Northside College Preparatory High School
Chicago
OWP&P Architects

Chicago's First New High School in 20 Years Attracts Honors Students

© Scott McDonald

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Opened in 1999, Chicago’s first new public high school in 20 years was designed to attract honors students and establish a template for future schools. Accommodating 1,000 students, grades 9-12, the 210,000-square-foot, three-story linear plan responded to a long narrow site. Facing a residential neighborhood and river, the building is a series of interconnecting forms: the intersections between volumes create light-filled gathering spaces that encourage students to experience the site.

A three-story glass entry dramatically identifies the main academic entrance. The adjacent two-story high-tech media center offers numerous study areas with expansive river and skyline views. The school includes a fiber-optic backbone linking computers school-wide and multi-functional program spaces promoting community use.

Controlled access points and teacher/student integration are key to the security plan. Staff workrooms, with windows onto corridors, enable staff to monitor student activities. The school is anchored, north and south, with independent entrances for performing arts and athletic facilities, allowing community use after-hours, while maintaining secure academic areas.

Formal name of building:
Northside College Preparatory High School

Location:
Chicago

Gross square footage:
210,000 sq. ft.

Total construction cost:
$37 Million

Owner:
Chicago Public Schools

Architect's firm:
OWP&P Architects
111 W. Washington Street, Suite 2100
Chicago, IL 60602
ph: 312.332.9600
fax: 312.332.9601