Gower West Elementary School

Gower School District 62

Gower, Illinois

This elementary school project program was implemented in two phases and provided much needed classroom and office space.

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The design goals were to refresh and update the existing building and add exciting hands-on Exploratory rooms to support the students for decades to come.  

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On the exterior, the horizontal low lines of the existing school are juxtaposed to the soaring Gymnasium roof but the horizontal brick banding relates it back to the existing building brick tones. The new addition solved all of these space limitations, fulfilling the Master Plan for the school. 

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Locating the addition on the open end of the courtyard creates a full loop of corridors resulting in better security, communication and circulation in the building.

The interiors utilize exciting colors and have abundant natural light. 

The classroom renovations utilize moveable furniture, enabling staff and students to adapt their classroom to their tasks and studies.  Individual soft seating, tables that combine into groups, and moveable shelving support this flexibility.

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Former District offices were converted into two classrooms and relocated to the new addition for a separate and secure yet connected Administration suite.