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Perkins and Will presents arts-and-innovation additions for Evanston Township High School
Summary
Architects from Perkins and Will presented the first-phase design for a new arts and innovation wing at Evanston Township High School, describing three exterior additions, window replacements and stormwater work. Commissioners asked about shading, material matches and tree removal; no formal action was required or taken.
Architects from Perkins and Will outlined phase 1 of the Evanston Township High School Centennial projects Tuesday night, proposing three exterior additions — a studio theater, an orchestra room and a small corridor extension — plus window replacements and exterior masonry repairs at the southeast corner of campus near the tennis courts.
The presentation matters because the high school is a local landmark recently found eligible for the National Register of Historic Places, and the additions would change the campus exterior and require coordination with zoning and stormwater review.
Marnie Gaddy, project architect with Perkins and Will, described the scope as an enabling project for future interior renovations and said work already completed in an earlier phase included interior upgrades to lab and alumni spaces. Senior project architect Michael Dolter said the design team is using the campus’s mid-century architectural language — materials, proportions and datum lines — to harmonize the new additions with existing 1949 and 1961 wings. He said future phases would focus more on interior work, roof repairs and additional window replacements.
Commissioners pressed the team on several technical and preservation questions. Commissioner Bowden asked about solar heat gain from the proposed large south-facing theater windows; Dolter said the team plans a two-level shading system — blackout curtains plus a light-filtering inner curtain — together with tinted, low-e glazing to reduce heat and control light for performances. Gaddy and Dolter said acoustic consultants and instructors were consulted for the orchestra classroom and that operable windows would be reduced in number because interior spaces are now ventilated and air conditioned.
The architects acknowledged at least one tree will be removed because it sits within the footprint of the orchestra addition or so close to it that the tree would not likely survive construction. They said they will submit a tree permit and either replace removed trees or comply with the city’s fee-in-lieu requirements. The team said they are working with the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District on expanded stormwater management tied to recent campus projects.
Commissioners and the architects discussed material matching for the campus’s distinctive bricks and metal panels; the team said they located a manufacturer that can produce a close match in both smooth and raked textures and that metal will match existing Quaker Bronze finishes. The architects also described tuckpointing, replacement of deteriorated lintels with GFRC lintel panels and planting strategies to screen mechanical equipment.
No formal vote or certificate action was required by the commission: the project, as a school facility, will be reviewed by the state per city code section 2 88 and does not require a city certificate of appropriateness or a building permit process through the city.
The presentation closed with commissioners thanking Perkins and Will for returning to a campus the firm has worked on historically; commissioners encouraged continued attention to shading, material selection and tree mitigation as the design proceeds.
