Legacy Charter School

Legacy Charter School presented their requirements to us in a unique way. They were concerned that while the project needed to be efficient, durable and inexpensive, it couldn't appear institutional. They explained that for this inner city neighborhood in Chicago, Institutional meant jail or the courts, places that too many members of the community had too much experience with. Rather, the project needed to be accessible and engaging while doing all the things that urban schools need to do in tough neighborhoods.

The three-story building is located on a tight site and uses the site's geometry to create a unique set of geometric elements that effectively uses every square inch of the site. The design features structural precast concrete painted in bright colors and clad in a perforated metal scrim that is engaging, playful and changes with the light characteristics of different seasons and times of the day.

The pre-K through 8th grade school is organized into grade clusters that allow for appropriate accommodations and furnishings on every floor. The first floor supports grades pre-K through 2, the second floor has grades 3-5 and the third floor houses grades 6 through 8.

In addition to traditional classrooms, each floor is equipped with 3-4 smaller group study rooms for individualized instruction, meetings with tutors, social workers or learning specialists and other small group activities. These spaces are arranged facing the corridors so activity is visible throughout the school. Additional smaller classrooms include spaces for instructional leaders and special education. This yields a range of room sizes so kids are taught in groups sized appropriately for various activities.

The project has achieved LEED Platinum certification and to do so without adding significant cost to the project required a comprehensive planning effort. The sustainability program is rooted in the citizenship goals the school strives to instill in every student. It is also part of the value proposition for the building itself. The tight planning means that the amount of gross area of construction necessary to support the program is extremely modest.

The building features a rooftop photovoltaic array that provides 13 percent of the building's electricity load. The school also features an instructional unit that will use the building as a platform for teaching students about sustainability. In these and many other ways, the project goes beyond the accommodation of the program and becomes a participant in the shaping of the community itself.