Jose Clemente Orozco Community Academy
Chicago, Illinois

Architect: A.G. Guajardo & Associates

This three-story, 97,000 square foot middle school features a caisson-supported structural steel frame with cast-in-place concrete decks. Exterior walls are decorative face brick and horizontal limestone banding over CMU backing. The facility houses classroom and administrative areas as well as a full-service kitchen, servery, and dining room.

The interior features high-level, durable finishes such as CMU partitions and terrazzo flooring. Seventeen distinctive murals, designed by the faculty and students, reflect the cultural make-up of the community. These murals, formed out of nearly 2,000,000 colored cast glass mosaic tiles, incorporate scenes of contemporary American and Mexican culture, in addition to symbols of ancient Mexican history.