Modern curved academic building with large windows

Chicago, IL

University of Illinois Chicago Computer Design, Research and Learning Center

How do you guide a technically complex academic facility from vision to reality while protecting the owner’s priorities?

Project Overview

The Computer Design, Research and Learning Center (CDRLC) is a 135,000-square-foot academic facility at the University of Illinois Chicago that brings computer science, computer engineering, research, and teaching environments together in a single destination. Anchored by a five-story atrium, the building includes research labs, collaborative learning spaces, classrooms, faculty offices, student support areas, a robotics lab, and the internationally recognized Electronic Visualization Laboratory.

Key Takeaways:

Served as Construction Manager as Agent, providing owner-focused cost guidance, objective project oversight, risk evaluation, and decision-making support throughout design and construction.
Advised on active urban campus considerations, including access, staging, operations, stakeholder alignment, and construction impacts.
Consolidated UIC’s Computer Science and Computer Engineering departments into a centralized, technology-rich interdisciplinary hub supporting research, teaching, collaboration, innovation, and student engagement.
Integrated specialized learning and research spaces, including labs, classrooms, offices, student spaces, a robotics lab, and the Electronic Visualization Laboratory.
Incorporated advanced building systems and geothermal infrastructure to support operational performance, sustainability, and LEED Gold certification goals.
Earned an “Excellent” performance evaluation from the Illinois Capital Development Board.

Completion Date: July 2025

Delivery Method: Construction Manager Agent

Related

Higher Education

Chicago

Science + Technology

LEED/Sustainability Certified

EXPAND

Owner Advocacy Rooted in Partnership and Trust

As Construction Manager as Agent, Mortenson provided preconstruction leadership, cost estimating, and objective owner-focused guidance on behalf of the Illinois Capital Development Board.

Established a reliable budget framework through early cost estimating.
Helped the owner evaluate budget, schedule, quality, and campus priorities.
Identified potential risks early so the owner could understand impacts before they affected progress.
Provided clear, objective guidance to support timely owner decisions.
Supported stakeholder alignment during complex design and construction conversations.

Guiding Delivery in an Active Urban Campus Setting

Located at the heart of UIC’s East Campus, the project required careful planning in a busy academic and urban setting. Mortenson provided the owner with guidance on campus considerations, limited site access, staging constraints, and the needs of students, faculty, staff, visitors, project partners, and campus stakeholders. In a highly visible campus location, Mortenson leveraged its extensive expertise to help the owner anticipate construction challenges, evaluate options, and make informed decisions.

Advancing Research, Sustainability, and Future Growth

The facility brings together classrooms, labs, offices, collaboration areas, student spaces, and specialized research environments in one connected academic hub.

Its advanced building systems support specialized requirements for temperature and humidity control, outside-air exchange, lighting, acoustics, low-voltage infrastructure, and fire separation, while a geothermal energy field beneath the Walter Netsch-designed Memorial Grove supports efficient heating and cooling and advances LEED Gold certification goals.