In 1928 Calvin Coolidge School in Lansing, Illinois was dedicated to the 30th President. The goals of this project were to improve the quality of the educational environment, to implement an energy conscious/ sustainable design, to create opportunities to celebrate the original school and decades of adaptation, and to give homage to the 1928 building vocabulary that evokes this history.

The project reflects the School District’s desire to achieve these goals. The focus on new classrooms with integrated technology and amenities to improve the environment is demonstrated in classroom clusters that serve each grade level. Colorful finishes are used to denote wayfinding and classroom blocks for students. These finishes tie to the Six Pillars of Character -- Responsibility, Caring, Leadership, Fairness, Respect, and Trustworthiness, which impart a positive daily message.

A key feature is the focus on bridging history from past to present. Stone elements of the original 1928 building façade have been restored and re-purposed within the new building. These elements bring forth the memorable features of the past and establish a new beginning through their adaptive reuse. Working with the Lansing Historical Society, images of past and present are graphically interwoven into the center atrium hall to remind and inspire current students and staff.