Add as a preferred source on Google

Gemini Middle School Reveal New Changes, Continues Construction

  • By Yvonne Marquez
  • 09/13/19

Gemini Middle School, outside of Chicago, debuted several changes as they began this school year. Formerly known as Gemini Junior High, the school unveiled new renovations as they welcomed their doors to more than 1,000 students from 6th to 8th grade.

The new student commons at Gemini Middle School is filled with natural light.

The expansion and remodeling cost $33 million and is expected to be fully completed by the end of the year. The middle school renovations were designed by DLA Architects.

“We’re really excited about the new spaces that we have created that are going to provide fun, exciting and collaborative learning opportunities for students,” Principal Lewis Roberts told the Chicago Tribune.

“We’ve also spent a lot of time thinking about how students learn...the 21st century learner, and what students are going to need to prepare them not only for high school, but for life skills.”

Gemini Middle School, outside of Chicago, debuted several changes as they began this school year including an expanded cafeteria with learning stairs.

Features of the school include:

  • A new fitness center;
  • An expanded cafeteria with learning stairs;
  • An instrumental music suite;
  • An interior courtyard;
  • An auxiliary multi-purpose room with a stage; and
  • Kitchens for home economics.

The entrance will have the school mascot, along with blue and gold school colors, on the windows. The new student commons is filled with natural light. There are more writable surfaces located throughout the school to encourage expression and learning. In addition, there are numerous plugs to charge student-issued Chromebooks.

Upgrades to the middle school began when East Maine School District 63’s launched their master plan in December 2016. More than 100,000 square feet of space was part of the upgrades.

 

About the Author

Yvonne Marquez is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • KI Launches K–12 Classroom Furniture Giveaway

    Contract furniture company KI recently announced the launch of its fourth-annual Classroom Furniture Giveaway, which awards $50,000 each to four K–12 educators across the U.S., according to a news release. The goal is to address decreasing student engagement and increasing teacher burnout numbers by updating learning spaces to accommodate modern needs.

  • Malibu High School Campus Completes $102M Phase 1 of Construction

    Malibu High School in Malibu, Calif., recently announced that it has completed phase 1 of construction for its new campus, a news release reports. The first phase consisted of developing and modernizing the site of a former elementary school into a new, 70,000-square-foot, two-story facility.

  • LSU Breaks Ground on $200M Residential Project

    Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, La., recently broke ground on a new residential complex, according to university news. The South Quad residential project will consist of two buildings and add a total of 1,266 beds for freshmen students. The development comes with a price tag of $200 million, and it’s scheduled to open to students in fall 2027.

  • UNL Kiewit Hall

    Designing for Engineering Excellence: Integrating Sustainability and Wellness at UNLs Kiewit Hall

    Kiewit Hall at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln exemplifies how academic institutions can integrate sustainability and wellness into modern learning environments. With an integrated and collaborative team approach, Kiewit Hall addresses enhanced learning and creativity, physical health, and mental wellness, and fosters a sense of community through innovative design, operations, and policy solutions.

Digital Edition