DePaul Market

Tight spaces and existing finishes factored into the plan for DePaul’s Chicago hi-rise makeover, while a blending of college students and non-academic traffic meant the new finishes would be from a broader palate.

Nestled in a section of the 11^th floor, DePaul’s renovations became an exercise in logistic contortionism. Despite limitations, Nvironment managed the overlap of new and old materials for a seamless modernization. Flexibility was the name of the game, so an offering of flexible elements that play well with others populated the space; aluminum seating able to withstand a night of even the most raucous studying.

A splash of blue and white—with wood-tone accents—gave the space an alma-mater feel without being overwhelmingly collegiate. And all new fresh salad and grab-n-go spaces, along with updated servery, condiment, and beverage stations, made this dated food space shiny and new for the next class of coeds.

Seeing potential in the modest amount of horizontal daylighting this 11^th floor space had, Nvironment added a pale sunshine yellow highlight throughout the finishes. Mixing skylight illumination with these bursts of color,  the wood table tops and glints from the silver lines of the chairs trick the eye into seeing more daylight than seemingly possible.

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