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University of Chicago
Laboratory Schools Expansion and Renovation
In November 2008, we were selected as Architect of Record to embark on a multi-year expansion
and renovation project at the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools, along with our design
partner Valerio Dewalt Train. This past September, the final renovation phase was completed and
occupied, and the project is now being closed out. With a project budget of $190M, we assisted in
the creation of 220,000 SF of new space and the renovation of 315,000 SF, including a new Early
Childhood Center and Arts Hall (the best “George Lucas building” in Chicago according to Blair
Kamin). Over the course of the eight years, we ran through six different U of C Project Managers,
with one of them serving two terms of duty. The Lab Schools’ Director and Associate Director and
FGM’s Terry Owens and Jack Krezel, apparently concluding that the pinnacles of their respective
careers had been reached, decided to retire after working on the project. Despite the project’s
poor performance from FGM’s financial perspective, the project was successful on many other
fronts. Most importantly, we met our client’s goal to create learning environments that support
Labs’ innovative curriculum and inspire its faculty and students. The project is also a testament to
the hard work and persistence of many current and former FGM staff who rose to meet this
challenge.