Soldier Field Continues to Win Awards
The National Council of Structural Engineers Associations recently awarded Thornton-Tomasetti Engineers, the structural engineer for the Soldier Field renovation project, with the 2005 Outstanding Project of the Year Award.
The award praised the stadiums design and how the engineers tackled complex geometry and steel construction innovations in the National Football Leagues fastest stadium construction yet.
With it newest award, the new Soldier Field has won a total of 17 awards since reopening to the public in September 2003. Praise for the stadium, which was one of the Chicagos largest public works project in recent history, also includes honors from construction associations and publications, civic organizations, and environmental groups.
The Chicago Park District is excited to continue receiving honors for the redesign of the new Soldier Field, said Timothy J. Mitchell, the general superintendent of the Chicago Park District. This Stadium in a Park belongs to the people of Chicago and its countless state-of-the-art improvements and new parkland are an exemplary contribution to the Museum Campus and our beautiful lakefront.
Recognizing the historic significance and elegant beauty of the colonnades, Soldier Field architects and the Chicago Park District designed a new stadium that would preserve its classical architecture.
One of the most notable improvements to Chicagos lakefront and the Museum Campus is the welcome addition of 17 acres of new parkland to the outlying area of Soldier Field.
The premier green space includes a childrens garden, which is intended to complement the youth experience at the Museum Campus and Soldier Field, as well as the educational programs of the three museums. The garden is a place primarily of play, enjoyment, discovery and fun.
Another landscaped activity for the young and old is a 33-foot sledding hill set in a winter garden landscape. The hill provides a recreational opportunity never before offered along this stretch of lakefront. Universal access to the top of the hill yields a vantage point to enjoy spectacular year round views of the lakefront and city. To ensure season-long use of the sledding hill, the Chicago Park District keeps a snow-maker on hand for times when snow is light.
The winter garden embraces the sledding hill, features a variety of plants that hold winter interest such as evergreen trees and shrubs, plants with berries, and interesting bark and forms. Additionally, the landscaping offers hard-surfaced sports areas and improved pathways.
Joining Thornton-Tomasetti Engineers on the project team for the new Soldier Field was the Chicago Bears, developer; Hoffman Management Partners, LLC, the developers representative; Turner Construction Co./Barton Malow Co./Kenny Construction Co. (TBMK Joint Venture), construction manager; Lohan Caprile Goettsch Architects/Wood & Zapata (LWZ Joint Venture), architects; Peter Lindsay Schaudt Landscape Architecture, Inc., landscape architect; V3 Consultants, civil engineer; Ellerbe Becket/Environmental Systems Design, Inc., mechanical engineer; and STS Consultants, Ltd, geo-technical engineer.
Since reopening to the public in September 2003, the new Soldier Field has been honored with the following awards:
–2003 Overall Project of the Year – Midwest Construction magazine honored the new Soldier Field in its Best of 2003 Awards in January 2004. Midwest Construction convened a jury of ten prominent construction professionals from around the Midwest to honor building designs that demonstrated the most creative solutions to project challenges. The jury reviewed 27 projects throughout Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin to honor them for excellence in construction and design.
–2004 Engineering Excellence Honor Award, Special Projects -The Consulting Engineers Council of Illinois in January 2004 honored V3 Consultants, Ltd., which worked under the guidance of Lohan Caprile Goettsch Architects and Wood + Zapata in joint venture, the architects, and Peter Lindsay Schaudt Architecture, Inc., the landscape architect. The award recognizes Illinois consulting engineering firms based on excellence in engineering that meet the needs of the client and benefit the public welfare.
–2004 Build America Award- The Associated General Contractors honored Turner/ Barton Malow/Kenny Construction (TBMK), the construction manager, in March 2004. Considered the construction industry’s Oscars , this award symbolizes excellence in construction and ultimately promotes quality, uniqueness and innovation within individual projects. TBMK was honored in the Construction Management Renovation category for its state-of-the-art technology and innovative project management techniques in its construction of Soldier Field.
–Outstanding Project of 2003-2004 The Association of Subcontractors & Affiliates (ASA Chicago) honored the Chicago Park District, the construction manager, Turner/ Barton Malow/Kenny Construction, and the Chicago Bears in April 2004. ASA Chicago praised the team for their success in constructing a new state of the art stadium within the space limitations of the existing historic structure in just 20 months. A typical schedule would have allowed for 26 to 28 months. To meet this aggressive goal, more than $1 million in construction work took place each day.
–2004 Merit Award for New Construction Chicago–The Chicago Building Congress in May 2004 honored the Chicago Park District and the Soldier Field project team. The award celebrates the collaborative effort required for the building process. Judging was based on the distinctiveness of design, quality of construction, positive impact on the surrounding community and the projects safety record.
–2004 Best New Open Space Project Award The Friends of Downtown, a nonprofit civic group that promotes Chicagos downtown area, honored the Chicago Park District and the Soldier Field team in May 2004. The award praises the projects landscape design that transformed acres of paved surfacing into increased parkland along the lakefront.
–2004 Building Team of the Year, Grand Award–Building Design & Construction Magazine honored the Soldier Field team in its June 2004 issue for its successful collaboration on the design and construction of the new Soldier Field.
–2004 Green Roof Award of Excellence- The Green Roofs for Healthy Cities honored the Chicago Park District on June 3, 2004, for the stadiums new 5.5-acre park atop its underground garage. Soldier Field designers were recognized in the Intensive Industrial/Commercial Category for their use of green-roof technology to create additional green space for the Stadium in a Park. The award notes the parks integrated irrigation and drainage system and the maple, ash and linden trees that were planted in the new park.
–2004 Excellence in Structural Engineering Award, Best Structure – The Structural Engineers Association of Illinois honored Thorton-Thomasetti Engineers in June 2004 for the creative engineering that carried the inventive design of the stadium from concept to completion within the demanding time frame.
–2004 Merit Award, Innovative Design and Excellence in Architecture Using Structural Steel (I.D.E.A.S.) The American Institute of Steel Construction honored the Soldier Field project team on June 11, 2004, for their innovative and creative use of structural steel in designing the stadium.
–2004 Construction & Design Award The Engineering Society of Detroit honored the Chicago Park District, Turner/ Barton Malow/Kenny Construction, the construction manager, Lohan Caprile Goettsch Architects and Wood + Zapata, in joint venture, architects, at the groups annual meeting on June 29, 2004. The award honors projects that demonstrate outstanding team achievement and innovative use of technology.
–2004 Outstanding Engineering Achievement Award The Illinois Engineering Council honored Thorton-Thomasetti Engineers and the Soldier Field project team in September 2004 for the outstanding engineering and creativity that went into the Soldier Field project. The Illinois Engineering Council represents more than 20 engineering societies throughout Illinois.
–2004 Building with Trees Award of Excellence- The National Arbor Day Foundation, in cooperation with the National Association of Home Building and Firewise Communities honored the Soldier Field projects landscape architects, Peter Lindsay Schaudt Landscape Architecture, Inc., in October 2004. The award honors the firms commitment to work in concert with nature in its preservation of trees in the projects landscape design.
–2004 Mayor Daleys Landscape Awards Program –Mayor Richard M. Daley honored the North Burnham Park / Soldier Field project in November 2004 with a first place award in the rooftop gardens category for its significant contribution to the city of Chicago.
–2005 American Society of Irrigation Consultants Award The American Society of Irrigation Consultants honored the irrigation consultants, Jeffrey L. Bruce & Company LLC, for the North Burnham Park / Soldier Field project with a Merit Award in the commercial and public works category at the organizations annual conference in May 2005.
–2005 Illinois Chapter American Society of Landscape Architects Honor Award in the Design-Public category -The Illinois Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects honored Peter Lindsay Schaudt Landscape Architecture, Inc. in December 2005. This award recognizes the improved public landscape, the childrens garden, and the landscapes creativity and intricate design.
Originally constructed in 1924, Soldier Field has been the home of the Chicago Bears for more than 30 years. The City of Chicago completed the renovation of the stadium in September 2003.
The revitalization of the historic Soldier Field was part of the citys Lakefront Redevelopment Project to renovate the stadium and the surrounding area.