The leading authority for the Architecture & Design community
RMW Architecture & Interiors Designs a Headquarters for Robotic Medical Specialist in Silicon Valley
sign up for the latest news
By signing up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
A private Chicago high school for students with learning differences is proof that working under constraints can inspire creativity. When Lothan Van Hook DeStefano Architecture was tasked with building a 16,000-square-foot arts and athletics building for the Wolcott School, the firm was restricted by the tight one-acre site and a low budget. The result is a study in making the most of a simple material.
> Check out all 20 Big Ideas from the March 2019 issue
“The project acknowledges where the neighborhood has been—and where it’s going”
The facility is constructed almost entirely of precast concrete that’s been either polished, stained, or sealed with an anti-graffiti coating. “With no decorating budget, we chose to highlight its various colors and textures,” LVDA principal Avram Lothan says. The material nods to the industrial past of the West Town neighborhood, but refined details signal a forward-looking approach. Witness the lobby. There’s more concrete, this time hard-troweled and sealed, but it’s lit by a series of linear LED fixtures. Hanging at varying angles, they look like a Dan Flavin installation.
Wolcott School Arts and Athletics Building by LVDA. Photography by Barbara Karant + Associates.
Read about the next Big Idea: Lamborghini’s Electric Concept Car Heals Itself With Automatic Repair Technology
© 2022 SANDOW All Rights Reserved.