CHICAGO – Hines is taking a different approach for its next Chicago office project: instead of the conventional steel frame, the developer will use heavy timber. The six-story building, named T3 Goose Island, marks the first office structure in Chicago to use wood as its primary structural material since the 1800s.
Hines says the environmental benefits are substantial: using timber for T3 Goose Island is equivalent to removing 966 cars from the road for one year. By making wood the structural system, the project aims to be among the most sustainable and environmentally friendly developments in the city.
The 270,000-square-foot T3 Goose Island will be developed by Hines, based in Houston, in a joint venture with Diversified Real Estate Capital and Big Bay Realty.
Goose Island has been an industrial and manufacturing center since the 1850s, but it is now being redeveloped as a desirable office district, surrounded by some of Chicago’s most affluent residential neighborhoods. The City Council has approved a plan that adds public spaces, improved pedestrian and bike connections, and transit options while preserving open areas and highlighting Goose Island’s location on the Chicago River.
The site was home to Big Bay Lumber until 2015, and the new timber structure will pay homage to that past. Hines has engaged DLR Group and Michael Green Architects—the team behind the firm’s T3 prototype in Minneapolis—to design the project. The design will reflect the site’s history and create a distinctive presence in Goose Island’s changing neighborhood.
“Companies are looking for authentic office environments that support their culture,” said Brian Atkinson, managing director at Hines. “They want modern design, efficient operations and environmentally responsible construction. T3 Goose Island will meet those expectations.”
Planned to foster collaboration and a healthy work/life balance, T3 will include a range of amenities: shared social spaces, a rooftop deck, private tenant balconies on each floor, secure bike storage and repair facilities, a contemporary fitness center with locker rooms, and ground-floor retail.
Goose Island’s location provides direct access to several vibrant Chicago neighborhoods—Bucktown, Wicker Park, Lincoln Park and Old Town—and offers multiple transportation choices, including bike routes, water taxi, bus, Metra and car access, supporting the neighborhood’s emergence as a hub for new office development.
Founded in 1957 by Gerald D. Hines, Hines is a privately held global real estate investment firm with operations in 201 cities across 21 countries.