Hazel M. Johnson Institute for Sustainability + Environmental Justice
Nurture is providing Historic Preservation and Sustainability consulting for the transformation of Building C (1944) in Altgeld Gardens into the Hazel M. Johnson Institute for Sustainability and Environmental Justice, an environmental justice hub led by People for Community Recovery (PCR). Founded in 1979 by Hazel Johnson, widely recognized as the mother of the environmental justice movement, PCR grew out of organizing in Altgeld Gardens, a community on Chicago’s far South Side historically surrounded by landfills, industrial facilities, and leaking storage tanks.
Johnson’s leadership helped connect environmental pollution with public health and economic inequities, catalyzing a national movement that continues to shape policy and organizing today. The new Institute honors this legacy by creating classrooms, labs, and workforce training spaces while turning the building itself into a tool for education, resilience, and advocacy.
Nurture’s approach integrates the material legacy of the original structure with ambitious sustainability strategies, demonstrating how preservation can serve as both a carbon reduction tactic and a catalyst for community health and environmental repair. By retaining the original brick façade and limestone detailing, the project preserves over 1,000 tons of embodied carbon while meeting contemporary energy codes through interior insulation, efficient all-electric systems, and passive ventilation strategies.
Guided by community voices and local insight, the restoration of Building C will celebrate Hazel M. Johnson’s legacy, bringing environmental justice to the heart of its renewal.
On-site renewable energy, rainwater harvesting, and native landscape design reduce reliance on municipal infrastructure and create visible learning moments throughout the site. Real-time data dashboards and interpretive signage will help demystify building systems, aligning with WELL and FitWel certification goals and reinforcing the Hazel M. Johnson Institute’s role as a living, breathing example of environmental justice – where both community and climate are centered.
