Rich Township High School, FAC & STEM Campuses
Rich THSD 227
Mattson & Olympia Fields, IL
85,000 sf of additions & 117,000 sf of renovations
Originally comprising three, separate high schools, Rich Township High School District 227 decided to consolidate its student population into one high school with two campuses: the Fine Arts & Communications Campus (FAC) and the STEM Campus (STEM). "It really was a complete rebranding of their district," the STR's principal architect said. "So the project began with the creation of a new mascot, school colors, and overall identity." The district decided to close one of the school buildings, and through a series of additions and extensive renovations, revamp the remaining two buildings. "The challenge was working within the existing buildings, which had very small classrooms and cramped hallways, while creating continuity between both campuses so it felt like one high school," the STR's principal architect said. The 85,000 sf of additions and approximately 117,000 sf of renovations, which totaled $88.6 million, took place over several phases. The first phase included the renovation of the existing stadium and the culinary arts classrooms at FAC. In following phases, STEM received a major expansion and numerous renovations, including a new field house addition, new band and orchestra rooms, and science classroom renovations.
OVER 50 YEARS OF ENHANCING NOW ENVISIONING FUTURES
At STEM, extensive renovations included a new, state-of-the art engineering, robotics, and manufacturing lab wing; a new cafeteria; and new science classrooms. "Amazon actually awarded the district a portion of a $1 million grant to help develop their STEM program," the architect said, "so this helped us achieve the district's vision for those spaces."
FAC comprises a new 82,127-sf field house with 200-m track and multi-sport court, lobby, concessions stand, athletic offices, weight room, ROTC room, and a separate main entrance; band and orchestra rooms; 7 science classrooms; 2 AV studios; a new culinary lab; teacher workroom; stadium renovations, including turf field, renovated bleachers, press box, and a ticketing booth/concessions stand with promenade; and a new main entry.
In the commercial-grade culinary lab, an adjoining interactive classroom allows for a separate instruction area. The overall goal was to create cohesive "one school" identity at both campuses. Red, black, and gray accents show off the new school colors, and the new mascot is featured throughout.
The engineering classroom includes a robotics cage in the center of the room for hands-on experimentation, while the manufacturing lab is significantly larger than the previous space being used for the program. "The STEM and science rooms really got an upgrade during this project," the architect said. "Students and teachers can do so much more now with the space Robotics Lab they are given."
The addition at FAC uses the same precast material as the existing building, while aluminum wood-look panels give it a natural appearance. The L-shaped addition has curtainwall on two sides, opening the interior to the landscape outside. "The precast is textured to look like limestone, and the wood-look paneling is meant to look like a tree," the architect said.