For the past decade, Mike Kosinski and his team of experts at CEPro Inc. have been taking great care of the historic ADA building on Chicago's Near North Side. Built in 1965, the 23-story skyscraper has undergone numerous upgrades and renovations, but none as transformative as those being planned for the building's 4th-floor medical laboratory. Unfortunately, leaks in risers that connect the labs fume hoods to two rooftop fans were making adequate ventilation impossible. Not able to meet stringent exhaust code specification, some of the fume hoods were simply rendered inoperable. Without a solution to the problem, laboratory renovation was impractical. Talks of having to relocate the entire facility had begun to surface.
Each of the building risers were actually encased in individual concrete structures that draped over the side of the building's exterior. That meant accessing the enclosed ductwork to seal the leaks would require nothing less than major building demolition. With no alternative, the leaks continued to plague the facility.