The Chicago
School West
Loop Gate
In Chicago’s West Loop, Community Solutions Education System set an ambitious goal: keep its headquarters rooted in the downtown urban environment it calls home while uniting multiple programs and launching an entirely new medical school under one roof.
RDG partnered with the owner to evaluate options and identify the right fit, a 250,000-square-foot historic building originally constructed in 1906 and thoughtfully modernized in 2012 with expansive ribbon windows and open-office floorplates.
RDG’s task was to transform this structure into a cohesive, high-performing academic environment that brings together Community Solutions’ administrative offices, The Chicago School’s psychology-focused programs and the new Illinois College of Osteopathic Medicine (Illinois COM).
Guided by the owner’s creative brief, the design needed to blend two brand personalities into a single campus experience, one that feels professional and purposeful, but also warm, culturally competent, energetic, and driven by impact. RDG provided planning, architecture, interiors, lighting, and experiential graphics to shape an environment that supports classrooms, medical labs, collaboration zones, and community engagement spaces, each aligned to a clear story of progressiveness, trust, self-awareness, and altruism.
The building’s existing conditions became an integral part of the design challenge. Tight concrete column spacing from the early 20th century demanded careful planning to accommodate large classroom footprints and efficiently organize varied program needs. Existing mechanical systems introduced another layer of complexity, with oversized ductwork affecting both width and ceiling height. RDG worked strategically within these constraints, preserving as much of the mechanical infrastructure as possible to respect the project’s budget and existing chase locations, which turned limitations into a “puzzle” that ultimately strengthened the planning solution.
In a building of this scale, intuitive navigation was essential. RDG minimized corridors to reduce confusion and organized the layout into clearly numbered quadrants, creating an easy-to-understand wayfinding system for students, visitors and staff. From there, the design team established four guiding Principles of Design, rooted in the combined character of the two institutions, and used them to inform every pathway and “place” throughout the campus:
A Visionary Identity unifies the brand experience and welcomes all campus users through cultural competence and distinctiveness.
Dynamic Collaboration supports inclusive, interprofessional learning and meaningful connections between learners and faculty.
Institutional Impact celebrates education with energy, achievement, and memorable moments that elevate outcomes.
Connection to Community reinforces purpose, altruism, and a sense of place, linking the institution to the city around it.
These principles came to life through a campus strategy of pathways and placemaking, where transition spaces do more than move people; they build belonging. Inclusive community areas encourage informal interaction and familiarity. Program identities shape adjacent “places,” and layered planes create clear distinctions between circulation, learning environments, and community settings that draw people through the space with a sense of discovery and momentum.
Custom elements reinforce this identity at key moments. Behind the main reception desk, we designed a signature hub feature with a perforation pattern inspired by the knot logos of both entities, an immediate visual connection to the unified mission. Additional custom perforated panels appear throughout community zones, helping define spaces while maintaining openness and visibility. RDG collaborated closely with fabricators and the integrated team across architecture, graphics, and lighting to achieve the intended scale, detailing, and impact.
Delivered through an exceptionally collaborative process with the owner, end users and contractor, the project moved from demolition to certificate of occupancy in just nine months, an achievement for a renovation of this size and complexity. The result is a unified urban campus that not only supports education- and health-focused training but also reflects the heart of its institutions: a place of trust, ambition, connection, and purpose, brought to life in a setting that leaves users genuinely moved.