A humble statement from a not-so-humble guy: Prairie-style architecture echoes the “quiet level” of the Midwestern landscape Richard Lloyd Jones, publisher of The Tulsa Tribune, was furious: the roof of his new home, called Westhope, had started leaking. Jones called his cousin Frank Lloyd Wright, the architect who had designed Westhope, to complain that water […]
Employee Insights
Playing to Learn: The Benefits of Playful Learning (Part 1)
Research shows that when kids have fun, they learn more. Time for cities to step up. At a recent conference for educators, some attendees were surprised to find that one activity involved “free-playing” with colorful scraps of paper. They had complete freedom to build, rip, fold, and do whatever they wanted with the scraps. After […]
School architecture: 3 examples of research transforming educational design
A design process that starts and ends with research results in school environments that energize learning. When it comes time to build, whether it’s new construction or renovations, design teams can transform purpose into place by putting the educational institution’s mission at the center of the design approach. But how can we bridge the learning […]
3 hotel spaces that increase return on investment
Hotel development teams that want to safeguard return on investment should think twice before scrapping these three space types from the building plan. In this pandemic-afflicted period of increasing competition and reduced occupancy, hotel owners and operators struggle to find new ways to eke out additional revenue. Many hotels with spaces that differentiate their properties […]
Train station architecture: designing the productive train station
A closer look at what it takes to make the train station a productive piece of the civic landscape My last post on train station design argued that the right architecture can make the train station much more than a place to wait—a well-conceived design can improve visitors’ perception of a community, spur the local […]
COVID-19 and social-emotional well-being within the school community
As schools face the many challenges of reopening during the COVID-19 pandemic, a clinical psychologist shares ideas for maintaining social and emotional health for students, teachers, and parents. The prospect of returning to school this fall has generated contention among school communities as they debate a variety of topics: scheduling, seating arrangements, deep cleaning, mask […]
Architects and COVID-19: emerging from the quarantine
Étouffée, perfect circles, and fresh air: Legat Architects employees share COVID-19 quarantine experiences Legat employees have begun to gradually return to our Illinois and Ohio studios while adhering to CDC-recommended guidelines for reducing the spread of COVID-19. One thing we can’t refute (nor can anyone else): the last three months have been unlike any other. […]
COVID-19: an opportunity to reexamine educational environments
This isn’t just about virus-free schools: international forum unites school leaders and planners to consider the potential for pandemic to inspire positive change within school settings The topic that now dominates discussions among US school administrators is how to safely reopen schools while keeping kids safe. However, Legat Architects’ latest EDEngage session, which assembled an […]
Student safety and momentum amid COVID-19 and financial upheaval
Caught between public health and economic crises, school district leaders join architects, interior designers, and engineers to explore ideas for preventing spread of COVID-19 among students while minimizing expenses. Here we are, more than two months after the coronavirus brought commerce to a virtual standstill, and yet uncertainty and mixed messages continue to afflict the […]
As COVID-19 persists, school leaders discuss challenges of returning to class in fall
A tough road ahead as educators confront uncertainty, socioeconomic differences, scheduling concerns, and facilities obstacles amid COVID-19 pandemic It’s the first day of school! Friends reunite and hug or high-five. Kindergartners hold hands in a circle. Students sit side by side in gyms, auditoriums, or cafeterias to listen to their principals. Right? Not so fast. […]
Rail transit and its influence on Midwestern architecture
A brief history of the rise, fall, and resurrection of train station architecture and the challenges it faces today Over the last two centuries, one of the most pivotal influencers of Midwestern architecture has been rail transit. Many of our most prominent cities still revere the grand train stations that celebrate the glory of the […]
Midwestern school superintendents discuss impact of COVID-19
Leaders of Illinois and Ohio school districts share challenges of continued learning amid COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on the national school system. During a recent EDEngage session, Legat Architects hosted an online open forum that brought together Midwestern district superintendents to learn about the challenges that they’ve confronted with […]
