Innovations for an Innovation Center
mHUB, a hardtech and manufacturing innovation center based in Chicago, boasts an unusual combination of modern specialized spaces and the aesthetics of a 100-year-old building. The 80,000-square-foot property, at 1623 W Fulton in the city’s Fulton Market neighborhood, houses approximately 270 startups, and includes labs, product display rooms, a wood shop, a paint room, offices, and places to gather and collaborate.
It's hard to believe that the bustling site was once a manufacturing facility for can-making machines. As one might expect, this transformation was not straightforward, especially in relation to the design of MEP and fire protection systems, which were Syska Hennessy’s responsibility. Connections spoke with Manas Mehandru, the COO of mHUB, and Tom Webb, project manager and lead electrical engineer for Syska, to learn more.
“I don’t know what Syska did or how they figured out how to maneuver this. I just know it works.”
Manas Mehandru, COO, mHUB
Mechanical and Electrical Hurdles
Plug and play? Hardly. Every specialized space at mHUB has different exhaust requirements. According to Manas, the wet labs and the paint room exhaust out. So do the laser-cutting labs, which also circulate compressed air. The welding grinder room, on the other hand, employs filters rather than exhausting out.
To further complicate matters, the team had to contend with an area of the building that contains three stories. Tom notes that with a single-story area, you exhaust right up to the roof. Additional stories with structures of steel, concrete, and massive walls severely limit the potential locations for chases. “We had to find areas of the floor that weren’t too thick, while avoiding any kind of structural elements like beams,” he says. “And we had to make sure that the chases didn’t interfere with the planned layout.” The latter effort required close collaboration with Gensler, the architect of record.
Similar challenges presented themselves on the electrical front. Syska’s design of surface-mounted raceways across most of the ceilings again had to accommodate existing structural elements. Other potential interference came from ductwork and, in some cases, the operation of lifts and other equipment. “I don’t know what Syska did or how they figured out how to maneuver this,” says Manas. “I just know it works.”
A vaulted ceiling in the main multipurpose room arguably posed the greatest electrical challenge. The ceiling’s skylight had been roofed over, but the overall cathedral-like grandeur remained. Yet this area was exactly where Syska intended to locate the electrical equipment with all of its associated cords, wires, and ducts. The goal was to accomplish this without ruining the aesthetics – a rather tight squeeze.
The solutions to these mechanical and electrical obstacles? BIM and many field visits, along with what Tom modestly describes as “a little finesse.”
“We needed to not only provide all the infrastructure for day one, but then also take into consideration potential needs for the future”
Tom Webb, Project Manager, Syska
Future-Proofing on a Budget
Upgrading the existing HVAC and electrical systems was only the first step. The second was to create extra flexibility to accommodate ever-evolving technology for shop equipment. “We needed to not only provide all the infrastructure for day one, but then also take into consideration potential needs for the future,” Tom says.
But mHUB is a nonprofit, and budget was limited. “We asked Syska to weed out the extra bells and whistles for the new site without sacrificing flexibility,” Manas recalls. “That’s not an easy balance to achieve.”
Fortunately, one of the most effective measures of future-proofing had minimal impact on the budget: Syska included an additional “disconnect” switch with 400 amps that a lab tenant could use for an isolation transformer. As technology advances and power needs expand, mHUB will be ready.
“We asked Syska to weed out the extra bells and whistles for the new site without sacrificing flexibility. That’s not an easy balance to achieve.”
Manas Mehandru, COO, mHUB
mHUB Today
The hard work that mHUB, Syska, and the other project team members undertook resulted in a project completed ahead of schedule and under budget. And the feedback has been “phenomenal,” says Manas. “Everyone’s very excited. The site is highly resourced. There’s more space, and people appreciate the design.”
Tom is equally enthusiastic. “I saw the project come together from the shell of a hundred-year-old building to a home for companies that are at the forefront of technology and advances in manufacturing. It’s a great success story.”