By Rick Young,��AIA, LEED AP��

The Crow Island School in Winnetka, Illinois was designed and built in 1940, by a team of architects including Larry Perkins (of Perkins, Wheeler & Will) and Eliel and Eero Saarinen. The first project of what would later become��Perkins&Will, Larry Perkins��rooted��the design in the progressive educational principles that would become a model for school design in the modern era. He achieved this through extensive classroom observation and with the support of the school’s superintendent and education reformer, Carleton W. Washburne. The resulting school is a piece of living, breathing history which earned immediate recognition. The American Institute of Architects named it the most advanced elementary school in the country upon opening, later awarding the project its prestigious Twenty-Five Year Award in 1971—and led to the school’s designation as a National Historic Landmark in 1990.����

The classroom layout, considered a monumental step forward in education at the time of construction, is still used as inspiration for today’s contemporary classrooms. With the completion of construction in 2025, architects��Perkins&Will, along with Bulley & Andrews Construction,��finalized��a multi-year expansion and renovation of Crow Island School. The project was designed to respect the past and serve as a seamless extension of the existing school, proving that thoughtful design can honor a historic legacy while meeting modern construction standards.��

Extending the Campus While Preserving Scale��

The project’s addition grows from this history. A key��early decision��was to connect the expansion of the new gym and classrooms to the 1954 addition. The new addition matches the roof heights of the existing four wings,��maintaining��the low profile and horizontal massing. New classrooms��utilize��the same L shape, allowing for a primary instruction area and separate work area. The iconic wood paneled walls in the original 1940 building and 1954 addition continue into the 2025��addition,��giving the interior warmth. Entrances to the new classrooms emulate the 1954 addition with display cases at the entries with expanded clearances for accessibility.��

Recreating Chicago Common Brick��

The new��addition’s��exterior is an extension of the existing 1954 façade in detail, profiles, and materials. One of the many challenges the design team faced was matching the existing brick. Both the original 1940 building and the 1954 addition were constructed of Chicago Common brick, which differs in size and production techniques from modern ASTM tested brick. Historic Chicago Common brick��measures��8-1/2” when stacked 3 courses tall rather than 8″ for modern brick. Chicago Common brick was extruded and cut horizontally, which leads it to having very particular texture on its end faces, and the varying particulates in the clay give the bricks a distinctive non-homogeneous coloring. A great deal of time and energy was invested into finding a suitable contemporary brick that would match the color, texture, and general feel of the existing Chicago Common, resulting in a harmonious transition from the existing building to the new addition.����

Modern Performance Within Historic Constraints��

In 2003 the single pane windows throughout the building were replaced with steel framed insulated glazed windows. The team explored duplicating those steel��windows;��however, they could not meet current energy performance requirements. While thermally broken steel windows options are available, they were also prohibitively expensive. After many iterations with the design team, consultants, and the client, the team settled on an attractive combination of thermally broken storefront and aluminum windows, giving the same effect as the existing steel windows, but with improved performance to meet current energy standards at a fraction of the cost.����

Another key element of the renovations included adding air conditioning throughout the historic building. Through extensive investigation of the existing building, the design team was able to thoughtfully coordinate routing of new hydronic piping and condensate lines with minimal impact on��the existing��spaces. Where work was performed in the existing 1940 and 1954 wings, the construction team went to great measures to carefully remove, salvage, and reinstall the old growth wood wall paneling. Similarly, new security systems were installed throughout the facility. New cross-corridor doors were added to isolate sections of the building in��the case��of a lockdown. These interventions were carefully detailed and executed to minimize the visual impact��apparent��to its occupants.����

Building Consensus Around a Landmark��

Given the sensitivity for this beloved school, all visual impacts to this historic facility were carefully analyzed, graphically represented, and shared with the School District, Board of Education, local Stewardship Group, as well as the Illinois State Historic Preservation Office. At every stage, the design team shared not only the proposed solution, but also the rigorous investigation exploring every option leading to that point. It was through this effort that made all these invested voices feel like a genuine part of the process and allowed the team to build consensus around the best solutions to meet the modern needs of this operational school while honoring its historic legacy.��

Rick Young, AIA, LEED AP, is Senior Project Manager and Associate Principal with��Perkins&Will.��

The post A Living Landmark Renewed: How Perkins&Will Extended the Legacy of Crow Island School appeared first on 91ԭƬ.

The post A Living Landmark Renewed: How Perkins&Will Extended the Legacy of Crow Island School appeared first on 91ԭƬ.

School districts are confronting a complex challenge: how to modernize aging campuses while preserving the history and memories that generations of families hold dear.��This challenge��isn’t��just a construction assignment —��it’s��a responsibility. And the path to success begins with one essential step: listening.��

Community Listening: The Foundation of Every Great��School Campus Renovation��

Many��contractors��can renovate a school, but when construction and design teams��seek input from the community��about what makes��a��school unique, those qualities can be reflected in the��renovated school campus.��McCarthy��Building Companies’��Education team��members��regularly��participate��in parent forums, neighborhood workshops, teacher feedback��sessions��and design charrettes to uncover ideas that may not otherwise��come to the surface��when a school renovation is being planned.��Listening efforts often reveal traditions,��symbols��or architectural elements that help anchor a campus’��reimagined��identity.��

At Galveston Elementary School in Arizona’s Chandler Unified School District — opened in 1963 — these conversations shaped the direction of the school’s $35 million transformation. Community members shared memories of outdoor gathering spaces that once served as the heart of campus life. Their insights guided the design of new shade structures, flexible courtyards and shared areas that blend nostalgia with modern learning environments.��

“It doesn’t matter how sophisticated the design plans are — if the campus doesn’t reflect the heart of the community, something is missing,”��said��Matt Lyons,��business unit leader with McCarthy’s Education team in Phoenix. “The best��campus��renovations��happen when we infuse the school’s heritage directly into the new build.”��

Shifting Campus��Learning Environments��to Meet��Modern Education��Needs��

Today’s students pursue a broader range of interests than ever — spanning arts, STEM, CTE, athletics��and more. As a result, modernizing and��remodeling K-12 campuses��increasingly includes��adding or expanding��multipurpose spaces, flexible classrooms and outdoor teaching areas designed for multidisciplinary learning.��

The new Galveston Elementary campus��transitioned its traditional learning space to include��arts-focused classrooms, multipurpose collaboration zones, outdoor learning��spaces��and flexible��environments that support both small-group instruction and larger activities. Teachers and administrators emphasized��the need for��spaces that make hands-on learning creative,��social��and academically connected.��

Two major Phoenix-based��renovations now underway��— Madison Rose Lane Elementary School and Metro Tech High School��— are incorporating similar principles.��

As one of the oldest schools in Madison’s 135-year-old district, Madison Rose Lane carries significant historic value. Early listening sessions revealed a desire to honor the school’s legacy through preserved architectural��elements,��pathway updates reflecting original circulation patterns and spaces that highlight its longstanding arts identity.��

The remodel will also deliver expanded arts classrooms, enhanced safety features, outdoor learning��areas��and flexible indoor environments that can adapt as student needs��evolve.��

“Working with McCarthy has been a collaborative and inspiring experience. Through the listening sessions, their team actively engaged with us, gathering ideas and finding solutions,” said��Andre��Reyes, Madison Rose Lane��Principal.��“They showed a real commitment to understanding what makes Madison Rose Lane special, and in doing so, they are building a school that our students, teachers and community truly deserve. We always say that Madison Rose Lane CARES, and McCarthy has exemplified that same spirit of care and partnership throughout this process.”  ��

Metro Tech High School — originally opened as West High in 1949 and repurposed as a vocational school in 1985 — is also undergoing��major��modernization. Today, Metro Tech is one of Phoenix Union’s most dynamic CTE-focused campuses, yet its facilities require��significant��updates��to��match��modern technological capabilities and��modern career training��program��needs.��

Metro Tech High School Principal Shawna Wright said, “This renovation shifts��what’s��possible for our students in real, tangible ways.��We’re��not just updating walls and equipment.��We’re��building collaborative spaces that will give students the skills they need to exceed in jobs we have not even imagined yet.”��

Local businesses,��neighbors,��faculty��and students��were engaged to��provide��DLR Group and McCarthy��input on��Metro Tech’s��campus remodel.��As a result, the��campus is��adding new collaborative labs��with��space for��future program��growth; technology infrastructure��updates; and��improving��the campus��flow��to��enhance the student experience.��Adding to the��project’s��complexity is the sequencing of��eight��construction��phases on the active campus, where safety is a priority, while accommodating the successful renovation and relocation of��the ballfields, gymnasium,��utilities��and parking lot.����

Hands-On Learning: Bringing Students��into��the��Construction��Process��

Another��value��central to McCarthy’s Education team is engaging students through construction-themed learning opportunities��and activities to help make the renovation process more fun for students and teachers being displaced during the project, and to show students how construction enhances our communities and can be a rewarding career.����

Construction Clubs,��which McCarthy��hosts in��elementary and middle schools across the��Southwest��for��over��a decade,��allow students to experience��working in the��construction trades firsthand.��Students��engage in activities involving��carpentry, plumbing, electrical,��virtual modeling��and other tasks, applying skills from classes like math, science, technology, art and others, while being��guided by��McCarthy team members and others on the project team to work on an aspect of construction that’s happening on the project at their school.��For example, during��construction��at��Metro Tech,��students��in the school’s construction and electrical programs are��being given these��opportunities as their campus transforms around them��

At Galveston Elementary,��the��McCarthy��team engaged students a little differently by��creating��an “Elf on the Shelf” construction challenge��that��involved daily��math and reading clues tied to the��campus��renovation. The activity generated schoolwide excitement and gave students a sense of��excitement and ownership��in the transformation happening around them.��

Programs like these��deepen students’ connection to their evolving��campus��and��simultaneously��introduces��them��to potential��career pathways��while seeing the��way what��they are learning in school has application in the future.��

Natalie Carroll is Business Development Manager for McCarthy’s K-12 Education Team based in Phoenix.��

The post Rebuilding School Campuses for Future Generations, While Honoring Their Past appeared first on 91ԭƬ.

The post Rebuilding School Campuses for Future Generations, While Honoring Their Past appeared first on 91ԭƬ.