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Play Your ACE

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Last week, Cushing had the pleasure of joining the ACE Mentor Program’s Design Build Team at the unveiling of their summer project. We got a sneak peek of the team in action, and attended a presentation where they took turns describing the process to friends and family.

ACE Presentation

The ACE Mentor Program provides students nationwide the opportunity to explore careers in Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC). During a summer community design project, this team of Chicago high-school students was joined by college student assistants and led by professionals in the AEC industry.

Play Your ACE 2 ACE Securing Structure

Students met with a real client, designed and built their project, and needed to stick to a budget. This year, an incredible team of students set their sights on a piece of land in Homan Square where a building once stood in Chicago’s West Side (the site of the original Sears headquarters).

Play Your ACE 3 ACE Measure

While other high school students might have been content playing video games, the ACE Design Build team spent their summer designing a structure, sourcing materials, and constructing their designs. The ACE website says it best:

“The program teaches practical design skills including brainstorming, hand-drawing, modeling with 3D software, and presentation and construction skills.  More importantly it teaches students about teamwork, community engagement and how to manage a creative design process.”

Play Your ACE 4 ACE Build

The end result? A shaded pavilion on the grounds at Homan Rails Farm. With Hugh Henry Construction to help with the formwork and concrete work on-site, via Tishman Construction and contributions from Pepper Construction and Power Construction, the team was able to complete the project under budget.

ACE Structure

Scholarships are awarded to students who see the project through from beginning to end. This summer every student who signed up for the summer session was awarded a college scholarship.

ACE Drill

Executive Vice President Joe Cushing, an ACE Mentor Program board member, and Cushing are so proud to be a print sponsor for this life-changing program. He is pictured below with Marketing Manager Jon Davis, installing a sponsor banner.

ACE Sponsor-Banners-Being-Fastened

Participants share smiles (and laughs) discussing their project.

ACE Laughing

Clouds can’t stop these ACE’s!

Play Your ACE 5 ACE Team Brightens The Day

 

Program funding provided by:

Supporters and Directors of the Chicago ACE Mentor Program

ACE
Chicago Public Schools and Curie Metro High School

CPS
Cognizant Foundation

Play Your ACE 6 Cognizant LOGO color

Special Thanks To These Mentors

Matt Snoap, bKL Architecture

BKL_Architecture_logo
Randy Herbstman, Halvorson Partners

Halvorson Partners
Jason Pugh, Gensler

Gensler_logo
Ventana Design Build

Ventana Design Build
Sheehan Partners Architecture and Interiors

Sheehan
Wight & Company

Wight Company
Randy Buescher, Epstein Global

Epstein

 

Construction and Material support by:

Pepper Construction

Play Your ACE 7 Pepper Construction Breaking Ground Logo
Tishman Construction

Play Your ACE 8 tishman logo
Henry Hugh Construction
Ozinga Concrete

ozinga-logo-ace-blog

Power Construction

Power_logo

Other supporters include:

National ACE Mentor Program
School of the Art Institute Chicago

Saic_logo
Magellan Development

Magellan-Development-Group
Chicago Metal Rolled Products

CHICAGO METAL ROLLED PRODUCTS logo
Baldridge and Associates Structural Engineers

Baldridge and Associates Structural Engineers
..and other individual volunteers and supporters

 

And while you are here, you can also check out our coverage of the 2015 ACE Summer Design Build Competition.

Support ace

Catie Duffy

Catie Duffy leads Cushing’s Human Resources and Marketing efforts. From writing blogs to developing new website content, there is no project she can’t tackle!

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