New CTS Facility

Construction of the new CTS facility is a partnership between the University of Chicago and Chicago Theological Seminary. In May 2008, University of Chicago Board of Trustees Executive Committee authorized the purchase of two Chicago Theological Seminary buildings and an adjacent parking lot. Additionally, the University of Chicago agreed to construct a new seminary building at 60th Street and Dorchester Avenue. The new building's address will be 1407 East 60th Street. The buidling will have four floors with approximately 80,000 square feet of floor space with a footprint of approximately 17, 400 sqare feet and will house academic and administrative offices, classrooms, a foodservice area, and two chapels. The facility is being designed to achieve LEED Silver Certification.

The guiding principles of design are as follows:

• Express CTS as a religious institution rooted in its past and forward-thinking in its mission
• Assimilate iconic elements of CTS’ past within the framework of the new
• Claim an independent presence while being a good neighbor on the Midway
• Express a sense of rootedness, yet also a light and transparent character that is welcoming and engaging with its community
• Feature sustainable design with a goal of LEED Silver Certification

Faculty and staff offices and classrooms will be located on the first and second floors of the building. The first floor will also include a small chapel capable of seating around thirty, and the second floor will include a meditation space. The third floor will house the Learning Commons and Student Commons. Spaces for large, public assemblies are accommodated on the fourth floor and include our new main worship space and a dining room, in addition to a kitchen.

The building will have a concrete core with brick and metal siding facings. While generally rectangular in shape, the building is energized by a series of circles that cut across each floor. The circle becomes visible on the fourth floor as the glass curtainwall in which the main chapel and dining room are housed. The warmth of wood and solidity of stone enhance these crucial public spaces as ceiling and floor, respectively.
Green roofs have been incorporated into the plan on the third floor at the Learning and Student Commons and at the fourth floor adjacent to the worship and dining areas. The 5,000 square feet of green roof space will provide visual interest and environmental benefits for the building and will be accessible to members of the community. The green roof areas absorb both heat and carbon dioxide, reducing the building’s environmental footprint. Just as important, however, is the green roof ’s symbolic presence and its communication of the Seminary’s commitment to sustainable technologies.

Actual construction is scheduled to begin in March 2010 with a move-in date of August 2011.