Michael and Karyn Lutz Center for After School Matters
Chicago (Belmont-Cragin)
34,000 sf | 2,000 sf annex
For this project, Eckenhoff Saunders partnered with the nonprofit After School Matters to create a satellite location for its apprenticeship programs, which have run for 25 years. Our team was tasked with transforming an existing four-story building into a beacon for culinary, arts, and technology programs for teens in the Belmont Cragin neighborhood. The predominantly interior renovation includes a commercial-grade teaching kitchen and dining area, dance studio, sound rooms and vocal booths, art gallery space, digital technology labs, and various studios for visual arts practice.
Exterior improvements include additional punched openings that increase interior daylight, landscape updates, a covered entry canopy, and a new stair tower that brings the building into compliance with modern building codes. Embracing the vision of After School Matters, Eckenhoff Saunders created an interior that serves as a blank canvas for students to experiment and transform surfaces through their artistic expression. The interior walls and surfaces are clad with materials that invite students to make the space their own.
More recently, Eckenhoff Saunders collaborated with After School Matters to bring the Lutz Family Annex to life. Located adjacent to the existing Lutz Center, the Annex was carefully designed to complement the neighborhood while delivering modern, functional spaces that support the creative and technical development of young people. The facility includes a state-of-the-art welding studio equipped with cutting-edge tools, a bike and skateboard shop with dedicated areas for learning repairs and maintenance, and a spacious greenhouse that supports year-round urban gardening initiatives.