RADA’s work defies the simplistic economy of cinderblock architecture common to inner city education facilities. At Wright College, RADA redefines the architecture of the classroom. Students may work at the communal table, in the birch tree forest, on low lounge chairs, or at the curved bar counter, where large-scale photos taken from the space shuttle provide a different view of the planet.  Rich in imagery, nature and large-scale graphics, the learning settings are inviting and intriguing to first-time college students, rather than intimidating. Students now find it easy to immerse themselves in the world of math and science.

Wright College serves a predominantly low-income, inner-city Hispanic population in a building originally designed by Bertrand Goldberg.

Awards and Recognitions

• “The Revolution in Learning Spaces Design: Case Studies of How Technology, Nature and New Teaching Ideas Shape the Modern Classroom” (Course No. T276), NeoCon 2014, Chicago
• 2013 ALA Design Award of Merit, Association of Licensed Architects
• “Transforming Students by Design at City Colleges of Chicago,” International Conference and Idea Marketplace Poster Forum, Society of College and University Planners Conference, 2012
• Featured Project of the Month, SchoolDesigns.com, January, 2012
• “The Architect’s Perspective on Sustainability,” First Sustainability Symposium, Wilbur Wright College, Chicago, 2011