Gwendolyn Brooks College Preparatory Academy

Chicago, Illinois

Firm

DeStefano and Partners Ltd.

Client

Chicago Public Schools

Area

160,000 sq.ft.

Total Cost

$26,680,000

Completion Date

02/2001

The goal for this regional public high school was to expand an existing school of 400 students to an enrollment of 900 and create a facility to accommodate a rigorous college-preparatory curriculum. The architect designed a phased master plan and provided a delivery system that completed design and construction within two years while the school remained in use.
An existing four-story, 60,000-square-foot building, situated on a 35-acre urban site, was renovated to house a counseling center, administrative offices, regular and specialized classrooms, and a top floor dedicated to music education. Two four-story wings were added to each end of the building. A library, classrooms, computer labs and science classrooms are in the 55,000-square-foot east wing. The 45,000-square-foot west wing houses a full-service kitchen and lunchroom, two-story practice gymnasium and locker rooms, and art classrooms. The facility, which is air-conditioned and ADA-accessible, is equipped with computer network connections in all classrooms, offices and the library. It has cable-television access throughout and provisions for a future distance-learning classroom.