Bernard Zell Anshe Emet Day School, new entrance and new architectural identity

For years, the BZAEDS School and the Anshe Emet Synagogue shared a small, anonymous entrance, an expansion was needed for the school to give it identity and welcome the students.

Bricks and glass, a new identity for the school

The building made of bricks and glass places natural light and visual connection with outdoor spaces at the center of the project, also providing a new stylistic and architectural identity to the existing buildings created over time and in a wide variety of styles. In addition to experiencing the interior, all occupants can stroll in a natural space made of boulders, trees, and wood emphasizing a connection with the surrounding nature. The project was carried out by Wheeler Kearns Architects, a studio specialized in architectural projects.

The school entrance

The new entrance for BZAEDS welcomes its visitors and students through a plaza filled with light. Just beyond the vestibule, you can see the hustle and bustle of activities that take place throughout the day: students climbing the stairs to reach the classrooms where they will attend their lessons, playing in the outdoor field, and administrators and staff heading to their meetings in the conference room.

A sustainable project

Great attention has also been paid to sustainability, the reduced footprint of the building and its cubic volume minimize the surface area of the envelope minimizing thermal losses. Additionally, a solar panel produces energy for the building, a system of permeable flooring throughout helps manage water on-site, and the overhangs on the large windows shade the ground floor from the sun

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PEOPLE

Wheeler Kearns Architects

343 S Dearborn St #200, Chicago, IL 60604, Stati Uniti