Irene C. Hernandez Middle School for the Advancement of the Sciences

CCS led the construction of a 131,886-square-foot, three-story middle school for approximately 1,200 students in the Gage Park neighborhood of Chicago. The new building replaced the existing Southwest Area Middle School. The design, based on an L-shaped prototype, consists of traditional classrooms as well as art and music classrooms, a fully accessible library, a warming kitchen, a dining room and various support spaces. This project used sustainable design principles and was submitted for a LEED Gold certification. The new Irene C. Hernandez Middle School for the Advancement of the Sciences will provide a model school where each child will pursue self-actualization through the development of social, emotional wellness and academic skills with an emphasis on science and technology, so they can function as informed citizens of the community, the city and the world of technology.