EPIC Academy H.S. Selected as Site for Chicago Architecture Biennial

Epic Academy High School was the recipient of a sustainable outdoor learning lab. The Skidmore, Owens and Merrill (SOM) design team created a robotically fabricated timber pavilion (SPLAM: Spatial Laminated Timber) for Chicago’s EPIC Academy south side campus as part of the Chicago Architecture Biennial.  The new pavilion is a permanent addition to EPIC Academy’s campus, one of Chicago’s most innovative high schools.

SPLAM is a full-scale prototype of an optimized timber structure that reimagines the way SOM designs and build sustainably. A SPLAM was designed and constructed by SOM and the University of Michigan Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning for this year’s Chicago Architecture Biennial.

The pavilion hosted a series of performances during the Biennial and functioned as an outdoor classroom and performance venue afterwards, contributing to the future of post-pandemic teaching and learning. The pavilion was designed and constructed in partnership with Autodesk, McHugh Construction, Gremley & Biedermann, and REX Engineering Group.

The structure was unveiled this month on EPIC Academy’s campus at 8255 S Houston Ave, Chicago, IL 60617. LeeAndra Khan, Executive Director, Andromeda Bellamy, Principal at Epic Academy and students were among the attendees at the event.

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