Entering the U.S. market for the first time, GEMS Education built a 12-story, 82,000-sq-ft concrete structure flagship school in Chicago. Its colorful cladding suggests the international education provider’s lively approach to education, which emphasizes interconnection and diversity. The enclosure was initially designed as a combination of metal panels and glazing, but was redesigned as a unitized curtain wall, manufactured off site, to simplify installation, improve quality and allow interior finishes to proceed. Many interior design details had little to no tolerance for error. The team managed them through a series of mock-ups and first installation reviews by design team members, housed in neighboring offices.

GEMS Lower School

Chicago

Key Players
Owner GEMS Americas Inc.
Lead Design Firm bKL Architecture
Contractor Power Construction Co. LLC
Structural Engineer Halvorson and Partners
Civil Engineer Mackie Consultants
MEP Engineer WMA Consulting Engineers LTD
Landscaper Wolff Landscape Architecture Inc.