SHUTTERED SCHOOL ADAPTIVE RE-USE
CHICAGO
The former Nathaniel Pope elementary school had been abandoned for four years when we performed are first site visits.
The 1918 brick building acquired an eerie charm, and the echoing of sounds filled the volumetric interest.
While being a visually heavy structure, the building offered visual permeability trough large windows in the center wings and along the stairs. Walking through the rooms would offer sudden treetop views and a connection to the adjacent Douglas Park.
The principles of connection to the surroundings and permeability were applied in the master planning of the building.
The Chicago Housing Authority acquired the building and requested a re-zoning to non educational use. The program was developed to include a mix of thee major functions:
CHA activities: this includes client orientation and presentation rooms, private interview rooms, a call center and a mix of open and private offices.
Residential Floor: a mix of CHA owned residential units occupies the third floor classrooms and the gymnasium. Accessibility and universal design were a driving parameter in the design of floor plans and casework.
Auditorium and music school: the 800 seats auditorium and the surrounding spaces (former cafeteria and obsolete mechanical rooms) were reconfigured to host the Ravinia Festival REACH TEACH PLAY community music school.
The building circulation was tied together by a system of accessible ramps and two elevators. The exterior shell was restored and some areas of deteriorated brick and stone masonry were re-produced.
A meditation garden was introduced at the South West side of the property for resident’s and public use and to act as a connection of the re-born building to the neighborhood.
with KOO LLC