Turning Job Sites into Classrooms at Illinois Tech

Thankfully for young professionals in the field, Gilbane prioritizes both.

From the in-house internship program to robust involvement with the ACE Mentor Program, Gilbane has made a deep commitment to workforce development and investing in the next generation of leaders in construction and development.

And in the case of the recently completed Illinois Institute of Technology project, classroom learning and on-the-job training collided.

Gilbane Chicago has handed over the keys to the last in a three-building, $70 million student housing initiative for Illinois Tech. The fingerprints of emerging young professionals can be seen all over the project. Architect Dirk Denison, the founding principal of Dirk Denison Architects, is a professor at Illinois Tech and an alumnus of the university. True to Illinois Tech’s commitment to experiential learning, Denison’s students had the opportunity to be involved and visit the buildings throughout the design and construction phases, following progress and seeing their curriculum applied in practice.

One of those students, Meya Angeles, went on to a full-time opportunity with Gilbane Chicago as a project engineer. Angeles joined seven other Illinois Tech graduates who already are on the team—making Illinois Tech not just a valuable client, but also a source of top talent and an important partner in the company’s continued growth in the Chicagoland market.

“It was exciting to see the project evolve from start to finish and to learn through experience what my career pathway could look like,” Angeles said. “As a student and now as a proud member of the Gilbane Chicago team, I really appreciate the craftsmanship of the Illinois Tech project and see how reflective it is of the quality and care with which Gilbane approaches its work.”

All three Illinois Tech housing facilities, situated at the campus entryway and offering sweeping views of the Chicago skyline, were designed by famed German American architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, a pioneer of modernist architecture and former head of Illinois Tech’s architecture program. Preserving that history and style was key to the full project team, from Illinois Tech’s vision to Denison’s designs to Gilbane’s execution.

Working together, these partners not only preserved a piece of Illinois history, but they also created exciting new possibilities for a record number of students; students who have the potential to shape the future of the industry. This year Illinois Tech is welcoming the largest class of first-year undergraduate students in recent history, and these students will now live and learn in a state-of-the-art space that could inspire the next Mies van der Rohe or will—in the case of Meya and her latest alumni colleagues—empower the innovative and talented new voices driving progress and growth at Gilbane Chicago.