Last November, Community Consolidated School District 15, consisting of 20 schools and seven municipalities in Illinois, approved the $93 million Moving 15 Forward referendum. Upon that approval, the District began work to address three major areas of improvement: repairing and restoring facilities, updating learning spaces, and streamlining students’ transitions from elementary through middle school into local high school districts 211 and 214.
Included in this effort is the expansion of Plum Grove Junior High School in Rolling Meadows, Ill., from a junior high serving seventh and eighth graders into a middle school that also educates sixth grade students.
Plum Grove Middle School, which will serve more than 800 students, is seen as a cornerstone of the District’s move toward adolescent-focused middle schools that use the “house” concept, which creates teams of teachers and staff that share smaller groups of students through an academic schedule.
Plum Grove’s $18.4 million upgrade and expansion got started on July 27. Wold Architects and Engineers provided the designs, and Nicholas & Associates is the general contractor. As part of Phase 1 of a four-phase construction plan, additions at Plum Grove include two new three-story classroom wings, or “houses,” which form the backbone of the middle school concept, for a total of 12 new general education classrooms.
Each grade-level house has its own learning commons with an innovative shared learning hub, including a central collaboration space, new science lab spaces, and modern, flexible classrooms. In addition, the project includes site updates such as traffic and paving improvements, a new track, and play fields.
Construction is expected to be completed for the 2024-2025 school year.
Sustainable, energy efficient design
![Rendering of Gladstone Elementary](/sites/default/files/inline-images/Gladstone-v1-718_Main%20Entry_Dark%20Green_HiRes.jpg)
A week before Plum Grove’s expansion was getting underway, the City of Cranston, R.I., held a groundbreaking ceremony for its new $83 million, 105,000-sf Gladstone Elementary School. This is one of five core building projects identified in Cranston’s five-year facility improvement plan that has been approved by Rhode Island School Building Authority for Housing Aid State Reimbursement.
Gladstone Elementary will be 40,000 sf larger than the existing school it replaces, and will incorporate the student body of Arlington Elementary, bringing its total to 798 K-5 students. The Building Team on this project includes Gilbane Building Company, Jacobs Engineering, and Finegold Alexander Architects. Construction is scheduled for completion in 2025.
The old school had been functioning up until June 14, but was in serious need of repair, with boarded-up windows. It will be demolished and during construction students will be relocated to a temporary location in Cranston.
The new building is designed to exceed current sustainability and energy codes. A combination of sub-surface and surface stormwater filtration systems are part of its scope, and the project will be compliant with the Northeast Collaborative for High-Performance Schools Criteria program (NE-CHPs), which provides guidance and verification for new school projects, renovations, and additions.
Gladstone will feature a combination of learning and community engagement areas, like a cafeteria and gymnasium with performance spaces. Its learning spaces will be modeled after Eden Park School in Garden City, where open floor plans contribute to collaborative learning environments. Gladstone will also have designated special-education classrooms, administration areas, a nurse’s office, and food preparation space.
Related Stories
| Oct 28, 2013
Urban growth doesn’t have to destroy nature—it can work with it
Our collective desire to live in cities has never been stronger. According to the World Health Organization, 60% of the world’s population will live in a city by 2030. As urban populations swell, what people demand from their cities is evolving.
| Oct 18, 2013
Researchers discover tension-fusing properties of metal
When a group of MIT researchers recently discovered that stress can cause metal alloy to fuse rather than break apart, they assumed it must be a mistake. It wasn't. The surprising finding could lead to self-healing materials that repair early damage before it has a chance to spread.
| Oct 15, 2013
15 great ideas from the Under 40 Leadership Summit – Vote for your favorite!
Sixty-five up-and-coming AEC stars presented their big ideas for solving pressing social, economic, technical, and cultural problems related to the built environment. Which one is your favorite?
| Oct 7, 2013
10 award-winning metal building projects
The FDNY Fireboat Firehouse in New York and the Cirrus Logic Building in Austin, Texas, are among nine projects named winners of the 2013 Chairman’s Award by the Metal Construction Association for outstanding design and construction.
| Oct 7, 2013
Geothermal system, energy-efficient elevator are key elements in first net-zero public high school in Rhode Island
The school will employ a geothermal system to heat and cool a portion of the building. Other energy-saving measures will include LED lighting, room occupancy sensors, and an energy-efficient elevator.
| Sep 24, 2013
8 grand green roofs (and walls)
A dramatic interior green wall at Drexel University and a massive, 4.4-acre vegetated roof at the Kauffman Performing Arts Center in Kansas City are among the projects honored in the 2013 Green Roof and Wall Awards of Excellence.
| Sep 19, 2013
What we can learn from the world’s greenest buildings
Renowned green building author, Jerry Yudelson, offers five valuable lessons for designers, contractors, and building owners, based on a study of 55 high-performance projects from around the world.
| Sep 19, 2013
6 emerging energy-management glazing technologies
Phase-change materials, electrochromic glass, and building-integrated PVs are among the breakthrough glazing technologies that are taking energy performance to a new level.
| Sep 19, 2013
Roof renovation tips: Making the choice between overlayment and tear-off
When embarking upon a roofing renovation project, one of the first decisions for the Building Team is whether to tear off and replace the existing roof or to overlay the new roof right on top of the old one. Roofing experts offer guidance on making this assessment.
| Sep 16, 2013
Study analyzes effectiveness of reflective ceilings
Engineers at Brinjac quantify the illuminance and energy consumption levels achieved by increasing the ceiling’s light reflectance.