Am Shalom
Glencoe, Illinois
AIA Illinois Crombie Taylor Special Recognition for Preservation and Restoration (2010)
First Place ASID Design Excellence Award – Institutional Category (2006)
Am Shalom challenged Eckenhoff Saunders to renovate and expand its facilities without adding any volume to the building. Through close collaboration with the client and its consultant team, Eckenhoff Saunders found an additional 3,000 sf of space in the existing facility by dividing a two-story space with a different floor to increase the temple’s education and meeting capacity.
The project also included a complete gut renovation of the interiors and a new main entry. Eckenhoff Saunders’ design coalesced disparate architectural styles into a timeless aesthetic that highlights the organization’s historical prominence within a modern framework. Included in the renovation was a new chapel; flexible multi-purpose space to accommodate 1,150 for holiday services; new centralized administrative offices with a separate clergy suite; a new library and gift shop; 15 classrooms; and the replacement of outdated HVAC and life safety systems.