
The firm’s design approach is centered on strategy, experience, architecture, engineering, and social impact. From exceptional designs to ground-breaking structures, the following list is a selection of 25 firms that continue to shape the city’s urban landscape.ĬannonDesign is a global design firm that brings together architects, engineers, industry specialists, and builders with a shared vision of addressing clients’ and society’s most pressing challenges. Today, Chicago is home to a vibrant and dynamic architecture scene with an array of firms revolutionizing architecture in exciting new ways. This time period witnessed the rise of skyscrapers, which eventually became synonymous with the city’s skyline. This marked the emergence of the Chicago School of Architecture which pioneered steel frames and new construction techniques that allowed tall, functional buildings to accommodate the expanding population and businesses. The rich built landscape of the city encompasses the evolution of several styles and movements, from the grand Beaux-Arts buildings of the late 19th century to the sleek, contemporary designs of today.Ī turning point in the city’s history, the Great Fire of 1871 which destroyed much of the city, pushed towards using fire-resistant materials and techniques. General Contractor: Clune Construction Co.Chicago is renowned for its stunning skyline, innovative designs, and its contribution towards modern architecture. Instead of diminishing the teacher’s role with technology, Intrinsic enables them to more effectively use their time and talent.

Two “pop- up class” areas provide teachers a place where they can remediate a common misunderstanding or reinforce a newly learned concept with up to 12 students. “Exchange Tables”, situated under an oversized light shade, host peer-to-peer learning.

A “coastline” of individual desks, furnished in both standing and sitting heights, provides a place for personalized online learning, where students learn at their own pace. The open area of each pod is designed for rotating between different modes of learning. These larger networks promote encounters between students of different abilities and backgrounds, enriching their experience. Students are immersed in a much larger social network than their counterparts in traditional schools. Each pod is comprised of a large open area adjacent to a traditional acoustically-isolated classroom. The right-hand pod focuses on the Humanities, while the left-hand pod concentrates on STEM. Instead, up to 180 students and 8 teachers rotate within interconnected pods dedicated to each grade level. There are no 30-student classrooms, hallway lockers, or double-loaded corridors. The combination of new and old reflects Intrinsic’s educational tactics, where adaptive online learning is blended with traditional teaching in small groups to personalize education. Seventy-five percent of the existing buildings, some over 100 years old, were preserved and left exposed within the new envelope. The large column-free spaces located in the high-need neighborhood provided the perfect starting point.

But Intrinsic School’s leaders weren’t looking for a traditional school, instead they were inventing a new type of learning space. Not many educators would look at a shuttered lumber yard on Chicago’s Northwest Side and declare it the perfect place for a new school.
