Today’s school should be much more than a place to learn — it should be a nurturing setting that celebrates achievements and responds to the challenges of many different users. School leaders, architects, and interior designers face a challenge when it comes to educational settings: how can they create a facility that improves the lives […]
Jefferson Early Childhood Center
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. […]
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 […]
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 […]
Architecture and daylight: planning strategies for energy-efficient buildings
Energy efficient, healthy, and affordable: the predictable nature of seasonal daylight geometry makes it one of the first topics to be considered when undergoing any design project. In the decades since the 1970s, we’ve learned a great deal about how to take advantage of the sun to not only reduce building energy consumption, but also […]
