Legat Architects
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Midway Neighbor

Hancock High School is less than a quarter of a mile from Midway Airport (Illinois’ second-busiest airport). The design not only responds to the acoustical challenges of low-flying jets but also gives a nod to the airport via the school’s crisscrossing courtyard pathways.

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Commitment to Inclusion

The project encouraged inclusion throughout the process, from gathering community input (e.g., parents’ pot-luck engagement sessions, bilingual meetings) to building a diverse construction team (e.g., pre-construction presentation to The Federation of Women Contractors).

Brick Tricks

Brick accents at the windows include folded corners that accentuate the building corners and approach.

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Airport Response

The design concept of UPLIFT infuses the building from the courtyard’s runway-inspired geometry to the acute angles in the architectural forms. Windows and glazing take cues from airplane noise and reverberation. The blue/green glazed brick of the black box theater represents sound waves and telegraphs the activity levels happening within.

“Under tremendous circumstances, the Hancock High School team delivered the project as planned. The project would not have been a success without your unwavering dedication and hard work. You represent the best part of our industry.”

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Media/STEM Highlights

Cantilevered program elements highlight the media center and STEM labs while reflecting the design of the social spaces in the courtyard.

Internal Connections

The media center overlooks the social stair to connect the spaces vertically and dynamically.

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Flagship Theater

A 4,500-square-foot black box theater with 300 seats reinforces Hancock High School’s focus on the arts. Complete with an extensive catwalk, sound booth, modular seating, and advanced AV equipment, this theater enables students to reinvent theatrical productions by eliminating the traditional stage and allowing for 360-degree performances.

STEM Lab

A flexible approach to STEM education led to movable partitions between classrooms, mobile furniture and storage racks, recessed lighting, and distributed electrical sources.

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“The placement and design ensure social continuity, intersections, and potential for incidental interactions. The outdoor spaces maximize utility, social interaction, and usability by neighborhood groups.”

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Social Seating

The design positions open seating in locations where students can see and be seen, gather with their social groups, and co-learn with their peers.

Media Center

Throughout the school, various scales of social seating support different learning styles. A seating area in the media center, for instance, welcomes independent and group study while overlooking the courtyard.

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“It’s a huge upgrade for students, and there’s a lot more space for school supporters and audience members. The library overlooks the courtyard, and there’s an element of nature that motivates you and helps you focus on your studies.”

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Gymnatorium

A 14,000-square-foot gymnatorium offers 1,212 theatrical seats and 692 bleacher seats.

Community Connections

Landscape integration was key in the early phases of the project through which the design team sought to create connections with the community fabric and generate social activity using the site as an asset.

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Uplift/Fold

Uplifting architectural gestures elevate the building, making the mass look lighter. Entryways fold inward to gently invite community members inside.

Renderings

The early design process used iterative image-making to understand the articulation of material against program and circulation.

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