Armstrong, represented by Maddock Industries in the Chicago area, recently contributed to the renovation of an historic hospital.
From the early 1900s to the 1980s, Cook County Hospital was a leading healthcare institution. Patients used to travel to Cook County from countries around the world for the innovative treatments and advanced care available. Many of the people now living in the Chicago area were born at Cook County Hospital in the 1950s, 60s and 70s.
Although the many professionals who served in the hospital were leaders and innovators in the field of healthcare, the building facility and the mechanical systems were not up to the demands of a modern healthcare facility setting. The original design had no cooling system, and the scale of renovations required to bring the facility up to modern standards made the prospect unaffordable. The building was eventually closed and stood vacant for almost 20 years.
Hotel Conversion
As part of a project launched in 2018 and completed in 2020, the facility has been renovated to serve as the Cook County Hyatt, housing two separate hotels, a Homewood Suites and a Hampton Inn. Located in what is now the heart of the medical district within the city of Chicago, the two hotels serve as temporary residences for medical staff working in local hospitals as well as for guests visiting patients and other parts of the city.
Reflecting on the challenges of the project, Mike Moxon, VP of Engineering with Maddock Industries commented:
The most difficult part was completing the retrofit project without causing too much disruption in the building. One solution that contributed to this was the Design Envelope technology embedded in Armstrong pumps. The capability for intelligent, Sensorless variable speed operation meant that we didn’t have to worry about installing, wiring and calibrating remotely located sensors. With the shortage of floor space, the ability to install the Vertical In-Line pumps in the piping made the retrofit project possible. The exterior of this building is so beautiful, and the history is so connected to the city of Chicago, it’s great to see it brought back into service in a way that supports healthcare.
Sean Murphy, Chief Engineer at Hyatt Place stated, “We’re very happy with our Armstrong pumps that serve our central plant. Our plant has been running strong since day 1 and we expect this high performance to continue for many years to come.”
Section of the mechanical room at the former Cook County Hospital
