Neuroscientists, building owners, architects, and contractors discuss improving the human experience through design at Legat Architects’ fifth annual ThinkTank What’s so special about humans? What does neuroscience have in common with architecture? Can environments boost creativity? Ten stories above the Chicago River, more than 85 professionals assembled in DIRTT’s Green Learning Center to delve into […]
Buffalo Grove Park District Opens Community Arts Center to Much Fanfare
Adaptive reuse project transforms synagogue into Community Arts Center where Buffalo Grove residents can “live out their dreams.” When Congregation Beth Am sold its synagogue in 2012, it wanted the building to continue to benefit the Buffalo Grove community. Six years later, on a sunny Sunday afternoon, over 200 residents gathered to the celebrate the […]
Prussing Elementary School Breaks Ground on Annex
Expansion to 92-year-old school supports culture of academics and diversity At a June groundbreaking for an annex to Prussing Elementary School, Chicago Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Janice Jackson called Prussing “a model for how we plan to continue to improve Chicago Public Schools overall.” This year, the school achieved a “Level 1-plus” rating, the highest […]
Pace Suburban Bus Chicago ADA Headquarters Renovation Improves Efficiency and Accessibility
Modernization transforms vacant floor in Metra’s 547 West Jackson building into light-filled, ADA accessible Pace offices Pace, the suburban bus division of the Regional Transportation Authority, ran its Chicago operations from the tenth floor of Metra commuter rail’s headquarters at 547 West Jackson Boulevard. Many interior walls and an inefficient layout gave the eighties-era office […]
Harper College Library Undergoes Physical and Philosophical Transformation
Renovation of 50-year-old library building breaks down the barriers and brings in the light to create a “third place” at the heart of Harper College’s campus. Harper College’s Library, built in 1969, had not had a significant renovation in over 20 years—several portions of the building and its systems had been virtually untouched for nearly […]
Glenbard West High School Expansion Wins Excellence in Masonry Award
Masonry Advisory Council honors “clean, handsome” expansion to 96-year-old high school In the spring of 2014, it was not uncommon to see Legat Architects’ Rob Wroble circling Glenbard West High School and holding brick samples against its near century-old façade. Over one month, Wroble would end up testing 25 different bricks. The reason for this […]
Zach Wiese Appointed Director of Legat Architects’ Oak Brook, Illinois Studio
Respected 18-year firm veteran to “lead from the front” at DuPage County architectural studio Zach Wiese got into architecture because he enjoys solving problems. During his 18 years with Legat Architects, he has solved many problems. Building owners have turned to Wiese to help with challenges ranging from code compliance issues and roof leaks to […]
Moline Preservation Society Honors 5 & 15 Apartments and Element Moline Hotel
Adaptive reuse projects transform century-old buildings into modern dwelling places while preserving historic features The Chase Bank building and the O’Rourke Building have beautified downtown Moline for nearly a century. But this year, both buildings finished a conversion that completely changes how the buildings are used. The renovations celebrate, rather than cover up, the buildings’ […]
Jeffrey Sronkoski Celebrates 40 Years at Legat Architects
Architect achieves four decades of “seeking higher” at Chicago-based design firm In the early 1980s, Casey Frankiewicz, a new employee at Legat Architects, placed his foot on a ladder’s bottom rung and looked up with concern—he had to inspect the roof, but he was afraid of heights. Fortunately, one of Frankiewicz’s coworkers was already up […]
Police Station Architecture Design Tips: Part 3 (Respect the Budget)
Community-sensitive police station design strikes a careful balance between aesthetics and budget What’s it going to cost? This is one of the questions that architects get asked most often. It’s especially relevant to police stations, whose construction budgets face constant public scrutiny. The challenge for architects, therefore, is to design a station that is both […]
CCSD59 Early Learning Center: 3 Years After Construction
Post-occupancy survey reveals CCSD59 Early Learning Center design capitalizes on outdoor learning and the power of play to change attitudes [Mount Prospect, IL] – Giorgia Spentzos Dravilas’s son felt anxiety each time he stepped out of the car and approached his preschool. Then came the time for him to walk into his new school: Community […]
Academic Library Design: National Conference to Feature Harper College’s Library Transformation
Harper College and Legat Architects to reveal the changing role of academic libraries at American Association of Community Colleges’ Annual Convention The Internet era has changed the way that students absorb and use information. However, many dark and cluttered college libraries, built long before the advent of the Internet, have lagged behind. The good news […]
