York Community High School,
Elmhurst, IL

Type: PK-12 Education

Without disrupting school activities and without losing scheduled school days, Wight & Company planned and designed a comprehensive five-year, multi-phase renovation program at historic York Community High School. The primary design challenge was to refocus the heart of the school on the historic elements of the original 1920s building by removing the multiple additions that buried the façade. Wight professionals met the challenge by maintaining every possible historic aspect of the school, and by recreating consistent design elements whenever needed.

Project highlights include:

> A new indoor commons area, created from the historic façade of the school

> A new academic wing reflecting the historic design of the original school building

> Restoration of the 750 seat Baker Auditorium

> Recognitions:
- 2004 Award of Distinction for Excellence in the Design of Educational Environments, Illinois Association of School Boards
- 2004 Merit Award Recipient, Rehab Construction, Chicago Building Congress
- 2004 Outstanding Project, Common Areas, American School & University Educational Interiors Showcase
- 2003 Outstanding Project, Classrooms, American School & University Educational Interiors Showcase
- 2003 Learning by Design, Nomination, American School Board Journal
- 2002 Impact on Learning Awards, Accommodating Technology,
Council of Educational Facility Planners International