The Chicago-based architecture firm Ross Barney Architects has opted for a direct and educational approach at a community college on the outskirts of the city, leaving the ducts, installations, and machinery typical of an industrial building exposed. The intention is clear: for students to interact daily with the same mechanical systems that form part of their technical training.
The Foglia Center for Advanced Technology and Innovation at McHenry County College, located in Crystal Lake, is conceived as a long, horizontal volume, partially integrated into the terrain and organized into two longitudinal strips. One of these houses smaller classrooms and laboratories distributed over two floors, while the other is double-height to accommodate large workshops, reinforcing the idea of a functional, honest space aligned with the construction and mechanical principles taught inside.
Image courtesy of Ross Barney Architects
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