Prototypical Designs
Over the history of building designs for the Chicago Board of Education, prototypical designs have commonly been developed as a means of efficiently implementing new construction programs in a cost effective manner across the district. Sometimes referred to as Sister Schools, there have been various prototypes over the decades.
Historical architects developing similar or prototypical designs date as far back as the late 19th century and include: August Fiedler, John C. Christensen, Flanders and Zimmerman, A. Normand Patton, Paul Gerhart, Robert Williamson, William Bryce Mundie, Robert Williamson, and A.F. Husander. A number of these buildings are included on the City of Chicago’s Historic Resources Survey and noted as historically significant.
In the mid-late 20th century, prototypical design was often implemented to keep up with a fast pace of new construction needed as well as a means of providing equitable designs across the district. Buildings from each era are typically similar in plan, however, facades vary in style or materials. When performing renovations, this knowledge is valuable both for identifying conditions that have been uncovered as part of previous projects when original documentation is incomplete and also for researching past solutions to similar problems.
When historical documents are limited or unavailable, drawings from prototypical or similar designs might provide insight into various details and construction techniques.