studio gang plans chicago campus for the academy for global citizenship

studio gang plans chicago campus for the academy for global citizenship
all images © studio gang architects

the academy for global citizenship (AGC) was founded on the belief that creating a better and more sustainable world begins at a young age. through a holistic educational approach, the chicago-based school aims to encourage students to take action to positively impact the world around them. having outgrown its original home, AGC currently operates out of two buildings separated by a wide, busy street in chicago’s garfield ridge neighborhood. in 2014, AGC partnered with architecture firm studio gang to design an entirely new, purpose-built campus.

the school is aiming to produce more energy than it consumes

supporting AGC’s inquiry-based approach to education, the scheme is designed as a series of indoor and outdoor learning environments articulated around a central courtyard. as opposed to the traditional barriers of classrooms, these learning areas have fluid boundaries — offering many different types of space for both independent and collective learning. this shared landscape also encourages interaction among students of varying grade levels, and brings teachers together for mutual support and collaboration. a three-acre urban farm — designed in partnership with growing power — is integrated into the daily curriculum with the goal of growing a significant amount of the produce used to prepare the students’ breakfast and lunch.

a three-acre urban farm is integrated into the school’s daily curriculum

from an environmental perspective, both AGC and studio gang are committed to selecting building materials and finishes that are locally sourced and have low-embodied energy. in addition to targeting the highest sustainability metrics, AGC is aiming to ultimately become a net-positive school, producing more energy than it consumes through clean and renewable sources. the building itself is carefully oriented to provide peak solar access for outdoor learning spaces and greenhouses, as well as maximizing photovoltaic energy collection. the building also harvests storm water for reuse on-site.

site plan

sustainable strategies

project info:

location: chicago, IL, USA
status: project initiated 2014,
anticipated completion: 2018
client: academy for global citizenship
type: educational
size: 65,000 sqf / 6,039 sqf

architect: studio gang
interior consultant: rosan bosch studio
programming: wonder, by design
agricultural consultant: growing power inc.
structural engineering: thornton tomasetti
MEP/FP/E: WMA consulting engineers
civil engineering: spaceco
landscape architect: site design group
lighting consultant: lightswitch
cost estimator: CCS
environment: atelier ten
acoustics: threshold acoustics
water: applied ecological services inc.

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