Schuler Shook

Today the National Medal of Honor Museum in Arlington, TX welcomes the public for the first time with a grand celebration. The museum provides a central location that honors and highlights the sacrifices and bravery of United States’ armed forces Medal of Honor recipients and allows their stories to be shared with the public. In addition to gallery spaces, the museum includes a theatre for commemorative, educational, and celebratory events. Schuler Shook’s theatre planners listened to the client’s needs and offered insights into uses for the space during the programming phase. This collaborative approach resulted in a multipurpose room that hosts guest lectures, military bands, ceremonies, and film screenings. At full capacity, the theatre seats 220 people, maintaining intimacy and warmth to promote a sense of community for audience members. Accessibility was a key consideration in the project, with extra thought put into the entry space, the cross aisle, an easily accessible front row, and ramps leading to the stage from the main floor seating area. Curtains provide one backdrop to the stage, which can be opened to reveal windows with an expansive view outside. Congratulations to the National Medal of Honor Museum Foundation on the opening of this important institution. We are proud to have worked on this facility. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gkrwFqhd Architect: Rafael Vi?oly Architects Acoustician: Cerami & Associates, Inc. #theatre #theatreplanning #schulershook #nationalmedalofhonor

The inspiring women of Schuler Shook not only positively impact the work that we do as a firm, but they also positively impact in their communities outside of the office. Today, Jenn, Katelyn, Michelle, and Josie share a bit about their community involvement. Jenn Bollenbacher is the Director of Marketing & Business Development in the Chicago office. When she’s not promoting Schuler Shook’s offerings, she’s teaching mahjong in her free time: “I took an American mahjong lesson last year with The Mahjong Society in Chicago, and it quickly turned into a favorite hobby. I'm now an instructor so much of my free time is spent either playing with friends or teaching new students how to play. It's been a great social outlet as well as a gentle brain teaser. As Julia Roberts said, the concept of mahjong is to "create order out of chaos based on the random drawing of tiles". Katelyn Le-Thompson is a Lighting Specialist in the Chicago office. In addition to her lighting design work, she shares, “I'm a walk leader for Chicago Girls Who Walk, a social walking club that provides programming and community for local women in the city and the suburbs. I'm also a member of WILD (Women in Lighting + Design) and part of their mentorship program.” Katelyn is also an avid reader and enjoys spending time with her dog, Finnie. Michelle Qian is a Lighting Specialist based in our Minneapolis office. Even outside of the office, lighting is a big part of Michelle’s life, as a frequent attendee of light art exhibits and member of Women in Lighting + Design (WILD). “I am proud to serve as the treasurer for the WILD Minneapolis chapter, which we launched this year. It’s been an exciting journey helping to establish and shape this new chapter from the ground up.” Josie White, a Project Lighting Designer in the Melbourne office, has a passion for light and the way that it impacts humans and the environment. She is also quite adventurous as part of a local community of high-flyers: “I am a hot air balloon pilot and often spend my weekends watching the sunrise from a balloon over the King Valley in Victoria's High Country.” We are incredibly grateful for all the extraordinary women who make Schuler Shook what it is. Their contributions, leadership, and creativity make us better. Happy Women’s History Month! #peopleofschulershook #womenshistorymonth

It may look like they’re just reading, but John Jacobsen and Jim Baney are actually providing quality assurance that our lighting design is getting the job done! We recently signed off on a custom table and floor lamp design at the Arley D. Cathey Learning Center at the University of Chicago’s Harper Memorial Library. It was important that the lamps not distract from the gothic architecture but rather fade into the background of the overall room. The new fixtures provide better light levels for the students (and lighting designers) reading and working in the space. #lighting #lightingdesign #schulershook #highereducation

Schuler Shook has some news! We are proud to announce a promotion and introduce four new members of our team. Congratulations to all! https://lnkd.in/gKii-bnS

Located on Chicago’s South Side and designed by Morris Architects Planners in collaboration with artist Theaster Gates, Green Line Performing Arts Center serves as an incubator for small, developing theatre companies. Today, the 6,600 SF center adds a vibrant performance venue that works hand-in-hand with the neighboring cultural buildings that make up the Garfield Boulevard Arts Block. Featuring a 99-seat black box theatre, rehearsal and performance spaces, a green room, and an outdoor courtyard perfect for film screenings, this space is designed to elevate productions for theatre companies, musicians, and entertainers alike. As part of the University of Chicago’s Arts + Public Life initiative, the center also offers training programs in theatre management and technical theatre, providing pathways to employment for residents of the area. Schuler Shook provided theatre planning for the center, with backstage facilities designed to Actor’s Equity standards, and state-of-the-art lighting and rigging systems. The space also features an AV design done by Chris Kusek before he became a Senior Audio Video Designer at Schuler Shook! Architect: Morris Architects Planners #theatre #theatreplanning #schulershook #design #Arts+PublicLife #UChicago #performingarts #artscenter

Congratulations to Schuler Shook Principal, Christopher Sprague, on being elected to the American Society of Theatre Consultants Board of Directors! https://lnkd.in/g_qUm4Zr #schulershook #congratulations #ASTC

Happy Women’s History Month! Continuing our series featuring some of the inspiring women of Schuler Shook, today, Samantha Komber, Taylor Waddell, and Sadie Ward share about some of the women who inspire them. Samantha Komber, LC is a Project Lighting Designer based in the Chicago office. She shares, “My mother has been a major inspiration throughout my life. She is hardworking, supportive, generous, and compassionate. Despite her busy work schedule, she always made time to help foster my creativity, curiosity, and ambition.” Taylor Waddell, Accounting Coordinator extraordinaire in the Chicago office, shares, “Serena Williams is a big inspiration of mine. Besides the fact that she is one of the greatest tennis players of all time, I really look up to how she uses her platform to advocate for gender equality, mental health awareness, and social justice.” When not working Taylor enjoys being on a dance team and attending shows and concerts. Sadie Ward is a Theatre, Lighting, and AV Specialist based in Minneapolis. Outside of the office, Sadie is a textile artist who creates “Brart” – sustainable portraits crafted from recycled bras. When thinking about women who inspire her, Sadie shares, “I always have a rotation of women that inspire me with the work I do with my brart. Consistently, Wangari Maathai's story continues to inspire me. She faced adversity but stayed committed to science and activism.” Stay tuned next week as we highlight more of the incredible women of Schuler Shook! #peopleofschulershook #womenshistorymonth

We hear the lighting is going to be magical… ??? #lighting #lightingdesign #schulershook

Walker West Music Academy is a cultural hub in Saint Paul, Minnesota’s Rondo neighborhood with a dynamic mix of students and musical styles. Schuler Shook’s audio video team just finished commissioning a tech lab, small performance space, and a recording studio for Phase I of the project. We can’t wait to see Phase II and the recital hall take shape! Architect: Locus Architecture #audiovideo #audiovideodesign #avdesign #musiceducation #sitevisit #schulershook

Great lighting enhances the travel experience… plane and simple! ?? At Chicago’s Midway International Airport, lighting reinforces the rhythm of the architecture and enhances visual clarity to guide guests safely through airport security. The idea was to create a seamless relationship between the architectural fins and the lighting. In addition to the linear fixtures used, the cove uplighting the ceiling balances the brightness of the fixtures with the brightness of the ceiling. As passengers depart on their journeys or visitors arrive to this prominent airport, they experience a lighting design that is in harmony with the architecture and its abundant daylight, while meeting all functional aspects required for an optimal travelling experience. Architect: Muller2, Now a Part of Gannett Fleming TranSystems Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA) - O'Hare & Midway International Airports #lighting #lightingdesign #schulershook #airport #travel #design