Kidwatch Plus Child Care Center
Kidwatch Plus Child Care Center was founded by Kathryn’s mom in the 1980’s on Chicago’s north side. For years the school rented part of a Chicago Public School building to serve families in their neighborhood. Recent school closings and reconfigurations meant CPS needed the space that Kidwatch had called home for over thirty years. Kathryn, for whom we had already designed two residential renovations, appreciated our practical approach to creating inspiring spaces and asked us to help her create a new home for the school she now runs. After studying the feasibility of renovating a few different commercial buildings, Kathryn decided on a Catholic school close by that was about to close its doors. We designed the renovation to reconfigure some spaces and improve others to accommodate her school’s unique needs. We added plumbing and improved the building’s mechanical systems while enhancing the school’s accessibility for its second life as a place for families in the neighborhood.