04/24/2026
Episode 172 of the Detailed Podcast by ARCAT is out today!
Triple-pane Bird-Friendly Glass | Ryerson Woods Education Center
👥 Lake Flato Architects
In this episode, Cherise is joined by Matt Wallace, Partner, and John Taylor (or JT) Schaffhauser, Associate at Lake Flato Architects with offices in San Antonio and Austin, Texas, and Portland, Oregon. They discuss the Ryerson Woods Education Center in Deerfield, Illinois.
Situated at the threshold between woodland and water along the Des Plaines River, the Ryerson Woods Education Center serves as both refuge and instrument, a building that listens as much as it teaches. Set within the delicate ecology of the flatwoods, it does not impose itself on the landscape but acts as a quiet mediator, framing the rhythms of the forest while inviting visitors into a deeper understanding of its systems. That respect for nature extends to the exterior, where triple-pane bird-friendly glass, the first of its kind in the U.S. to be Phius certified, reflects the project’s broader commitment to ecological stewardship.