Bernard Zell Anshe Emet Day School Innovation Lab
Chicago, Illinois (Lakeview)
Bernard Zell Anshe Emet Day School prides itself on celebrating curiosity, creativity, and innovation. Eckenhoff Saunders partnered with educational design consultant 180 Studio to create a classroom that challenges students and teachers to celebrate collaborative and innovative learning.
Unique architectural features include a reading cave, writable wall surfaces, a living wall, and a custom-designed collaborative learning table – the “Big Amoeba.” Educational technology is heavily leveraged and includes multi-surface projectors, a 3-dimensional digitizer and printer, and interactive Apple TVs that allow students to quickly display images and media from personal iPADS.
Rubber flooring and carpeting provide sound-absorbing surfaces. It was imperative to select furniture that maximizes flexibility to enhance learning options. Shelving, chairs, and desks are all easily mobile for a lab that morphs into layouts most conducive to the given learning activity.