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Grayslake High School

The new 1500-student 310,000 sf facility with core facilities designed for 1,800 students is the district’s second four-year campus. FGM designed the high school to fit gracefully into the natural landscape and wetlands of the 154-acre site. The building massing addresses the entry identity, acts as a buffer for academic spaces, and provides the best views for students. The school was divided into four areas – a three-story academic wing with library, a two-story arts-technology/physical education wing, a cafeteria and maintenance wing, and the educational services center. The main relationship between the user and the school is based on an understanding between the external world and the internal. The designers brought the external world to the students through light, window placement and through the creation of an outdoor classroom and an open courtyard. At the entrance, it was important to the community to preserve a grove of oak trees so the architects designed a 60-degree angle; the first site of the school from a visitor’s perspective is through the trees. Once inside the building, the temperature is maintained by strategic placement of bay windows, skylights, and awnings located based on the sun’s position at certain times of the day. The natural light guards against energy loss while engaging students’ learning. Outdoor courtyards and classes emphasize the promotion of the natural environment in student learning.


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