Legacy Charter School

Client:  LVDA Architects

Completed:  2017

Legacy’s motto, “Changing the World One Scholar At a Time,” gives a sense of what it was like to work on this exciting project. The K-8 Legacy Charter School is located in one of the poorest neighborhoods of Chicago yet all of its students are called “Scholars.”  HJKessler Associates worked closely with the architect, LVDA Architecture, the design team, the client, and the contractor to implement a successful integrative design and development process that resulted in it becoming the first Chicago elementary school to achieve  LEED Platinum.

The school’s sustainability is exemplified by the fact that the project was not plagued by graffiti during construction and it continues to be a revered public asset. Part of what made this project gratifying was the engagement of the students, faculty, and staff as well as the neighborhood. It is the first project we worked on that achieved a very difficult LEED credit called “School as a Teaching Tool,” ensuring its long-term legacy as a positive influence on the Scholars in every grade.