Erie Elementary Charter School / John Ronan Architects

Erie Elementary Charter School / John Ronan Architects - Windows, FacadeErie Elementary Charter School / John Ronan Architects - Windows, FacadeErie Elementary Charter School / John Ronan Architects - LightingErie Elementary Charter School / John Ronan Architects - Table, Shelving, ChairErie Elementary Charter School / John Ronan Architects - More Images+ 22

  • Design Team: John Ronan, Evan Menk, Gregory Pinter, Tom Lee, Marcin Szef, John Trocke
  • Interior Designer: John Ronan Architects
  • Mep Engineers: dbHMS
  • Structural Engineer: Goodfriend Magruder Structure LLC
  • City: Chicago
  • Country: United States
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Erie Elementary Charter School / John Ronan Architects - Windows, Facade
© Steve Hall/Hedrich Blessing

Text description provided by the architects. Precast concrete panels stacked like blocks lend a playful character to this elementary school addition in Chicago. Responding to the owner's modest budget, the project's colored panels turn the school into a learning tool, its tectonic expression of stacked elements explains the way loads are carried to the ground in a way that can be understood by young school children. The ground and polished finish of the panels transforms an otherwise commonplace building component, and offers the institution a simple yet noble character.

Erie Elementary Charter School / John Ronan Architects - Windows
© Steve Hall/Hedrich Blessing

A gymnasium and recreation room on the third level are stacked over library, classroom and computer lab spaces, which serve the community on the first two floors. Making full use of its space-limited urban site, a rooftop playground enables students to view down into the street below; in this way this children become the school's identity.

Erie Elementary Charter School / John Ronan Architects - Image 26 of 27
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Materials in this LEED Silver-building are chosen for their cost, durability and sustainability, with a high percentage of local-manufactured, extracted and processed materials (precast concrete, concrete slab and blocks) constituting the major building elements, and finishes containing recycled content. School drop off preferences fuel-efficient vehicles and the school's "green" roof minimizes the building's contribution to the urban heat island effect.

Erie Elementary Charter School / John Ronan Architects - Windows, Facade
© Steve Hall/Hedrich Blessing

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Project location

Address:1405 North Washtenaw Avenue, Chicago, IL 60622, USA

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Location to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.
About this office
Cite: "Erie Elementary Charter School / John Ronan Architects" 23 Oct 2014. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/559153/erie-elementary-charter-school-john-ronan-architects> ISSN 0719-8884

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