The 100-year-old former Union Station Power House building proved an uncanny match for the needs of the Kansas City Ballet, its north engine room providing the daylighting, floor-to-ceiling height and column-free space necessary for a professional dance studio.

The Chicago Sports Depot is joined at the hip with U.S. Cellular Field—home to baseball's White Sox—both thematically and in terms of its steel frame, which ties into the existing stadium structure. Integrating the two buildings required precise measurement of existing grades to ensure concrete slabs, rooflines and facades aligned seamlessly, with all such measures verified by a pair of independent surveyors. Photo Courtesy of Charlie Mayer Photography The Chicago Sport Depot ties into an existing stadium structure. Related Links: Click here to return to Introduction Click here to read about Best Projects 2011 What's more, vertical and horizontal expansion

Revitalization of the 25-year-old University of Iowa's Carver-Hawkeye Arena called for both improvements to the original structure and construction of an addition. Photo Courtesy of Main Street Studio Improvements to University of Iowa's Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City included construction of an addition. Photo Courtesy of Main Street Studio Stand-alone mock-ups of all enclosure materials were constructed for aesthetic review and quality of workmanship. Related Links: Click here to return to Introduction Click here to read about Best Projects 2011 The latter, which houses a practice gymnasium, takes design cues from the original structure, albeit on a smaller scale.The gymnasium,

Rather than supplant existing landscape, this 4.6-mile bridge corridor and road realignment program enhanced resources that otherwise would have continued to degrade.

Sited among gardens, benches, winding paths and a reflecting pool, the Lakewood Cemetery Garden Mausoleum in Minneapolis is rendered in clean, clear lines that belie the intricacy of its myriad components, which include the textured gray granite and white mosaic marble tile that clad the exterior of the $25-million, 24,000-sq-ft facility. Related Links: Click here to return to Introduction Click here to read about Best Projects 2011 Each of the 25,799 stone pieces was field-blended and hand set over a period of five months.Combinations of granite, marble onyx, wood and Venetian plaster finishes within are awash in natural light filtered

The Hanover Park Police Headquarters in suburban Chicago squares form with function by triangulating three of its most critical functions: evidence collection, processing and storage.

The 51,000-sq-ft Early Learning Center opens a window to the world by positioning glazing and other elements at heights compatible with the three- to five-year-olds who attend school there.

More than a mere marina, the $85-million 31st Street Harbor is both a destination within the Chicago's park system and an extension of the neighboring community.

The latest addition to Saint John's on the Lake, a Milwaukee-based retirement community, seeks to strengthen connections between residents and surrounding amenities while melding seamlessly within the existing campus. Photo Courtesy of Christoper Barrett Located in Milwaukee, Saint John's On The Lake's South Tower leverages its proximity to Lake Michigan, Olmsted Lake Park and public transportation. Related Links: Click here to return to Introduction Click here to read about Best Projects 2011 To do so, the project team integrated a 20-year vision for growth into plans for the 21-story, 88-unit South Tower, thereby leveraging its proximity to Lake Michigan, Olmsted

How do designers and builders execute $9 million in renovations to a shopping mall while keeping the facility open to shoppers throughout construction? Photo Courtesy of RSP Architects Renovations to the 140,000-sq-ft Maplewood Mall in St. Paul, Minn., were performed exclusively at night. Photo Courtesy of RSP Architects Maplewood received new flooring, glass handrails and restrooms throughout. Related Links: Click here to return to Introduction Click here to read about Best Projects 2011 In the case of the 140,000-sq-ft Maplewood Mall, crews did so by performing renovations during the nighttime, beginning a half hour after the mall closed, and concluding