Congratulations to the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools on recently receiving LEED® Silver certification for Early Shapiro Early Childhood Center!
FGM Architects (Architect of Record), Valerio Dewalt Train Associates (Design Architect), HJKessler Associates and engineering firms Arup and Primera worked with the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools to achieve the certification by optimizing energy performance, utilizing sustainable materials and incorporating daylighting in a majority of the interior spaces, all within the context of the University’s campus design standards.
Completed in 2013, the 130,000 sf three-story educational facility includes 34 classrooms and learning labs for students aged three years old through the second grade. The classrooms are designed to be flexible and encourage interaction through shared breakout rooms and are organized around a central open air courtyard. The adjacent circulation allows students to envision themselves in the larger community of the school. The central interior space allows light to flow into the central areas of the building, creating a safe place for students and fostering a sense of belonging. Among the building’s innovations is the incorporation of un-programmed learning labs in the daylit areas at the center of the school. Outdoor play spaces, the gym, art and music rooms and the library are important destinations for students outside the classroom.
The certification was granted by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), which was confirmed by the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI).
