BIA Award Spotlight:
Ogden International School

Project designers Nagle Hartray Architecture (with associate architects Schroeder Murchie Niemiec Gazda-Auskalnis) specified clay brick veneer on the exterior and interior of Chicago's Ogden International School. The dual use connects the interior and exterior spaces, and the school's brick and stone fa?????ade connects it to neighboring buildings.

The Chicago Public Schools' building standards require safe, durable and sustainable new school construction, made to last 100 years. The design of the new Ogden International School of Chicago, however, varies significantly from the CPS school prototype. Bordered by an historic library, a Scottish Rite Cathedral, high-end condominiums and retail space, the surrounding neighborhood features buildings rich with historical significance.

The selection of clay brick and masonry finish materials (Illinois Masonry Corp.) proved key to meeting this design challenge. The brick veneer serves as the first layer of protection for the building's envelope, managing water and vapor migration with contiguous cavity insulation and fluid-applied air barrier systems. The ultimate goal of the cavity wall design is to keep the water out of the building and promote a safe, acoustically sound, and healthy learning environment.

Certified LEED Gold, the Ogden International School of Chicago has fulfilled the aspirational design goals of the Chicago Public School System, and earned a 2012 Brick in Architecture award for Best in Class Educational Design to boot. The masonry detailing features a lively blend of texture, color, and rhythm that reflects the youthful occupants and relates to the art moderne architectural style common in the neighborhood.

See photos of all 64 Brick in Architecture award-winning projects here.