The school’s new addition features a three-story glass curtain wall façade that leads into a bright and inviting student center. Beyond that is a spacious, open plan cafeteria that can seat up to 600, giving the school a new venue for events. The space also includes an expansive student center, a dining facility, multi-purpose areas and an elevator to improve ADA accessibility. The focal point of the addition is a soaring tubular steel structure that creates a collaborative space for students to study, socialize and access services.

Designed by Wight & Company and built by Gilbane Building Company, both located in Chicago, the addition officially opened in time for the beginning of the current school semester in January. As the original school was built in 1901 and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, Kevin Havens, director of design for Wight & Company, explained in a statement that the Wight & Company team wanted to honor the building’s history and its elegance. A portion of the original limestone façade, which features Gothic entrance doors, became part of the new atrium, while the school’s interior still showcases original relief panels, marble wainscoting and decorative cast iron staircases.

"The architecture team envisioned a space that would serve as the heart of the school, connecting the new with the old," Havens said in a statement. "Our atrium design references elements of the Collegiate Gothic style of this landmark building, but does so in a modern way that is light and airy.”

"Our design solution features one of the limestone walls of the existing school and treats it like artwork on the interior of the new structure,” Havens continued. “It’s an approach that is both delicate and grand."

Tom Roth of Wight & Company, who served as project manager and senior designer, said the addition serves as the new front door to the school. "We heard time and again from residents that they see Joliet Central as a beacon for the entire community," explained Roth in a statement. "Our design is a physical manifestation of that idea. At night, the three-story atrium glows like a lantern, making its strong presence known in downtown Joliet."

"This addition is about preparing us for the future, but it was also very important to us that this new building maintained the historic feel and flow of our campus,” said Superintendent Dr. Cheryl McCarthy in a statement. "The design accomplishes both just beautifully. It literally takes your breath away."

Groundbreaking on the project, which was shaped by a significant amount of community input, took place in May 2014. Construction was completed in several phases. Wight served as the designer and architect of record for the project, and also provided structural engineering, MEP engineering, interior design and landscape architecture services.
 

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The design and construction team of Chicago-based Wight & Company and Pepper Construction, also based in Chicago, joined students, parents, teachers, administrators and local officials to celebrate the groundbreaking.

“This school will be a tangible symbol of the community’s care and commitment to its children’s education,” said Leanne Meyer-Smith, vice president of architecture at Wight & Company, in a statement. “The aesthetic for the new Sunset Ridge School is very contextual to the neighborhood. We have incorporated elements and building materials that echo the warm, natural tones you see throughout the homes in Northfield.”

The centerpiece the new school’s design is a “village square” complete with performance and dining space and surrounded by “academic neighborhoods” that will be organized by grade level, physical education and music areas, according to Wight & Company. The design is intended to help foster a sense of unity. The building will also seek LEED certification, and will contain a library and learning center in the academic wing complete with a makerspace and science and language laboratories. Breakout rooms throughout will help facilitate individualized learning, and natural lighting will be used prominently throughout the interior spaces.

“We are thrilled to be embarking on a project of this stature that allows us to build a state-of-the art facility from the ground up,” said Superintendent Dr. Edward Stange in a statement. “The educational benefits to our students are outstanding and range from a much improved and larger gym facility, a dedicated theatre space and a variety of 21st century focused educational spaces. This new building will be an exceptional community asset for years to come.

“This is what we call ‘a future ready learning environment,’” Dr. Stange continued. “The process of learning in the school environment has evolved. It’s much more collaborative, interactive and technology-based, and this trend will continue, so we have to design learning spaces that can adapt to changing curriculum.”

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The 106,000-square-foot project will include new classrooms, science and vocational labs, band rooms and art studios.

With St. Louis-based S.M. Wilson as the general contractor and Ill.-based Wight & Company as the architect, the expansion will resemble the existing buildings, including its terrazzo floors and steps, and limestone accents.

A vocational lab will be located on the ground floor and in the basement, serviced by a freight elevator. The ceiling of the basement will feature sound and vibration controls to keep lab noise from disrupting activities on the first floor.

The first floor will include the fine arts program, featuring visual, instrumental and vocal arts classes. The second floor will house the social studies programs.

Designs for the school also include a vegetation area on the roof surrounded by a glass curtain wall to be cared for by students.

Three 20,000 gallon outside water harvesting tanks will also be located at the base of the building for rain collection and irrigation for the field behind the building.
    
Officials from the contracting firm expect the project to be completed in the fall of 2012.

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