Glenbard West High School Expansion and Renovation

A 28,800-square-foot classroom addition relieves overcrowding, centralizes the science department, and respects the Collegiate Gothic style of the 95-year-old Glenbard West High School. The expansion, built into a hill, features eight new science labs and a glass-enclosed stairwell that leads to a green roof.

One key design challenge involved honoring the school’s traditional aesthetic while balancing with the building’s function as an advanced science facility. The team selected materials to complement but not copy the existing façade materials. Examples include Flemish brick patterned and color-blended to harmonize with the school, cast stone tinted to replicate the original limestone color, and glazing panels that reflect the existing façades and sky.

A three-story glass bridge organizes the addition and connects to the existing structure. On each floor within the bridge, light-filled spaces called “collaboration nodes” (with adjacent departmental resource centers and offices) encourage student interaction with faculty. The nodes offer technology connections, current events kiosks, and comfortable furniture, as well as views of the campus’s athletic fields, Lake Ellyn, and the trees beyond.