Rogers Elementary Annex and Renovations
UrbanWorks’ two-story, masonry-clad, LEED v4 Silver addition forms a new east façade for the Philip Rogers Elementary School complex at the corner of Jarvis and Washtenaw on Chicago’s North Side. This clean-edged new structure provides a fresh face for a revamped park space that promotes active and passive activities for students and neighborhood residents alike as a Chicago Park District facility.
The ground level provides a music classroom and general classroom, as well as a dining hall that serves the entire school. The new south vestibule offers easy access to the double-loaded corridor of the new addition and the east end of the existing structure, with a new elevator that provides accessible vertical circulation for the entire school. The annex’s second floor features two dedicated science classrooms, five general classrooms, and brightly lit drama classroom overlooking the park.
The southeast corner’s bold cantilevers provide a sense of security for the new entrance, while distinguishing the building’s frankly modern forms from the existing school’s more traditional architecture. Broad swaths of glazing denote the annex’s most prominent spaces—the music, drama, and dining rooms. Floor tile is arranged in a random staggered pattern in predominantly neutral colors conducive to focus quiet learning and instruction. This basic palette is highlighted by splashes of bright color that facilitate wayfinding within the building.