HHS at Parklawn, 5600 Fishers Lane

Renovation of the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Parklawn Building to upgrade the facility into a Class “A”, LEED Platinum-certified office building with industrial loft aesthetics and innovative green features.  

Structural modifications included a 12-story vertical expansion to create a new atrium space.  The new atrium feature consists of a new floor at the main building level, along with new elevator and stair cores situated at the atrium corners, serving each level above the atrium floor.  The atrium is enclosed by a new steel-framed roof with 100-foot spans supporting a 100x100-foot ETFE skylight system.  Four existing elevator cores were demolished, removing off-grid columns that required new slabs as well as column jackets at the affected column bays.

Additional modifications included floor penetrations at existing slabs for new elevator and mechanical shafts, in-fill of existing abandoned shafts, FRP retrofits for the new facade and two-story lobby, and blast hardening at columns and slabs. 

SK&A also provided multiple services on this project, including structural concrete, structural steel, masonry, and curting wall/windows inspections as well as waterproofing and roofing observations. Specialty services include the use of ground penetrating radar (GPR) and core drilling/bond testing.