One campus, many talents: “wondrous” new multifunctional facility unites disciplines, connects campus, and gives every student a leg up with new opportunities and experiences [Glendale Heights, IL] – Yesterday evening, Marquardt School District 15 hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Performing Arts Center at Marquardt Middle School. Construction started in September of last […]
Learning
Grant Wood Elementary School Construction Underway in Bettendorf
New school design brings more space, more light, more community use, and more flexible learning opportunities for Bettendorf community [Bettendorf, IA] – Construction has begun on Grant Wood Elementary School, which will replace a 57-year-old facility of the same name. The old Grant Wood was dark and operationally inefficient, plus it had severe space shortages […]
North Scott High School Lancer Athletic Building Brings Much Needed Fitness and Recreation Space
Gymnasium and fitness/weight room to benefit high school athletic and physical education programs, feeder schools, youth and adult community programs [Eldridge, IA] – For North Scott High School, lack of fitness and gym space was a real headache. Athletes and physical education classes crowded into a weight room. The converted band room had poor ventilation, […]
Chicago Design/Architecture Think Tank Explores Health, Safety, and WELLfare
Third annual Legat/DIRTT symposium brings together leaders in healthcare, education, law enforcement, sustainability, and design to consider the future of performance-enhancing environments “What do we need to quit?” This is the question that Jeff Covey, director of education at DIRTT Environmental Solutions, asked to kick off the third annual Legat/DIRTT Think Tank. More specifically, Covey […]
College of DuPage Homeland Security Training Institute to Be Featured at Major Law Enforcement Conference
Educator, architects to present case study of College of DuPage first responder training facilities at Midwestern Security & Police Conference/Expo [Tinley Park, IL] – College of DuPage has redefined the sphere of law enforcement and disaster preparedness training with its Homeland Security Training Institute. The institute includes two active learning facilities (i.e., Homeland Security Education […]
Architecture That Helps Children Fall in Love with the Environment
The coming decades present a major ecological challenge . . . so let’s encourage the next generation to do something about it! I remember a children’s story about a man who got angry when neighborhood kids threw rocks at ducks. He’d yell at them, but they would keep coming back to throw more rocks. One […]
A Look Inside Interior Design – Part 1: Where We Spend Time
Interior design’s bag of tricks helps transform old space into a show space People might admire the outside of a building, but the majority of their experiences happen inside. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, we spend 93 percent of our lives inside! One of the most challenging aspects of interior design is to find […]
Tech in the Classroom: Is Your School Ready for Rapid Educational Change?
It’s about time for school facilities to catch up to the Information Age. Technology is a pervasive part of our children’s lives. They’ve grown up with it. They can’t imagine life without it. Teachers continue to explore new ways of using technology as a teaching tool: virtual learning, 3D printing, coordination of diverse devices, and […]
Oakton Community College Student Center: an Investment in Interaction
Students, staff influence design of new campus “living room” with best views on campus [Des Plaines, IL] – The stipulation from the Office of Student Life came early in the planning of Oakton Community College’s new Student Center: “We do not want this to be a space where students sit by themselves with their technology […]
College of Lake County Upgrades Put Student Services Center Stage
“Wow factor” drives design of additions and renovations to 45-year-old campus [Grayslake, IL] – Dr. Patrick Peyer, dean of enrollment services at College of Lake County (CLC), recently walked a former student through the college’s renovated and expanded campus. It was the ultimate test: the student hadn’t been there in two years, so she was […]
Glenbard West High School Additions/Renovations Demonstrate Community’s Focus on Education
Community-supported projects relieve overcrowding, modernize science department, and preserve style of 94-year-old high school Visitors to Glenbard West High School’s classroom addition might be surprised at something they see outside: sitting amid the self-sustaining vegetation on one rooftop garden is a metal construction beam. Closer inspection reveals teacher and student signatures on that beam. Typically, […]
Lab Design Lessons from a STEM Pioneer: Part 3 (The Art of Authentic Science)
There’s an art to making science authentic. Large corridor windows beckon Niles North and West High School students to take a look at what’s happening within the STEM labs at the heart of their schools. At first glance, they will notice their fellow students working together on research and experiments. Then they will realize that […]