After surveying available county real estate to identify suitable space for accommodating the established functional program, the Cook County Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (DHSEM) relocated their EOC to an underutilized historic building on the county’s former hospital campus. Initially built in 1914, the facility served as a nurse’s residence on the hospital’s campus but had been vacant for many years. This age and condition of the existing facility necessitated careful planning that mitigated environmental, structural and infrastructure restrictions. By deliberate coordination of room layouts and adaptive reuse of existing space, the design improves the EOC’s functional capabilities while accommodating its intensive IT and audio-visual infrastructure.
The project’s components include an operations center supported by breakout planning and logistics rooms, executive conference rooms, staff offices, hoteling workstations, and a joint information center for media briefings. Additional flexible areas accommodate easy adaptation for uses ranging from the mobilization of related agencies, temporary housing/sleeping quarters, and training programs.