Cristo Rey St. Martin College Prep was honored with the Merit Award in the Renovation and Adaptive Reuse Under $10 Million category by the Chicago Building Congress. The project required the comprehensive transformation of an abandoned big box retail store into a contemporary educational facility serving over 400 students. The former building structure had no identity and no physical or emotional connection to the community. The project team’s challenge was to break down those barriers and develop an innovative design that would inspire the students, faculty, administration and community, while meeting the limited budget.