perity in this country, Van Bergen was growing and maturing rapidly as an architect.  He had many ideals and worked hard and successfully to maintain them.  He learned to listen to his clients; to guide them when necessary, but to keep in mind that they were the client and were paying him for a design.  He always retained his own ideals however.  This can be observed in the work itself.  All his buildings contain the "Van Bergen" signatures;  the thoughtfulness of planning, the aesthetics of good design, their "naturalness" and their serious yet casual demeanor.
It is interesting that the "Prairie School" is usually thought to have ended before World War I and yet Van Bergen's architecture in the 1920's is what really establishes Van Bergen as an important "Prairie School" architect.  It was when his style came into its own.  It is when he took what he learned from Griffin and Wright, and then Jensen - and all the other experiences of his past and synthesized them all into something of his own.  With so much work flowing into his office and so many good designs flowing out, what a time it must have been!
And then, in 1929, another disaster.  The stock market crashed, the country (and the world) fell into the great depression, and sud

he 1920's were again a busy time as dozens of clients eagerly paraded in and out of Van Bergen's studio.  In 1926, the Van Bergen's second daughter, Joan was born.  John and Ruth became involved in many organizations and clubs including Jens Jensen's "The Friends of Our Native Landscape".  Family life became more active as did the architectural studio.   With John designing and Ruth typing specifications, organizing files and doing book-keeping, there was more work than could be handled.  Soon Van Bergen again needed to hire draftsmen to keep up with the work demand. 
As before, most of his commissions were for residential work.  But soon, in 1928, came an opportunity to build a large structure, a school, with planned future additions in mind as the schools enrollment grew.  Van Bergen was ripe to create Braeside School and to be able carry out some of his ideals as to what a school for young children should like.  Braeside school is a masterpiece - not just in regards to the architectural statement that it makes, but more important to Van Bergen, because it was a cozy, warm and inspiring place that was carefully scaled for the children that would be inhabiting the building day after day.
Van Bergen was most proud of Braeside School and thought of it as one of his best lifetime accomplishments.  He patterned all the other public school work he later did, especially Chicago Junior School, after Braeside.  Though, in Ravinia and Lincoln Schools, he was restrained aesthetically by adding only additions and having to match existing buildings, Van Bergen's ideals in those additions comes through in their organization and planning.
In the 1920's, riding on the wave of pros