Adlai E. Stevenson High School Patriot Wellness Center

Stevenson High School’s Patriot Wellness Center, or PWC, is a multi-level field house and health and wellness center on the 5,000-student campus in Lincolnshire, Illinois. Completed in 2022 at a cost of approximately $50M, the 106,000-square-foot addition allowed for more athletic courts, an artificial turf playing field, an exercise equipment area, and locker, trainer, storage, conference, and multipurpose rooms.

Eriksson Engineering Associates, Ltd. (EEA) was tasked with relocating the bus drop-off and campus ring road, relocating numerous different utilities, reconfiguring existing parking, and providing underground stormwater management. Due to the height of the new additions relative to the surrounding features, a carefully thought-out grading design was needed to transition slopes between new and existing areas, while keeping pedestrian-friendly traffic patterns and satisfying ADA code requirements. Utility work included re-routing of the campus watermain and providing a new lift station to access sanitary sewerage on the opposite side of the campus.

Throughout the campus improvements, EEA provided landscape architectural services that helped to reinforce the function of the site while also enhancing the new building architecture and outdoor entry spaces. A series of long, linear safety walls were needed to provide a level of security for glass portions in the building’s lower level. EEA took the opportunity to design these elements, which are located along the bus drop-off zone, as seat walls enhanced with wooden decorative bench tops, thereby providing a visually appealing place for students to sit while waiting for pick up. The remaining narrow planting areas were planted with a mix of native and adaptive plantings in order to limit the need for any long-term irrigation. These landscape areas provide seasonal interest with changing colors and textures in the plantings to welcome people entering the facility.