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Congratulations
to Knight engineers Chris McGann and Jim Mitchell who recently earned their Illinois Professional Engineer licenses.

John Albrecht, Knight's senior architect and director of sustainable design, will present a seminar entitled "Chicago: A Green Building Icon" at the Construction Expo, March 5th and 6th at McCormick Place. For information on attending please visit the conference website.

DuPage County Forest Preserve Turns to Knight for Sustainable Maintenance Facility

For Knight, the sustainable movement extends beyond our project work and into our everyday workspaces. The firm has in place several green initiatives designed to improve the quality of life for our employees.

 

Nearly half of Knight’s employees, including almost all of our Chicago office staff, take part in the RTA/CTA Transit Benefit Program. This program automatically deducts pretax dollars from an employee’s paycheck to cover the cost of CTA, Pace and Metra passes.

 

Knight belongs to I-GO Car Sharing, a local car sharing service, which allows employees to travel to client meetings and field visits in an economic and environmentally friendly manner.

 

The firm participates in a building-wide recycling program. Individual blue bins for paper products are placed at each workstation. Additionally, bins for glass, aluminum and plastic bottles can be found at designated sites throughout the office.

 

Knight has hosted in-house, employee-led seminars to educate our staff about various green strategies and initiatives, including the LEED Certification process and options for sustainable building materials.  

In recent years, the aging and inadequate Forest Preserve District of DuPage County Fleet and Grounds Maintenance Facilities have become progressively more problematic. The rapid increase in the number of Forest Preserve vehicles, particularly at the Blackwell site, has created a need for more Fleet Services Department staff and augmented space.  

As the available space remains the same, however, staff numbers grow in concert with staff frustration. Work and parking space scarcities have led to relentless overcrowding and congestion, and the dispersal of Fleet Service workers amongst numerous decentralized facilities is costly in terms of both economics and time. 

In light of these problems, the District tasked Knight with the challenge of establishing the severity of the situation and to determine what, if any, steps might be taken to alleviate the strain on its facilities. 

In a Needs Assessment Report, Knight concluded that the existing Fleet and Grounds Maintenance Facilities were inadequate for the performance of necessary activities. The outdated facilities exhibited signs of significant deterioration, the utilities were uneconomical and potentially hazardous and the impact of the facilities on the surrounding environment was unreflective of the Forest Preserve’s general investment and care for nature. Knight recommended that the facilities be consolidated and integrated into their locations to increase their efficiency and cost effectiveness.  

After reviewing the extensive report, the District elected to further entrust Knight with the task of designing a 25,000 square foot facility at the Blackwell Forest Preserve site that will allow for consolidation of several Fleet locations and operations in the District. Not only will the new facility better serve the needs of the Forest Preserve, but it will also be an innovative, green-friendly, LEED Silver certified building. 

Study Illustration

Existing maintenance facility


Forest preserves began as a way of protecting nature while also providing a place for people to appreciate and enjoy it. With the help of Knight’s sustainable design perspective, the Blackwell Forest Preserve will join the growing movement to harmonize two contradictory worlds – the world designed by humans and human need and the shrinking natural world and its oft neglected needs. 

Knight’s pioneering, functional and green design will significantly reduce the negative impacts of the facility
on the environment, will save the Forest Preserve nearly $40,000 a year in utility costs and will provide others with an important example of green design.
Project News
 Illinois Capitol Complex - Knight is providing civil/site and transportation engineering services for the development of the Capitol Complex Master Plan.  The Capitol Complex encompasses approximately 30 blocks in downtown Springfield. Knight is performing this work as a sub-consultant to DeStefano + Partners, Ltd. for the Illinois Capital Development Board.

WisDOT - Knight's Wisconsin office is steadily growing a portfolio of Wisconsin projects that includes a Phase I access study of USH 14, Phase II roadway design on  STH 16 and construction engineering work at various locations. 

Tri-State Tollway Construction - Knight is currently providing construction engineering services on segments of the North and South Tri-State as part of the Illinois Tollway's major rehabilitation of one of the country's busiest expressways.

City of Chicago Harbors - Knight is a member of the team selected by the Chicago Park District to design two new harbors. The new harbors include the approximately $24 million Chicago Gateway Harbor, near Navy Pier, and the 31st Street Harbor, which is the proposed site for the Olympics sailing competition should the City win the 2016 Olympics bid. Knight will focus on sustainable design features, transportation and site development aspects of the project.