With a 60-year-old facility needing repairs, Lake Bluff School District 65, incorporating guidance from the community, developed a facility improvement plan that would better connect functions and aesthetics, as well as align educational priorities with facility needs.

Traditional science classrooms were transformed into Science Studios, aligning the schools STEM curriculum with Next Generation Science Standards. The library media center was renovated into an academic and social hub. A new music wing was created to better align with the school’s performance venue and a new set of instructional suites were positioned to connect the grade-level learning areas. District administrative offices were moved into the lower level while a new gathering stair connected the dining space to the Library Media Center and the new STEM lab.

Education Lake Bluff Middle School 2
Education Lake Bluff Middle School 3

Honoring a sense of place.

Using the geography of the lakefront as a starting point. Wight employed a natural interiors palette, inspired by the hues and materiality of the lake, beach, and forested bluff. This sensitivity to place weaves through the entire building, helping further link programs and people that were previously disengaged from one another. In this new connected environment, teachers and students can collaborate more effectively and gain better access to information and resources.

Education Lake Bluff Middle School 4

Equipped with flexible furniture and ample views to the outside, the hallway spaces become an extended an extended part of the learning experience.

Education Lake Bluff Middle School 13

A consistent use of materials, finishes, and colors in the new and remodeled spaces make for a seamless transition from one part of the facility to the other.

Equipped with flexible furniture and ample views to the outside, the hallway spaces become an extended an extended part of the learning experience.

A consistent use of materials, finishes, and colors in the new and remodeled spaces make for a seamless transition from one part of the facility to the other.