What does it take to reach 100? As part of our 100th anniversary celebration, we’re posting a piece of Berglund’s history on our blog each day for 100 days. Check in each day to learn new tidbits about our company, win prizes based on your Berglund knowledge, and, most of all, to help us celebrate.
Spotlight on Berglund’s Work: Construction and Restoration
University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration Building
Berglund has come full circle on University of Chicago’s School of Social Service Administration building. While it’s well-known that Berglund handled the building’s restoration three years ago, fewer people know that Berglund also originally constructed the building in the early 1960s.
Designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, the 52,000-square-foot, split-level building originally featured a polished plate glass and painted steel curtain wall. In 2008, Berglund embarked on a rehabilitation project to repair the curtain wall that presented several challenges. Polished plate glass was no longer manufactured on a large scale and didn’t meet Chicago’s current building codes, while the “Miesian Black” paint used on the steel framing was no longer available, due, in part, to its high lead content.
Berglund painstakingly researched the alternatives and found a laminated safety glass and a rust-resistant paint that closely matched the original design. During restoration, Berglund repaired the framing in place to disrupt the building as little as possible, bringing the structure it created nearly 50 years ago back to its former glory.
