Architect: UNO Elementary School / JGMA

Design School

Location: Chicago, Illinois
Owner: United Neighborhood Organization (UNO)
Design Team: Juan Gabriel Moreno, Cosmin Vrajitoru, John Rausch, David Ruffing, Linda Chavez
Design Builder/Structural: Ghafari
Electrical & Mechanical Consultant: Primera
Landscape Architect: Terry Guen Associates
Project Area: 62,000 sf
Renderings: Courtesy of JGMA

The plan has been organized such that students will always experience a connection between the interior (learning environments) and the exterior (community). All corridors are placed along exterior walls and no interior corridors exist. This reinforces the connection between inside and outside. The programmatic spaces are arranged such that there is a continuum between the site, exterior programs, interior spaces, and the UNO Master Plan development. The building appears to be growing out of the ground where programs such as learning theaters and soccer fields frame a courtyard. As the building movements continues upward, programs such as classrooms and teacher areas frame the mid-section of the plan. The plan then culminates in a community center that frames views of the city, inspiring students and neighboring residents to achieve their potential. This creates a movement in plan that provides a variety of scale and spatial experiences for the students and community. The project has been designed to with the goal of LEED silver certification