Application Spotlight Location:
University of Illinois Natural History Building
Champaign/Urbana, IL
FRP Sales Rep:
Langendorf Supply
Peoria, IL
Project Summary:
Designed by Nathan C. Ricker, the Natural History Building is an example of High Victoria Gothic style. The original building was completed in 1892, and the departments of botany, zoology, and geology moved in that fall. A lecture hall and museum were in 1909 and 1910 (W. C. Zimmerman, architect), with another addition in 1923 (J. M. White, architect).
The building is undergoing a $70 million renovation begun in 2012. UnderDuct is being used for a new displacement ventilation system for the first floor. They have faced many challenges in bringing the building up to modern standards. One example the contractor discovered are the unusual corbelled brick foundation walls under the old concrete floors. They easily modified the prefabricated UnderDuct components to fit the building’s sub structure.
UnderDuct is ideally suited for this type of restoration project. The light weight, prefabricated sections were easily carried into the building and set in the trenches then assembled with as few field joints as possible.
UnderDuct is a Class 1 duct material per NFPA 90 and is in compliance with the following Building Codes.
- IMC, International Mechanical Code
- IRC, International Residential Code
- UMC, Uniform Mechanical Code
- CMC, California Mechanical Code
University of Illinois Natural History Building:
