The CAA`s New Chapter_Full Steam Ahead

Building MattersTM
The Chicago Athletic Association
12 South Michigan Avenue
Chicago, Illinois
Client
Commune Hotels + Resorts
AJ Capital
Construction Manager
JLL
Architect
Hartshorne Plunkard Architects
Interior Design
Roman+Williams
For more information:
Dave Linden, Vice President
Clubs, Corporate & Condos
Sloan Watson
Director of Marketing
General Contractors Since 1891
773.235.2433
www.bulley.com
The Chicago Athletic
Association’s New Chapter
Full Steam Ahead: Building from the
Bottom Up and Top Down
The transformation of the Chicago Athletic Association (CAA) into a
world-class boutique hotel is on schedule to open in Spring 2015. The
exterior façade is restored and the building is enclosed. Crews working
double shifts are focused on building out the hotel’s 240 rooms,
restoring the club’s most iconic spaces, and completing the rooftop
addition. As with most projects of this type, the renovation has been
an exercise in discovery and creative response. As general contractor,
Bulley & Andrews is leveraging its experience on similar buildings to
run the job with a balance between tight controls and flexibility.
From the outset, the construction team recognized that surprises come
hand-in-hand with modernizing 120-year-old buildings (not to mention
one that was shuttered for seven years). In anticipation, they worked closely
with owners AJ Capital and Commune Hotels + Resorts, construction
manager JLL, Hartshorne Plunkard Architects, and the interiors firm
Roman + Williams, to put in place technologies and processes that
would mitigate the impact of conditions that had yet to manifest.
Building MattersTM
at least 40 different configurations and sizes. As such, the BIM
model is helping minimize clashes
among systems prior to their
installation in the field. Moreover,
the model conveys conditions
that are difficult to relate in twodimensional drawings, such as
walls and ceiling heights that are
not plumb and changes in grade
between the two buildings.
No amount of planning can eliminate
the inevitable surprises that come with
modernizing a 120-year-old building,
much less one shuttered for seven years.
Capturing as Much
Information as Possible
© 2014 Bulley & Andrews, LLC
CAA comprises two structures: the
first, opened in 1893, is located
immediately opposite Millennium
Park at 12 South Michigan Avenue.
A second building (around the corner at 71 East Madison Street) was
constructed in 1907 and expanded
in 1926. The two buildings connect
via interior walkways.
When the renovation began, no
official drawings were available for
either building. In response, Bulley
& Andrews decided to laser scan
the entire building to capture the
most accurate measurements
possible. After this data was
verified, it served as the basis of a
three-dimensional model to which
architectural and engineering
drawings were added. The team
decided to invest in the model to
harness the technology’s aptitude
to improve coordination among
the trades. Key to this decision
was a committment from all construction stakeholders to update
the model as construction progresses and new conditions arise.
The team has found that “going
BIM” has proven very helpful in
protecting the project from schedule overruns when unpredicted
surprises are inevitable.
CAA’s plurality of unique spaces is
one of the building’s most unique
features and biggest challenges;
nothing about the hotel will be
cookie-cutter. For example, of
the 240 guest rooms, there are
Bulley & Andrews also decided to
equip all its project personnel with
tablets, giving them access to the
most up-to-date job communications, as well as allowing them to
use the model as a communication tool when meeting at any
location on the site.
Building for the Best
Views in the City
One of the hotel’s most notable
features is a new rooftop bar that
will offer spectacular views of
Millennium Park, The Art Institute,
and the lake beyond. When open,
it will surely be one of the most
desired destinations in the city.
Accommodating this additional
load on the roof required extensive structural reinforcement.
The team provided this via the
construction of a 12-story structural steel stairway in an existing
lightwell, in addition to reinforcing
all existing columns in the building. The latter was accomplished
by first removing the columns’
decorative overlays, replacing the
beams, and then returning the
original wood and marble details.
Pictured on this page: Crews enclosing
the new rooftop bar and venue on the
hotel’s roof.
Building MattersTM
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Modernizing In Place
All Systems Go
Looking Ahead
The CAA building is renown for its
architectural detailing, much of
which is being preserved. As the
project has advanced, the team has
uncovered moldings and plaster
features previously covered by
dropped ceilings and other modifications. Bulley & Andrews salvaged
the ceiling details and is recasting
them on site, this time with modern
As noted, crews are working double shifts and nearly 200 workers
are on site at all times. While challenging, coordination has been key
in keeping the work effort moving.
The team is equiped with tablets
to facilitate communication and
meets daily to review the schedule, which always holds a surplus
for unexpected conditions. The
lighting. The same care extends to
the mosaic flooring, carved fireplaces and balustrades, and to the
club’s famous Circle Bar, which is
being converted into a fine dining
restaurant.
initial investment in authoring the
BIM model has seen a significant
return: The team estimates they
have already saved three months
on the schedule by avoiding rework
in the field.
Even though CAA once functioned
as a hotel, its rooms were never
ADA accessible, nor were they
code compliant. All of the original
rooms were demolished and framing for the new rooms is complete.
Crews are moving up (and down)
through the floors building them
out. The rooftop addition is being
enclosed as well, and crews will
begin to build out this space.
The electrical, mechanical, and
plumbing trades were completed
in October 2014, and the new
elevators and cabs subsequently
installed.
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4
© 2014 Bulley & Andrews, LLC
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1) Practically all materials and crews move in and out of the building via two skip hoists in the rear alley. 2) The ceiling in the grand
ballroom is being prepared for the re-installation of the long-hidden plaster stalactites, shown below. 3) Bulley & Andrews set up a plaster
casting shop onsite to recreate and cast the decorative moldings and accents. 4) All electrical, plumbing, and fire protection systems are
being updated, requiring creative solutions to blend these new features with the historic spaces.
Building MattersTM
A new stairway
constructed beam
by careful beam.
A spider crane
hoisted the beams
from a truck on
Michigan Avenue to
the roof. Work was
permitted only a few
hours a day and only
on weekdays.
Only three beams were
allowed on the roof at
any one time. The crane
lowered them down the
11-story lightwell for
immediate assembly.
Because visibility
was compromised,
colleagues stationed
on the floor below
provided direction to
the crane operator.
© 2014 Bulley & Andrews, LLC
The rooftop venue was always envisioned
as one of the hotel’s hallmark amenities.
Not until construction began, however,
did the team know the extent to which this
additional load would require reinforcement.
Part of the solution to this problem was
the construction of a 12-story structural
steel stairway in an existing lightwell. This
effort was a meticulously orchestrated
operation that required careful planning,
tight coordination, and patience. Limited
site access and winter weather conditions
(2014 was Chicago’s worst in 30 years) make
construction a months-long process.