A most personable analyst: Legat Architects’ Michael Lundeen achieves three decades of leading influential projects, advancing higher education campuses, and setting an example for emerging architects In the mid-1980s, Michael Lundeen nearly dropped out of the architectural program at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). “I was struggling with design studio,” he said. “It […]
News
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 […]
Casey Frankiewicz retires after 40 years with Legat Architects
A great architect and a great friend: Legat Architects’ Casey Frankiewicz concludes four decades of getting the details right, setting the bar for excellence, and treating everyone with warmth and respect. When Ted Haug walked into the Waukegan, Illinois studio of Legat Architects for the first time in 1983, he didn’t know much about the […]
Legat Architects announces healthcare leadership team succession
Care at the core: Legat Architects’ longstanding healthcare practice prepares for decades to come with new leadership team When Casey Frankiewicz joined Legat Architects in 1981, the firm had never done a healthcare project. Forty years later, the firm ranks in Building Design + Construction’s Top 100 Healthcare Sector Architecture Firms in the U.S. Frankiewicz, […]
Legat Architects thanks Scot Parker for 30 years of solid leadership
The guy you want on your team: Scot Parker’s 30 years at Legat Architects brim with influential projects, appreciative building owners, and enlightened coworkers. In 1989, when Scot Parker was a graduate student in the University of Illinois’ architecture program, he got a call from a former fellow student who asked if he’d be willing […]
Playing to Learn: Playful Learning Comes to Chicago (Part 2)
Learning underfoot: vibrant installments of words, letters, shapes, and numbers migrate from Philadelphia to Chicago In my last post, we reviewed the many benefits of incorporating play into early learners’ educational experiences. This time, we’ll show how the same innovative outdoor learning principles that began in Philadelphia inspired new installations in Chicago. That initial Playful […]
Galesburg schools modernizations revive learning environments, support districtwide consolidation
Nearly 400,000 square feet in additions and renovations at four schools pave the way for major improvements in Galesburg Community Unit School District #205 The population of Galesburg, Illinois has experienced a slight decline over the past decade. During that time, Galesburg Community Unit School District #205 had to contend with the upkeep and expenses […]
North Chicago Metra Train Station gets fresh new look
Rehabilitation of Metra’s North Chicago station refreshes 50-year-old shelter, brings in more natural light, and improves visibility/security After nearly 50 years of use, the North Chicago Metra Station looked tired and worn. Decades of train diesel exhaust had stained the exterior wood siding. The metal roof had discolored over the years and the narrow, tinted […]
Registration opens for Legat Architects’ 2021 Think Tank
Legat Architects’ 8th annual Think Tank, a Chicago Architecture Biennial partner event, aims to “shock the system” by tackling disinvestment within urban communities and giving a voice to the underrepresented (architects earn up to 10 AIA/CES LUs) A city hosts an architectural competition for the design of a new building in a low-income/disadvantaged area. The […]
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 […]
College of DuPage Institutional Resource Center named finalist in Chicago-area design/construction competition
Chicago Building Congress names College of DuPage’s Institutional Resource Center finalist in 2021 Merit Awards for outstanding design and construction Several of Wendy E. Parks’ colleagues were somewhat skeptical when College of DuPage (COD) planned to convert an early childhood center into office suites. They questioned whether a facility designed for three- to five-year-olds could […]
ARP ESSER Fund: how can school districts best navigate COVID-19 relief spending?
A once-in-a-generation opportunity: EDengage roundtable explores how school districts can spend ESSER III COVID relief funds for the greatest impact What projects qualify for COVID relief? How can we use the funds to improve our dated ventilation systems? Will the funds cover remodeling? What about new construction? These are just a few of the questions […]
