Oswego East High School

Oswego, Illinois

Kluber Architects + Engineers designed the new 436,983 square-foot Oswego East High School. The focal point of the school is its commons area, which functions like a town square and serves as the school’s social gathering place. The entire space is surrounded by a colonnade and features wide stairways, balconies and archways that break down its scale. The commons is used by students and faculty, as well as the community. During school hours it’s used as a cafeteria, and as a multipurpose space when school is not in session.

Adjacent to the commons area is a 1,000-seat theater and two-story sports complex that houses two gyms, three basketball courts, a 200-meter indoor track and an eight-lane competition pool. Two three-story wings with faculty offices, a multipurpose room, the learning resource center and the school’s 104 classrooms are located to the north of the commons. This area can be closed off to allow for programming flexibility and provide easy accessibility for community groups.

The award-winning Oswego East High School earned Kluber Architects + Engineers the prestigious Crow Island School Citation from American School and University Magazine for the commons area, as well as the Excellence in Masonry Award from the Illinois-Indiana Masonry Council.