Great Lakes Academy: Elementary & Middle School Expansion

Great Lakes Academy (GLA) is committed to preparing students with the fundamental academic skills, critical thinking ability and strength of character to excel in high school, college and a career of their choice. To create a learning environment to best support this mission, they embarked on an expansion program and B&A is proud to serve as their building partner.

The 75,000 sq. ft. expansion project creates a welcoming new entry and identity for the school while celebrating the architectural and cultural legacies of the site. Set back from the street, a new, one-story contemporary glass link connects the existing 1911 three-story academic building to a former Catholic Church, which has been thoughtfully adapted to serve as the enrichment center of the school.

GLA’s expansion project extends opportunities well beyond the school’s scholars and staff, serving as an incubator for education, professional development, and vocational training for the school community and the South Chicago neighborhood at large. The facility and campus are intentionally designed to leverage its resources to the greatest extent possible, providing access to the community on the weekends and evenings, when school is not in session.

The project is a winner of a 2022 Chicago Building Congress Merit Award in the Renovation & Adaptive Reuse Under $15 Million category.