Goettsch Partners (GP) has completed an office tower that it claims is the healthiest in Chicago. Called 320 South Canal, the 51-story structure is the latest in a series by the same team that focuses on tenant health and wellness. 

The 1,740,000-square-foot tower features a conference center, fitness center, restaurant, to-go market, bank, a cocktail lounge in an adjacent structure, as well as parking for cars and bicycles. It also includes a privately owned public park called The Green. The development team of Riverside Investment & Development, Convexity Properties, and Clark Construction also delivered Chicago’s Bank of America Tower in 2020 and the 150 North Riverside office building in 2017. All three projects are certified or precertified LEED Gold, WELL Platinum and WiredScore Platinum.

320 South Canal hosts a range of design strategies that aim to improve occupant wellbeing, including advanced air monitoring and air filtration systems, bipolar air ionization, fresh air delivery that is six times the national code standard, a tenant engagement app that displays real-time displays of air quality metrics, and antimicrobial fixtures. Touchless technology is featured throughout, along with access to outdoor spaces. 

“It is our belief that how a building meets the ground is more important than how it meets the sky,” said GP chairman and co-design director James Goettsch, FAIA. “It is where people engage and interact with the building, not just the tenants but the general public.”

The tower was designed as a three-tiered building. Its interior is defined by column-free floor plates that allow for a variety of uses. The three setbacks feature large terraces with outdoor amenities and views. The tower’s ground floor opens to The Green, creating a seamless connection. The architects aimed to make the building’s footprint smaller in order to accommodate the 1.5-acre park. 

“Within The Green, the traffic and noise of the city are tuned out, and the park becomes an urban oasis,” said GP principal Joachim Schuessler. “It was important that The Green feels welcoming to building tenants as well as the general public, allowing people to enjoy the park through all times of the day and in all seasons.”