complements a nearby fire headquarters, forming a civic campus for the village with landscaped and built features that safeguard staff and visitors from potential threats.
In addition to the signature solar heating system, the new headquarters was designed for LEED Silver certification through features such as its orientation to maximize energy efficiency and its use of daylight to illuminate interior spaces. Other features include automated lighting controls, a high-efficiency HVAC system and low-flow plumbing fixtures.
… BIM also played a critical role in maximizing the team’s overall efficiency, with subcontractors able to sort and access issues related to their respective scopes of work. This enhanced information-sharing capability minimized on-site coordination needs.