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We believe that design inspires curiosity and improves lives. Together, we build resilient communities, support holistic wellness, and cultivate lifelong learning. We design with a difference to make a difference.

Since opening in 1964, Legat Architects has been a nationally recognized architectural and interior design practice specializing in specializing in Community, Wellness, and Learning design.

Our team provides clients and users the highest level of attention and services through extensive resources under multiple studios.

DESIGN

Our integrated design approach incorporates a variety of interests, ideas and goals from stakeholders, community members and designers to develop a responsive solution that reflects the client’s economic reality, vision and purpose.

SUSTAINABILITY

Legat Architects’ sustainability experts have helped our clients emerge as sustainable leaders within their communities. Projects range from LEED certified facilities to sustainable campus planning. In each case, clients reduce costs by saving energy.

PERFORMANCE

Buildings carry a powerful message to their occupants and communities. Our designs focus on creating environments that enhance and enrich the occupant’s experience and improve long-term efficiency and economic performance.

SERVICES PROVIDED IN-HOUSE

COMMUNITY RELATIONS

CLIENT SURVEYS

FUNDRAISING ASSISTANCE

MEDIA PRESENTATIONS

GRAPHIC DESIGN/BROCHURES

PUBLIC RELATIONS

ARCHITECTURE

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN

RENOVATION/REMODELING

LIFE SAFETY SURVEYS

CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS

CONSTRUCTION ADMINISTRATION

CONSULTANT COORDINATION

POST OCCUPANCY SERVICES

PROGRAMMING

CODE COMPLIANCE

ADA COMPLIANCE

REPOSITIONING

SUSTAINABILITY & ENERGY

WELLNESS

PLAYING FIELDS

AQUATIC FACILITIES

RECREATIONAL FACILITIES

COMMUNITY CENTERS

REHABILITATION CENTERS

NET ZERO DESIGN

SUSTAINABLE CAMPUS MASTER PLANS

CLIMATE ACTION PLANS

FACILITY SUSTAINABILITY AND ENERGY ASSESSMENT

HIGH PERFORMANCE BUILDING DESIGN

LEED CERTIFICATION

GREEN BUILDING STANDARDS

RENEWABLE ENERGY INTEGRATION

FACILITY ASSESSMENT STUDIES

GRANT WRITING AND RESEARCH

GREEN REVOLVING FUND IMPLEMENTATION

WELL BUILDING STANDARDS

MASTER PLANNING PROJECT MANAGEMENT

FACILITY NEEDS STUDIES

SITE SELECTION/ANALYSIS

FEASIBILITY STUDIES

CAMPUS PLANNING

SPACE UTILIZATION STUDIES

PLANNED COMMUNITIE

URBAN PLANNING

MIXED-USE DEVELOPMENTS

COST ESTIMATING SCHEDULING

LIFE CYCLE COSTING

VALUE ENGINEERING

PROJECT DELIVERY STRATEGY

CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT

GRAPHIC DESIGN & SIGNAGE

GRAPHIC DESIGN

SIGNAGE

WAYFINDING

WALL GRAPHICS

INTERIOR DESIGN

SPACE PLANNING

INTERIOR ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN

FURNITURE, FINISHES AND EQUIPMENT SELECTION SPECIFICATIONS

CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS MOVE COORDINATION

CONSTRUCTION ADMINISTRATION

POST OCCUPANCY SERVICES

INTERIOR STANDARDS

BUILDING ENVELOPE ANALYSIS AND ASSESSMENT

MOISTURE INTRUSION INVESTIGATION

ENERGY ANALYSIS

CODE COMPLIANCE

REMEDIAL DESIGN

BIDDING

CONSTRUCTION ADMINISTRATION

QUALITY ASSURANCE INSPECTIONS/OBSERVATIONS

ROOF ASSET MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS

IDENTITY DESIGN

DIGITAL SOLUTIONS

BROCHURES

CONFERENCE GRAPHICS

BUILDING ENVELOPE SERVICES

Legat Architects is a trusted advisor in every sense.

We start by listening and being present to fully understand our clients’ perspectives and the challenges ahead in any new opportunity—before offering our thoughts. Our diverse, experienced, and energetic team always brings a high level of professionalism and expertise to each opportunity.

Our team is energized by new projects, no matter how complex. We apply the art of interaction—with both clients and communities—to craft designs that improve performance and impact lives. Whether we create a new regional icon or revive a 100-year-old building, we accept each opportunity wholeheartedly. And whether the client representative is a single person or an entire community, we jump at the chance to collaborate and develop solutions.

YEARS OF DESIGN EXCELLENCE

EMPLOYEES

LEED ACCREDITED PROFESSIONALS

CHICAGO, IL

GURNEE, IL

MOLINE, IL

OAK BROOK, IL

4 100%

WELL ACCREDITED PROFESSIONALS

COLUMBUS, OH IOWA CITY, IA

EMPLOYEE OWNED

Community

Our clients are our community, and people are our purpose. Every community is built on a unique history. At Legat, we share and shape those stories with purpose.

MIKE RYLKO COMMUNITY PARK AMPHITHEATER/SPRAY ’N’ PLAY BUFFALO GROVE PARK DISTRICT

A new permanent amphitheater and pavilion energize outdoor concerts at Mike Rylko Community Park. Multicolored lights in theater walls reinforce Buffalo Grove’s focus on diversity and inclusivity. A sloped green offers prime views for all concertgoers.

The project also expands and modernizes the Spray ’N’ Play facility on the same site. Additional work includes bath house renovations, container buildings for ticketing and concessions, and fabric structures for shade. Legat is an architectural consultant to Upland Design for this project.

COMMUNITY ARTS CENTER

BUFFALO GROVE PARK DISTRICT

Buffalo Grove Park District was stretched thin with space for its popular performing arts programs. It had to pay top dollar for renting space at local schools. Then the community’s largest Jewish congregation sold its synagogue to the park district.

A two-phase adaptive reuse project transforms the synagogue into an ADA-accessible theater with tiered seating, a lobby with an art gallery, a concessions area, and multipurpose rooms. The project includes a new entrance and site modifications. To meet a tight budget, the first phase of the retrofit reused many parts of the synagogue, including light fixtures, sprinklers, mechanical systems, and most of the ceiling. Phase two updates the theater again with a larger renovation. The project, which started with a master plan, received LEED V4 ID+C: Commercial Interiors certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

OFFICE RETROFIT

WAUKEGAN PARK DISTRICT

A program analysis and master plan offer a strategy for transforming a two-story bank facility into Waukegan Park District’s administrative offices. Though the design uses the existing office layout to reduce construction expenses, it captures the park district’s focus on activity and nature while welcoming the public.

The lower level provides a game/break area for employees. First floor renovations create a main board room and a lively public lobby. Revived upper level offices offer team seating areas and a more sophisticated lobby.

AQUATIC FACILITY PRIVATE SWIM CLUB

The swim club’s 60-year-old facility was outdated and too small for its member families. Parts of the deteriorated clubhouse fell short of code and ADA requirements, plus the pools had begun to leak.

A new, ADA- and code-compliant facility on the same site features a larger clubhouse, an eight-lane main pool, a children’s pool, and a sports court (tennis/pickleball/basketball). The main pool includes a waterslide and one- and three-meter diving boards. The smaller pool’s 25-yard length and shallow depth support safe swim lessons. Children can sit on the entry stairs and keep their bodies submerged as an instructor teaches.

FMC NATATORIUM

FMC AQUATIC OPPORTUNITIES

The FMC Natatorium not only provides an elite swimming venue, but it also serves as one of few Illinois facilities capable of hosting the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) State Finals. The 71,000-square-foot facility welcomes the entire spectrum of swimmers, from the infant getting a first swimming lesson to the U.S. Masters Swimming member with a lifetime of experience.

AQUATICS CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN

COLUMBUS RECREATION AND PARKS DEPARTMENT

Community engagement sessions and stakeholder charrettes fueled a capital improvement plan that readies Columbus Recreation and Parks Department’s (CRPD) facilities for the next 20 years. The initial six virtual community meetings covered 16 sites ranging from fountains and splash pads to outdoor pools and one indoor pool. The team also created a survey (translated into both Spanish and Somali) that more than 2,400 Columbus residents completed.

After one virtual meeting, a CRPD representative pointed out that there were many more people at the pools than at the meetings. Within a week, the Legat team was at the pools (and spray parks) getting input directly from the users. This input supported a charrette with CRPD.

The resulting final plan offers recommended work at all 16 facilities ranging from adding shade structures and seating to a potential $60 million new indoor pool facility.

AQUATIC & COMMUNITY CENTER CITY OF MAYFIELD HEIGHTS

The 30,700-square-foot Aquatic & Community Center provides residents of Mayfield Heights with a state-of-the-art facility, elevating recreational amenities in Cleveland’s eastern suburbs. This versatile center welcomes a wide range of users—from children in day camps and senior club members to fitness enthusiasts and bridal parties.

Inside, the facility offers a full gym, a dedicated senior fitness area, administrative offices, and meeting and banquet spaces. Aquatic amenities include waterslides, a zero-depth entry pool with a playground and splash pad, a warm therapy pool, a cooler lap pool with a diving well, and a lazy river. The outdoor space features a climbing wall and pavilions with shaded seating, adding to the center ’s appeal for all ages and interests.

Interior Experience The

Most experiences happen within the walls of your facility, and Legat’s Interior Design team partners with park districts to transform your identity and mission into inviting spaces that enhance wellness, recreation, and entertainment. Our designs are crafted to optimize operational flow, reduce maintenance costs, support future technologies, and attract loyal visitors. With expertise spanning community centers, recreation facilities, wellness spaces, and entertainment venues, our team is dedicated to creating environments that enrich community experiences and strengthen your district’s appeal.

SUSTAINABILITY & ENERGY

Our practice integrates sustainability, renewable energy, and deep energy efficiency into holistic, high-performance building design.

SUSTAINABILITY & ENERGY

RESILIENCE & ADAPTATION

HEALTH & WELLNESS

Sustainable principles guide every aspect of our practice. From enhancing energy efficiency to incorporating durable, longlasting materials and systems that focus on user well-being and comfort, our designs are aimed at creating economic, social, and environmental success.

We are captivated by the idea of a healthy and thriving future for all, and we are willing to work to make that future happen.

STEWARDS OF SUSTAINABILITY & ENERGY

NET-ZERO AGRICULTURE COMPLEX

The ZE Agricultural Complex at Heartland Community College is on track to become one of the first facilities of its kind to achieve net-zero energy certification (i.e., producing enough energy to offset annual energy usage). Sustainable features include a superinsulated building envelope, energy-efficient mechanical systems, a geothermal system, radiant heating and cooling floors, and rooftop photovoltaics. (Completion 2023)

CONSULTING

LEED feasibility studies

LEED project certification

WELL project certification

Building energy modeling

Carbon emissions inventory

Cost/benefit analysis

Green policies/standards

Grant funding research

Grant writing

Climate action plans

SUSTAINABILITY & ENERGY SERVICES

High-performance building design

Living-building design

Green roof design

Renewable energy integration

MIDWEST EPICENTER

A SUSTAINABLE MODEL FOR HOMELAND SECURITY

The LEED Silver registered College of DuPage Homeland Security Education Center, the first facility of its kind in the Midwest, features metal panels made of recycled soft drink cans.

LEED PROJECT CERTIFICATION

LEED for Homes

LEED for Schools

LEED-CS

(Core and Shell)

LEED-CI

(Commercial Interiors)

Green campus planning

Green community planning

“Smart Growth” development PLANNING

LEED-ND (Neighborhood development)

LEED-NC (New Construction)

LEED-EBOM

(Existing Buildings, Operations & Maintenance)

NATIONAL LEADER

LEED EB: O&M CERTIFICATION

Niles West High School is one of the first five schools to achieve LEED-EB: O&M (Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance) certification. Proposed energy use reduction strategies will save $220,000 in expenses annually.

ENERGY PERFORMANCE

LEED-NC GOLD CERTIFIED COMMUNITY COLLEGE MAINTENANCE FACILITY

The Facility Services Building at Joliet Junior College decreases energy use by 26 percent over a standard code-complaint building of similar size.

HIGHER EDUCATION PLANNER

LEED CERTIFIED GREENHOUSE

Joliet Junior College’s Greenhouse Facility is the first community college greenhouse to achieve LEED certification. Water-efficient technologies reduce water consumption by 40 percent over the design baseline.