Argonne Program Support Facility/ Lemont, Illinois/ 1981
Type: Government, Office
Size: 215,000 sq ft / 20,000 sq m
Height: 3 floors
Status: Completed 1981
Recognition: AIA Chicago Chapter Award; Owens‑Corning Fiberglass Energy Conservation Award
The Argonne Program Support Facility created office space for the Department of Energy at the Argonne National Laboratory. The building is located on the east end of the inner circle of the campus, in close proximity to the existing cafeteria, with science laboratories surrounding. Emphasis was placed on the design, with the goal of disrupting the natural wooded setting of the site as little as possible. Its configuration also responds to passive energy strategies: the circular plan encloses a maximum amount of area with minimal enclosure surface area.
The interior concept is based on open office planning and maximum use of daylight to increase user comfort and conserve energy. Up to 65% of the building can be naturally lit through intensified lighting around the perimeter using a light reflective surface at the exterior wall, skylights in the interior zones of the top floor, and a three-story atrium.
In the original project brief, the client envisioned the building as a pilot and demonstration project for passive solar energy use, future use of solar collectors, and energy-conscious design.
