Cristo Rey St. Martin College Prep

Waukegan, Illinois

Award of Merit

OWNER: Cristo Rey St. Martin

LEAD DESIGN FIRM: JGMA

GENERAL CONTRACTOR: McShane Construction

CIVIL ENGINEER: Gloger Engineers Ltd.

STRUCTURAL ENGINEER: Forefront Structural Engineers

MEP ENGINEER: GHC Mechanical


Turning an abandoned Kmart into a school for 400 underserved students when another site fell through was a tall order for JGMA and McShane Construction. The big box store had no identity and no connection to the Waukegan community. The design-build team broke down barriers and developed a design that would inspire the students, faculty, administration and community while meeting the limited budget. JGMA used lighting studies to find the most advantageous places to punch openings and bring natural light in. Freed from traditional classroom configurations, JGMA principal Juan Moreno created flexible spaces for large and small classes using glass and light. All of the building’s original concrete floors were polished to reflect sunlight through the glass walls of its classrooms and science labs. JGMA and McShane kept the project within budget and delivered an adaptive reuse that benefits the community.

CRISTO REY ST. MARTIN COLLEGE PREP

Photo courtesy JGMA