Boosting school participation

UNO Soccer Academy in Chicago is a charter school. These schools, while part of the public educa­tion system, offer alter­na­tives to tradi­tional public schools. Many are started by non-profits and provide curri­culum specia­lized in a certain area. The United Neigh­bor­hood Orga­niza­tion (UNO) works towards impro­ving the Hispanic neigh­bor­hoods in Chicago, and its Soccer Academy on the city’s South Side is an important part of this.

Focused on the sport as an acti­vity and way to boost school parti­ci­pa­tion, the dynamic school design by Juan Moreno of JGMA with Ghafari Asso­ciates is recei­ving praise from critics and the public alike. 

New approach

The UNO Soccer Academy creates the first link of a soccer-focused master plan deve­loped by UNO. The inno­va­tive design and school program repres­ents a new and progres­sive approach to educa­tion. The buil­ding stands as a shining beacon for the commu­nity in the Gage Park neigh­bor­hood of Southwest Chicago. Through means of a strong curri­culum supple­mented by the cultu­rally embraced sport of soccer, commu­nity outreach programs, and intel­li­gent design, students as well as resi­dents of the predo­mi­nantly Hispanic neigh­bor­hood are engaged in active roles in their educa­tion.

Growing building

The archi­tec­tural design of UNO Soccer Academy is inspired in part by the educa­tional deve­lo­p­ment of the students. The buil­ding grows out of the ground, symbo­li­zing the growth of a child, where programs such as lear­ning thea­tres, admi­nis­tra­tive compon­ents, and class­rooms envelop a central soccer field cour­tyard. Essen­tial deve­lo­p­mental programs inclu­ding a fitness center and resource library progress the move­ment of the buil­ding gradu­ally upward. Finally, the buil­ding culmi­nates in a commu­nity center that frames views of the Chicago skyline, inspi­ring students and neigh­boring resi­dents to achieve their poten­tial.

Heightened sense of community

This highly inno­va­tive design turns a conven­tional elemen­tary school inside out. By loca­ting the corri­dors along the largely glass peri­meter of the buil­ding while simul­ta­neously loca­ting a full-height glass wall along the inte­rior class­rooms, the school is able to drama­ti­cally increase daylight and views inside the class­rooms. Natural light is ther­e­fore allowed to fully pene­trate the spaces, crea­ting an effec­tive and effi­cient teaching and lear­ning envi­ron­ment. This arran­ge­ment allows for the addi­tional bene­fits of increased teaching surfaces in the class­rooms, as well as a heigh­tened sense of commu­nity connec­ti­vity whereby student acti­vity within the corri­dors is show­cased along the building’s exte­rior.

Plazas and spaces

This commu­nity connec­tion inside corri­dors is echoed throug­hout the exte­rior where the buil­ding form creates various plazas and open spaces to engage the students as well as the commu­nity. This enga­ge­ment aligns directly with one of the main project goals of UNO Soccer Academy: to create a school as a tool for social change. A goal that initiated with the selec­tion of the site: a resi­dual aban­doned indus­trial site. The project re-envi­sions this area by provi­ding pede­strian-friendly connec­tions and encou­ra­ging diver­sity in an urban area with a dense popu­la­tion, while taking advan­tage of exis­ting infra­struc­ture such as public trans­por­ta­tion.

Hopes and dreams

UNO Soccer Academy chal­lenges the educa­tion para­digm in Chicago. For many years, educa­tion buil­dings were desi­gned to feel like fort­resses as opposed to welco­ming envi­ron­ments that encou­rage inter­ac­tion between users and commu­ni­ties. UNO Soccer Academy is a perfect example of educa­tion-centered deve­lo­p­ment, which creates a new momentum within a city that inspires opti­mism and encou­rages future deve­lo­p­ment in its neigh­bor­hood.

This school embo­dies what educa­tional faci­li­ties should repre­sent: the hopes and dreams of their local commu­ni­ties; where neigh­bor­hood iden­tity is created, parents and commu­nity are an inte­gral part of the educa­tion, cultural tradi­tions are enri­ched, and most of all, younger gene­ra­tions gain an under­stan­ding that where they come from matters just as much as where they’re going.

Exterior view

Ground floor plan 

Pitch, playground and main entrance area

View from the pitch

Eastern view

Companies involved