Passing a school construction referendum requires a careful balancing act of showing the need, making the right ask, and most importantly, building community support. LaSalle-Peru Township High School District 120 operated a 90-year-old campus that had not received major updates in more than 50 years. The Illinois district needed to modernize its aging facilities, but […]
Learning
John Hancock College Preparatory High School receives HACIA’s 2022 Project of the Year award
Architectural/engineering/construction team prioritizes diversity/local involvement in the design and building of Public Building Commission of Chicago/Chicago Public Schools’ John Hancock College Preparatory High School The new John Hancock College Preparatory High School received the Hispanic American Construction Industry Association’s (HACIA) 2022 Project of the Year award. The 178,000-square-foot high school, Chicago Public Schools’ only new […]
A.E.R.O. Therapeutic Center to raise bar for Illinois special education facilities
Research into cognitive/physical disabilities and behavior/emotional diversities drives design of A.E.R.O. Special Education Cooperative’s new multi-program facility Often, special education students and their teachers must make do with standard educational spaces that lack the amenities they need to excel. The A.E.R.O. Therapeutic Center now under construction in Burbank, Illinois will turn that reality on its […]
Does your school’s furniture support learning styles and improve performance?
Choosing the best furniture for students means accepting that not just any chair will do. When it comes to educational facilities, furniture becomes the last powerful element of a strong architectural statement. Furniture responds to function, but also helps create the feel of a space. Students interact with furniture more than any other design element. […]
Michael Lundeen Celebrates 30 Years at Legat Architects
A most personable analyst: Legat Architects’ Michael Lundeen achieves three decades of leading influential projects, advancing higher education campuses, and setting an example for emerging architects In the mid-1980s, Michael Lundeen nearly dropped out of the architectural program at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). “I was struggling with design studio,” he said. “It […]
Simulation means success: immersive public safety training comes to college campuses
When classrooms are not enough: how higher education campuses can use immersive environments that replicate real-world situations to enhance public safety training. Featuring a case study of Cuyahoga Community College’s Simulated Scenario Village. Today’s national conversation about law enforcement focuses on issues ranging from community-based policing to domestic terrorism and natural disasters. This proves the […]
Jefferson Early Childhood Center recognized among Illinois’ best educational environments
Jefferson Early Childhood Center one of three Illinois schools honored with Award of Merit in statewide competition In 2016, Community Unit School District 200 (District 200) launched a competition that challenged two top Chicago educational architecture firms to design a replacement for its ailing early learning center in Wheaton, Illinois. The community wanted a facility […]
Think Tank Encourages Reinvestment in Educational Infrastructure
The courage to call out a problem and create change on “the other side of town”: Legat Architects’ 2021 Think Tank launches with ideas for addressing educational disinvestment At her first meeting with the Future Ready Columbus (Ohio) Board of Directors,Jane D. Leach gave each board member a picture of a child under five years […]
Playing to Learn: Playful Learning Comes to Chicago (Part 2)
Learning underfoot: vibrant installments of words, letters, shapes, and numbers migrate from Philadelphia to Chicago In my last post, we reviewed the many benefits of incorporating play into early learners’ educational experiences. This time, we’ll show how the same innovative outdoor learning principles that began in Philadelphia inspired new installations in Chicago. That initial Playful […]
Galesburg schools modernizations revive learning environments, support districtwide consolidation
Nearly 400,000 square feet in additions and renovations at four schools pave the way for major improvements in Galesburg Community Unit School District #205 The population of Galesburg, Illinois has experienced a slight decline over the past decade. During that time, Galesburg Community Unit School District #205 had to contend with the upkeep and expenses […]
Jefferson Early Childhood Center a haven for discovery, nature, and accessibility
Early learner research and community/teacher/specialist input inspire design of Jefferson Early Childhood Center in Wheaton, Illinois When three- to five-year-old students look out the child-height classroom windows in Jefferson Early Childhood Center, they never know what they’re going to see in the courtyard at the heart of the school—it could be classmates planting sunflowers in […]
Illinois school tornado shelters: an architect’s perspective
From ventilation and projectile defense to water supply and signage: a closer look at the complex code requirements for tornado shelters at Illinois schools In June 2021, an EF3 tornado swept through several suburbs located 20 miles southwest of Chicago. It struck residential areas just after 11 pm . . . only minutes after wireless […]
