Across Illinois, school districts are being asked to do more with aging facilities, often balancing tight budgets, evolving educational needs, and strong community expectations. The transformation of Lanphier High School in Springfield, IL, shows what’s possible when design is grounded in community values and clear priorities.
Churches come in a variety of shapes and sizes, serving congregations ranging from single digits to thousands. While each congregation has different needs and ideologies, they typically share a common goal: to create safe and engaging houses of worship for members of all ages.
Asking voters for $62 million in an anti-tax climate when initial polling is below 50% sounds impossible. But for Bradley-Bourbonnais Community High School District, “impossible” was nothing new.
You might’ve seen the phrase “adaptive reuse” pop up more and more lately. It sounds technical, but the idea is simple: take a building that’s outlived its original purpose and give it a new life. While the concept isn’t new, it’s seeing a fresh wave of interest, especially in senior living. Why? Because repurposing old structures comes with big benefits.
Since 2015, Illinois has required all new and significantly renovated K-12 buildings to include ICC 500/FEMA-compliant storm shelters that can withstand winds up to 250 mph. It’s a critical requirement — but also an opportunity.
Since its founding way back in 1846, the City of St. Charles School District (SCSD) has been a proud cornerstone of the community—growing, evolving, and educating generation after generation. And now, with the successful April 2025 passage of Proposition SCSD, the district has secured resources to power its next chapter—one that’s focused squarely on smarter spaces, better buildings, and top-tier learning environments.
Who says dining in senior living communities has to be boring? In 2025, mealtime is all about choices, variety, and a little bit of flair! Whether it’s a fine-dining experience, a laid-back café stop, or an afternoon spent enjoying the fresh air with al fresco eats, residents are savoring the moment like never before.
With more ways to personalize meals, dining is becoming less of a routine and more of an adventure!
Creating a brand for an educational initiative is rarely straightforward, and the development of LIFT (Leaders Innovating For Tomorrow) for Mattoon CUSD #3, Mattoon, IL, was no different. What started as a vision to expand the district's local technology program transformed into a Regional Innovation Center with a bold, meaningful identity.
Why is branding your NEW K-12 School important?
Building or establishing a new K-12 school is an exciting challenge, and one of the most important factors for long-term success is a strong, cohesive and engaging brand. Effective branding helps shape how your school is perceived by students, parents, teachers, and the community. Here’s the 411 on why branding matters for new schools:
When should an existing K-12 school consider rebranding?
Rebranding can feel like hitting the refresh button for your school’s identity. It’s not something you always need, but there are definitely times when your school’s image could use a little glow-up. So, when’s the right time to hit the refresh button? Let's dive in and find out.
BLDD Architects announces Kayla Peck, Architectural Designer and K-12 Community Engagement Expert, as an Emerging Leader in the St. Louis business community.
Peck's architectural journey began when BLDD initiated a master plan at her own high school, sparking a passion that would shape her career. Following this inspiration, she pursued both her Bachelor's and Master's degrees at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, building a strong foundation in architectural design and educational spaces.
The Williamsville-Sherman School District implemented a $40 million bond referendum for significant upgrades to their junior high and high schools, including new classrooms, fine arts and athletics spaces, and improved facilities.
St. Louis, MO – BLDD Architects, with offices throughout Illinois plus one in St. Louis, has acquired Dickinson Hussman Architects (DHA) of St. Louis. Both firms specialize in helping school districts address their need for facility improvements. Between the two firms, 28 major design awards have been won in the past 20 years.
A reinvented Crispin Hall greeted Illinois College students this fall semester. The $12.6 million renovation transformed Crispin into a 21st-century learning environment, creating new academic programs to attract top students, and refreshing a key part of campus that greets campus visitors and the community on College Avenue.
For a 5th year, BLDD Architects, Inc. has partnered with Macon County CASA for their annual Casas for CASA Playhouse Fundraiser. Casas for CASA is a charity raffle for one of two custom playhouses. Each playhouse is designed, built, and painted by a team of local volunteers. BLDDers have big hearts for helping their communities and truly believe in our mission “Because Life Deserves Design.”
Every district, campus, and facility is unique, which means the planning process isn't one-size-fits-all. A customized facility plan (or master plan) based on your district needs and budget can help you identify the smartest path for long-term success. Keep reading to learn 7 ways a long-range facility master plan will help your team!
BLDD Architects, Inc., is pleased to announce the recipients of the annual Because Life Deserves Design Scholarship: The scholarship — named for BLDD’s mission “Because Life Deserves Design” — recognizes senior high school students for their creativity, artistic passion, and potential in contributing to the world of architecture, interior design, or graphic design.
In March, the BLDD Senior Living Team attended the Leading Age Illinois conference. While there, the team presented How to Use Informed Data to Choose The Best Master Plan for Your Community. Through the presentation, the team discussed how BLDD's very own QLEO Software is breaking into the Senior Living market!
School athletics are at the core of building and fostering a community. But despite the enthusiasm for high-school and collegiate athletics, many schools face similar challenges with outdated athletic facilities. Having access to modern, flexible athletic spaces for students and community members has become a priority for many schools.
Let’s be honest, there’s a reason the phrase “leave it to the pros” exists. Most of us can spot a DIY architecture project from a mile away, but we also know that looks aren’t all that matter. Whether you’re dreaming of a new facility or planning a renovation to your current buildings, hiring an architect can be one of the smartest investments you can make.
When it comes to designing performance spaces like theatres, auditoriums, or concert halls, you need an expert at your side. BLDD Architects has more than 90 years of experience in helping educators, churches, and communities bring the stage to life for audiences, big and small.
Agriculture is a staple of the rural education curriculum, and while a majority of students are involved in those programs, there is often little funding and inadequate spaces to support them. The future farmers and agribusiness leaders are frequently taught in regular classrooms or modified shop rooms, without access to the tools and resources they need.
For more than 10 years, the Waltham Elementary School District in North Utica, Illinois, dreamed of having one building for all their K-8 students who had been spread among two outdated elementary schools. Serving a student population of fewer than 250, the project goal was never to redesign how education environments are used. Instead, the objective was much simpler: to ensure this small, rural countryside town near Starved Rock State Park could remain viable.
BLDD Architects is pleased to announce the recent promotion of three long-time employees. These staff members have continuously moved BLDD forward by becoming leaders in their fields and going above and beyond for clients and projects.
To celebrate Read Across America day, we wanted to highlight the current innovative trends that are bringing school libraries and media centers to LIFE. Once a quiet museum for books, school libraries are transforming to support the whole student.
Several of Richland Community College’s high-performing programs were in need of renovated spaces to refocus learning to a student-centered model. As part of a multi-phase long-range facilities plan, the $11.6 million first phase updated two exterior spaces and 45,000 s.f. of interior renovations were made to facilitate critical thinking and allow experiential learning through real-world problem solving in flexible spaces.
Big congrats to architectural intern Mansi Sanghvi, who was recently awarded first prize in the urban/large scale category for the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's School of Architecture Earl Prize Design Excellence Awards! Her award-winning project project focused on reviving the lost identities of two cities that shares common municipality.
We are growing with additional architectural interns hired for 2022. Our new, rock star team members will help us continue to serve clients and our communities. Cheers to more GOOD VIBES in 2022!
