Eight architects are collaborating with Ms. Darley's and Ms. Greene's Whittier students this year, in partnership with art teacher Mr. Patterson. Together the architects and students are building 10 large architectural models of significant buildings around the world, which will be used as chess pieces in Mr. Patterson's classroom.

Students are learning about important architecture such as Frank Lloyd Wright's Guggenheim Museum, the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the new Trump Tower in Chicago. They are also learning first-hand how architects design and build, and how they create models of projects to be built. The model chess pieces will be added to those made last year by Whittier students in the Architecture Adventure program.

Click here or on the photo above to see pictures from Whittier by Oak Park photographer Peter Wagner.