ALEC YUZHBABENKO
“The CHICAGO STUDIO creates a neutral platform for the discussion of architectural and urban strategies, and the curriculum is guided through the collaboration of Chicago’s leading visionaries in an effort to generate potential innovations for the City of Chicago. This powerful mechanism directly integrates education and practice by embedding A+D students within some of Chicago’s leading A+E firms. The program operates in a virtual campus where university facilities are recreated throughout the city in design firms and organizations made available from the program’s vast network of supporters. Its distinctive structure and curriculum promotes a collaborative design process encompassing multiple points of view within academia, the profession and the broader community.” - Andrew Balster, Director
CHICAGO STUDIO
VIRGINIA TECH SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE + DESIGN SPRING 2014
ALEC YUZHBABENKO
Skidmore Owings & Merrill
STUDIO
07 | RADICAL CONJECTURES 17 | CERMAK CORRIDOR RESEARCH 51 | URBAN PROPOSITION 71 | ACADEMIC INTERNSHIP
URBAN MAPPING 125 | CITY BUILDING
145 | FUTURE BUILDING
PRO PRACTICE 149 | PROFESSIONAL LECTURES
167 | PROFESSIONAL CONVERSATIONS 179 | CODES OF CONDUCT + ETHICS
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STUDIO
RADICAL CONJECTURES
The Spring 2014 CHICAGO STUDIO commenced with a series of short, rigorous and exploratory projects, called Radical Conjectures. A conjecture is an opinion or conclusion formed on the basis of incomplete information. The projects challenge existing conventions and assumptions without enforcing new ones. They seek to explore new possibilities and liberations. Most importantly, they enabled one’s own creation of the contextual reality.
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STUDIO
TABULA RASA CHINATOWN ISLAND
RADICAL CONJECTURES
Transplant Chinatown from it’s existing context and create Chinatown Island in Lake Michigan. The extent of Chinatown should be determined and selected based upon one’s reading of the area, research and intuition. What is Chinatown without boundary?
Located in the southern part of Chicago, an axis running east to west defines the site for this particular study. A further analysis reveals a mixture of regions, fragmented and defined by many neighborhoods, cultures, regions, zones, programs, infrastructures, and scales. A radical connection of the fragments.
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STUDIO
RADICAL CONJECTURES
“I’m not interested in living in a fantasy world. All my work is still meant to evoke real architectural spaces. But whatinterests me is what the world would be like if we were free of conventional limits. Maybe I can show what could happen if we lived by a different set of rules.” - Lebbeus Woods
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STUDIO
MEGABLOCK CERMAK CORRIDOR
RADICAL CONJECTURES
Reimagine the site (Cermak Corridor from Damen to McCormick Place) as a unified MegaBLOCK. The proposition must fit within the ratio of a cube (1x1x1) in an imaginary and isolated state.
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STUDIO
RADICAL CONJECTURES
In analyzing the Cermak axis (Cermak Road from Damen Avenue, to McCormick Place), I have become interested in superimposing sites within preexisting systems and dimensions as an alternate way to explore and discover adjacencies free of conventional limits.
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STUDIO
CARTOGRAPHIC ARCHITECTURE MAPPING
RADICAL CONJECTURES
Record the Cermak axis, from Pilsen to McCormick, using only ONE of the five senses: sight (ophthalmoception), hearing (audioception), taste (gustaoception), smell (olfacoception or olfacception), and touch (tactioception). How do the senses, or the limitation of senses, remap the perception of space and place?
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STUDIO
RADICAL CONJECTURES
We chose to do the analysis based off of sound. A way that we approached the study was through a blindfolded test. A coordinated effort was executed where one person was sketching the spatial quality that they perceived while they could not actually see their surroundings. The blindfolded person would narrate their perception, while another person sketched the space per the narration.
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STUDIO
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RADICAL CONJECTURES
STUDIO
RADICAL CONJECTURES
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STUDIO
CERMAK CORRIDOR RESEARCH
typical having the distinctive qualities of a particular type of person or thing: informal showing the characteristics expected of or popularly associated with a particular person, situation, or thing: representative, classic, quintessential, archetypal, model, prototypical, stereotypical; normal, average, ordinary, standard, regular, routine, run-of-the-mill, stock, orthodox, conventional, predictable, unsurprising, unremarkable, unexceptional early 17th century: from medieval Latin typicalis, via Latin from Greek tupikos, from tupos atypical not representative of a type, group, or class: unusual, untypical, non-typical, uncommon, unconventional, unorthodox, off-centre, anomalous, irregular, abnormal, aberrant, deviant, divergent; strange, odd, peculiar, curious, bizarre, weird, freakish, freak, eccentric, quirky, alien; exceptional, singular, rare, unique, isolated, unrepresentative, out of the way, out of the ordinary, extraordinary
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STUDIO
MOBILITY MAPPING PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
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CERMAK CORRIDOR RESEARCH
STUDIO
CERMAK CORRIDOR RESEARCH
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STUDIO
MOBILITY MAPPING VEHICLE ROUTES
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CERMAK CORRIDOR RESEARCH
STUDIO
CERMAK CORRIDOR RESEARCH
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STUDIO
MOBILITY MAPPING BIKE ROUTES
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CERMAK CORRIDOR RESEARCH
STUDIO
CERMAK CORRIDOR RESEARCH
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STUDIO
INFRASTRUCTURE MAPPING STORMWATER MANAGEMENT
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CERMAK CORRIDOR RESEARCH
STUDIO
CERMAK CORRIDOR RESEARCH
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STUDIO
INFRASTRUCTURE MAPPING DEEP TUNNEL SYSTEM
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CERMAK CORRIDOR RESEARCH
STUDIO
CERMAK CORRIDOR RESEARCH
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STUDIO
ZONING DISTRICTS
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CERMAK CORRIDOR RESEARCH
STUDIO
CERMAK CORRIDOR RESEARCH
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STUDIO
GANG TERRITORY MAPPING 2008
GANGSTER DISCIPLES MICKEY COBRAS ALMIGHTY BISHOPS ALMIGHTY AMBROSE GANGSTER PARTY PEOPLE ALLPORT LOVERS LA RAZA
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ALMIGHTY INSANE LATIN COUNTS
CERMAK CORRIDOR RESEARCH
STUDIO
CERMAK CORRIDOR RESEARCH
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STUDIO
GANG TERRITORY MAPPING 2012
GANGSTER DISCIPLES
SATAN DISCIPLES
MICKEY COBRAS
ALMIGHTY INSANE LATIN COUNTS
ALMIGHTY BISHOPS ALMIGHTY AMBROSE GANGSTER PARTY PEOPLE MORGAN BOYS LA RAZA
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CERMAK CORRIDOR RESEARCH
STUDIO
CERMAK CORRIDOR RESEARCH
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STUDIO
TRASH MAPPING
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CERMAK CORRIDOR RESEARCH
STUDIO
CERMAK CORRIDOR RESEARCH
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STUDIO
TRASH MAPPING
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CERMAK CORRIDOR RESEARCH
STUDIO
CERMAK CORRIDOR RESEARCH
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STUDIO
ATMOSPHERIC MAPPPING PERCEPTIONS
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CERMAK CORRIDOR RESEARCH
STUDIO
CERMAK CORRIDOR RESEARCH
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STUDIO
DENSITY
SAME NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN DIFFERENT TYPOLOGIES
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CERMAK CORRIDOR RESEARCH
STUDIO
CERMAK CORRIDOR RESEARCH
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STUDIO
DENSITY
SAME NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN DIFFERENT TYPOLOGIES
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CERMAK CORRIDOR RESEARCH
STUDIO
CERMAK CORRIDOR RESEARCH
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STUDIO
CONNECTIVITY
ARRIVAL + DEPARTURE
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CERMAK CORRIDOR RESEARCH
STUDIO
CERMAK CORRIDOR RESEARCH
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STUDIO
CONNECTIVITY
AREAS OF INFLUENCE
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CERMAK CORRIDOR RESEARCH
STUDIO
CERMAK CORRIDOR RESEARCH
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STUDIO
CONNECTIVITY
POTENTIAL HIGH-SPEED RAIL
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CERMAK CORRIDOR RESEARCH
STUDIO
CERMAK CORRIDOR RESEARCH
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STUDIO URBAN PROPOSITION
Machines for Living - Une maison est une machine-à-habiter “Draw upon the strange imagined half-lives of obsolescent and anachronistic things that are charged with the future. Set aside all familiar hierarchies, and recognize that dust, a discarded piece of paper or a scratch on the floor is as important as a window, cornice, column or door. We are in a situation in which everything counts—or at least in which we can discount nothing. Overlooked minor objects, apparently without use, and peripheral spaces of the city, apparently without residents, [demand] architectural intentions. Abandoned objects, locations, and spaces have a particular kind of architectural potential energy, a lack of precise definition that allows them to hover somewhere between promise and realization; however misleading it might actually be, then, dereliction implies a unique capacity for transformation—an ability to assume radically new spatial characteristics in the future—whilst simultaneously presenting what we could describe as fossils of an earlier world, one that has long since disappeared or ceased to operate.“ -Mark Dorrian
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STUDIO
URBAN PROPOSITION
URBAN ECOSYSTEM ECONOMIC SPARK
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AGO TRANSIT AUTHORITY RED LINE
) W O F RIVE R
(FLO T EE TR
METRA LIN E
In the past 20 years, high density housing projects in this area have been demolished and not replaced, causing a need for new buildings. Typical construction of mid and high rise structures relies on materials such as concrete and steel. The production of these materials has a high carbon footprint, so we have turned our focus to timber. Timber is a good alternative because trees have carbon embedded within them. With the advancement of technology, innovative methods of timber construction allow structures to reach new heights. Embracing the potential of this new technology, we propose creating a development on the prior Ickes Homes site that acts as an economic and social engine for jobs, education, and community. Using local sites as locations for trade schools specializing in carpentry and new timber technologies, we hope to engage the community in developing their own future constructed buildings. Revitalizing brownfields along the industrial corridor to become engines of growth allows us to take advantage of existing infrastructure connections. By educating residents about these technologies, we are able to give them the skills to develop and build their own community. This process gives owners a vested interest in their built community, and encourages a sense of ownership. On an individual level, the residential modules are designed to be manipulated on the interior to fit each resident’s needs. The rooms are transformable to provide maximum flexibility of program throughout daily life. This flexibility provides the user with a mass-customized space within a mass-produced and replicable module.
STUDIO
URBAN PROPOSITION
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STUDIO
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URBAN PROPOSITION
STUDIO
URBAN PROPOSITION
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STUDIO
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URBAN PROPOSITION
STUDIO
URBAN PROPOSITION
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STUDIO
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URBAN PROPOSITION
STUDIO
URBAN PROPOSITION
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STUDIO
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URBAN PROPOSITION
STUDIO
URBAN PROPOSITION
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STUDIO
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URBAN PROPOSITION
STUDIO
URBAN PROPOSITION
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STUDIO
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URBAN PROPOSITION
STUDIO
URBAN ECOSYSTEM INTERWOVEN CONNECTIONS
URBAN PROPOSITION
A network of connections created by interweaving spatial conditions to cultivate interaction and community.
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STUDIO
URBAN PROPOSITION LAMINATED TIMBER COLUMN
METAL BRACKET
RIGID INSULATION
CONCRETE TOPPING CROSS-LAMINATED TIMBER PANEL
CONCRETE RING BEAM
TYPICAL COLUMN A 1/2” = 1’
TYPICAL COLUMN B 1/2” = 1’
LAMINATED TIMBER COLUMN
GYPSUM METAL STUD w/BATT INSULATION
METAL PIN BRACKET
WOOD TRIM GRAVEL FILL POWDER-ACTUATED FASTENER
EXTERIOR COLUMN DETAIL 1/2” = 1’
TYPICAL PARTITION A 1/2” = 1’
WOOD PANEL
WOOD SHEATHING
RIGID INSULATION
TYPICAL PARTITION B 1/2” = 1’
TYPICAL EXTERIOR WALL 1/2” = 1’
WOOD HANDRAIL INSULATED GLAZING UNIT COPPER SCREEN ALUMINUM MULLION METAL CLIP
STEEL WIDE FLANGE WOOD SHEATHING COPPER SHEATHING WOOD PANEL
TYPICAL EXTERIOR GLAZING 1/2” = 1’
TYPICAL RAILING DETAIL 1/2” = 1’
WOOD HANDRAIL
WOOD DECKING
COPPER SHEATHING
METAL GRATE
STEEL WIDE FLANGE
DRAINAGE SUBLAYER
METAL CLIP SOIL GRAVEL FILL RIGID INSULATION
COPPER SHEATHING
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TYPICAL BALCONY DETAIL 1/2” = 1’
TYPICAL PARAPET DETAIL 1/2” = 1’
WEATHERPROOFING
STUDIO
URBAN PROPOSITION
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STUDIO
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URBAN PROPOSITION
STUDIO
URBAN PROPOSITION
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STUDIO
ACADEMIC INTERNSHIP
Academic Internship / Applied Research component is a structured, defined and monitored procedure. This aspect of CHICAGO STUDIO is intended for students to gain professional skills, practice professionally and gain confidence. No matter the task, team or project - it is reliability, effort, enthusiasm, dedication, passion and hard-work that are most important.
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STUDIO
FORDHAM CHICAGO, IL PROPOSAL
A site study and model of surrounding context built out of foam at 1:60 feet.
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ACADEMIC INTERNSHIP
STUDIO
ACADEMIC INTERNSHIP
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STUDIO
RESIDENTIAL TOWERS DUBAI
ACADEMIC INTERNSHIP
PROPOSAL
A site study and model of surrounding context built out of high-density foam at 1:2000 meters.
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STUDIO
ACADEMIC INTERNSHIP
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STUDIO
ACADEMIC INTERNSHIP
NEW NORTH ZEALAND HOSPITAL HILLERØD, DENMARK COMPETITION 2013-2014
This is the research I presented to the SOM Healthcare studio. It is a collection of three proposals that were shortlisted for a new hospital in Denmark. This research illustrates three teams’ approach to the design solution.
Located at the Overdrevsvejen road to the southwest of Hillerød in a new urban development area with good connections to the rest of the Capital Region in the form of roads, motorways and railways. A new train station for metropolitan and local trains will be built close to the hospital. Construction is expected to start in 2017 and the Hospital should be operational in late 2020 3.8 billion DKK (500 million €), including medical equipment 124,000 m2 (1,334,724 square foot), 662 beds and 24 medical departments The diagram illustrates the correlations between the vision for the hospital as expressed in the five guiding principles, the space management principles and the concepts described in the competition brief as a basis for the new hospital. GUIDING PRINCIPLES The hospital that offers the best treatment
SPACE MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLES 24/7/365, emergency department
20 CONCEPTS emergency department (FAM) wards and departments
maximization of shared facilities
outpatient clinic operations surgery and other invasive procedures
The effective and professional hospital
flexibility for the future
intensive care rehabilitation
flow and function zoning
diagnostic functions office and meeting facilities
majority of activities close to patients The safe hospital
research human resources
right of use rather than ownership
public spaces architecture and art
centrally organized interdisciplinary functions The welcoming hospital
facility management education and training technical infrastructure
standardisation
service and distribution medication and medicine distribution
digitalisation and automation The hospital that works across conventional boundaries
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food IT and point of care
simple, obvious and optimised
medical technology
STUDIO
ACADEMIC INTERNSHIP
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STUDIO
ACADEMIC INTERNSHIP
C.F. MOLLER + ALECTIA + RAMBOLL
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STUDIO
ACADEMIC INTERNSHIP
New North Zealand Hospital
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STUDIO
LANDMARK
ACADEMIC INTERNSHIP
Frederiksborg Castle - a landmark for how architecture and nature can merge together to provide a comfortable place to be patient and visitors as well as a super functional and sensuous place to work.
C. F. Moller +Alectia +Ramboll 80 | YUZHBABENKO
STUDIO
ACADEMIC INTERNSHIP
New North Zealand Hospital
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STUDIO
FORM
ACADEMIC INTERNSHIP
Hospital building are made small by dividing the building into two large arches that mark the entrances to the Hillerød in the north and to the new railway town in the southeast, and creates an overall main idea in the form of an organization of wards in a tortuous strict form.
C. F. Moller +Alectia +Ramboll 82 | YUZHBABENKO
STUDIO
ACADEMIC INTERNSHIP
New North Zealand Hospital
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STUDIO
HEALING ARCHITECTURE Hospital grows out of the landscape forest glade and mixes consistently with human nature both inside and out to create healing architecture with the patient at the center. Architecture expression is therefore based on an organic, soft and humanistic design.
C. F. Moller +Alectia +Ramboll 84 | YUZHBABENKO
ACADEMIC INTERNSHIP
STUDIO
ACADEMIC INTERNSHIP
New North Zealand Hospital
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STUDIO
EFFICIENCY
ACADEMIC INTERNSHIP
The hospital’s compact layout ensures maximum functionality for employees, efficient logistics and short working times. Focus on good flows for employees ensure more time for patients and their families. The build-up inside, with the main street and vertical connections up to bed buildings, is logical, clear and concise so that everyone can find their way around and feel safe and welcome.
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STUDIO
ACADEMIC INTERNSHIP
New North Zealand Hospital
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STUDIO
PUBLIC A public, raised path, inspired by New York’s green high line leads into the hospital or over and through the hospital complex.
C. F. Moller +Alectia +Ramboll 88 | YUZHBABENKO
ACADEMIC INTERNSHIP
STUDIO
ACADEMIC INTERNSHIP
New North Zealand Hospital
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STUDIO
PUBLIC The paths make the building open and available to all, for example, a citizen can follow the path up on the roof and enjoy the view, but in a way that prevents inteference with patient rooms.
C. F. Moller +Alectia +Ramboll 90 | YUZHBABENKO
ACADEMIC INTERNSHIP
STUDIO
ACADEMIC INTERNSHIP
New North Zealand Hospital
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STUDIO
ACADEMIC INTERNSHIP
“this proposal is the one which most clearly resolves the functional issues as these are desc
overarching hospital bed concept and distinctive flows. (.) even though this is a compact building co adds interest. the proposal includes efficient functional distribution and it is easy to find one’ -jury panel
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STUDIO
ACADEMIC INTERNSHIP
cribed in the visions of the competition programme and description of, for example, the omplex, the design includes an interesting undulating lobby area, which is well-designed and ’s way around the building. the internal structure seems generally very open and welcoming.
”
New North Zealand Hospital
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STUDIO
ACADEMIC INTERNSHIP
BIG + WHR + ARUP
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STUDIO
ACADEMIC INTERNSHIP
New North Zealand Hospital
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STUDIO
ORGANIZATION The design consists of eight playfully composed, interlocking rings, which encourage maximum interface between the wards and create spacious courtyards that imbue the hospital with a sense of community.
BIG + WHR + ARUP 96 | YUZHBABENKO
ACADEMIC INTERNSHIP
STUDIO
ACADEMIC INTERNSHIP
New North Zealand Hospital
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STUDIO
CONNECTION
ACADEMIC INTERNSHIP
The flat green roof responds to the natural topography, and the rings vary in height to create access to green surfaces. As a result, each patient room has a relationship either to an internal landscaped courtyard or to the surrounding woodland and greenery.
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STUDIO
ACADEMIC INTERNSHIP
New North Zealand Hospital
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STUDIO
PRESERVATION One of the guiding principles has been to further build on the area’s historic landscape features and to create a smooth transition between inside and outside.
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ACADEMIC INTERNSHIP
STUDIO
ACADEMIC INTERNSHIP
New North Zealand Hospital
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STUDIO
HEALING ARCHITECTURE Studies show that daylight and views to green areas and plants has a healing effect on bed lying patients.
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ACADEMIC INTERNSHIP
STUDIO
ACADEMIC INTERNSHIP
New North Zealand Hospital
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STUDIO
HEALING ARCHITECTURE The façade is designed with integrated planters to bring nature right to the patient’s bedroom window. The landscape is in this way always present.
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ACADEMIC INTERNSHIP
STUDIO
ACADEMIC INTERNSHIP
New North Zealand Hospital
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STUDIO
CIRCULATION Instead of creating linear circulation corridors, the hospital is built up around a central node which allows access to all the departments.
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ACADEMIC INTERNSHIP
STUDIO
ACADEMIC INTERNSHIP
New North Zealand Hospital
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STUDIO
ACADEMIC INTERNSHIP
“..the patio campus, combining the positive from a park building with an effective healing h
provides an easy floating architecture that is reminiscent of a resort. This is a very nice playful b that this grid as the settlement consists of being a spider’s web, which can seem overwhelming w
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STUDIO
ACADEMIC INTERNSHIP
hospital machine. result is a playful braid - a cobweb - that is drawn around a center. It building, but has spread out too much. It could be made more compact. The downside is
” -jury panel
when you move into it.
New North Zealand Hospital
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STUDIO
ACADEMIC INTERNSHIP
HERZOG & DE MEURON + VILHELM LAURITZEN ARKITEKTER
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STUDIO
ACADEMIC INTERNSHIP
New North Zealand Hospital
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STUDIO
ORGANIZATION The plan is the marriage of two seemingly contradictory goals: the desire for a large central garden and the necessity for short internal connections. The result is an organic cross shape that permits the interior garden to become a flowing space.
Herzog & de Meuron + Vilhelm Lauritzen Arkitekter 112 | YUZHBABENKO
ACADEMIC INTERNSHIP
STUDIO
ACADEMIC INTERNSHIP
New North Zealand Hospital
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STUDIO
PAVILION IN THE WOODS
ACADEMIC INTERNSHIP
The horizontality of the building and its undulating form responds to the location of the hospital in the midst of the wide Danish landscape. A horizontal building is an appropriate building typology for a hospital, because this fosters exchange: across the various departments, the employees work on a shared goal: the healing of the ailing human being.
Two floors for examination and treatment form a pedestal upon which a two-story ribbon of wards is placed along the perimeter, forming the large central garden.
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STUDIO
ACADEMIC INTERNSHIP
New North Zealand Hospital
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STUDIO
CIRCULATION Paths criss-cross the interior courtyard to provide fast internal connections between opposite sides of the building.
Herzog & de Meuron + Vilhelm Lauritzen Arkitekter 116 | YUZHBABENKO
ACADEMIC INTERNSHIP
STUDIO
ACADEMIC INTERNSHIP
New North Zealand Hospital
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STUDIO
FLEXIBILITY
ACADEMIC INTERNSHIP
The wards express privacy and small scale. They are made of lightweight prefabricated modules: two by two patient rooms respectively create a small rectangular house of metal or wood. The bathrooms are located in between, set back. They are polygonal and give the ribbon its undulating shape.
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STUDIO
ACADEMIC INTERNSHIP
New North Zealand Hospital
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STUDIO
“HEALTHLAND�
ACADEMIC INTERNSHIP
Courtyards provide daylight and vistas, and ease of orientation. The landscaping concept consists of two typical Danish landscape typologies. A forest park with clearings for parking lots surrounds the building, while the central gardens inhibit views into the pedestal and create the path network of the garden.
Herzog & de Meuron + Vilhelm Lauritzen Arkitekter 120 | YUZHBABENKO
STUDIO
ACADEMIC INTERNSHIP
New North Zealand Hospital
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STUDIO
ACADEMIC INTERNSHIP
“
Hospital Director Bente Ourø Rørth says, Herzog & de Meuron have created a patient’s hospit fundamental fusion of form and function.
”
“When you enter through the glass doors you will get an intuitive sense of calm and harmony Holmgaard.
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STUDIO
ACADEMIC INTERNSHIP
tal - a beautiful, healing and functional building, the huge strength is the highly successful and very
y. For something homely, I can easily imagine a life in this hospital,� said senior head nurse Britt
New North Zealand Hospital
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URBAN MAPPING CITY BUILDING
The 21st Century will be the century of cities driving the modernization of emerging nations. City Building: Nine Planning Principles for the Twenty-First Century (Princeton Architectural Press; 2010) seizes this moment of urban transformation to propose a principle-driven prescription for sustainable urbanism. This highly readable, accessible and elegantly illustrated volume offers a collection of urban design best practices, arguing for both the universality and value of sustainable urbanism. With the goal of “creating cities that become mega-tools enabling millions of people to live in harmony with their environment,� the publication aims to capture the zeitgeist of millennial urbanity. Good city building is not created by complex statistics, functional problem solving, or any particular decision-making process. Successful cities instead come from people advocating easily understood human values and principles that take into account the sensory, tactile, and sustainable qualities of environment and design in relation to what is the best of human endeavor.
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URBAN MAPPING
CITY BUILDING
PRINCIPLE #1: SUSTAINABILITY HEATHER ROSEN + MARU PADILLA
The first principle of the book City Building: Nine Planning Principles for the 21st Century is sustainability. It is chosen to head the list because it is an overarching principle which impacts all the others. It is crucial for urban planners to consider the sustainability of a project throughout the entire design process. The principle of sustainability does not only refer to environmental factors, but includes social and economic issues. Sustainability is a holistic design approach. Sustainable urban planning can be broken down into two main efforts: conservation of the natural environment and smart city building. The natural environment needs to be carefully considered whenever designing a city. It is important to calculate the environmental carrying capacity of the land, manage the land use in an area, maintain clean air and water, conserve open natural space, and use local resources. The built environment must also be constructed in a smart way. Strategic plans include using energy efficient systems, making dense developments, implementing efficient infrastructure, and utilizing local building materials. Designing and building dense cities is a critical step towards achieving sustainability. Dense developments allow for maximum conservation of natural landscape and results in more livable spaces. In order to realize this condition, there needs to be cooperation and collaboration between regional and local governments. These groups working together can implement zoning and land use policies, inter-city transit infrastructure, economic sufficiency plans, and building code standards. Combining these elements will result in the planning of economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable cities.
BUILDING A CITY
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Planned vs. Unplanned
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PRINCIPLE #2: ACCESSIBILITY
CITY BUILDING
KELSEY DRESSING + ANDREW ECONOMOU
Accessibility is about facilitating ease of movement and maximizing circulation. In order to design a more accessible city, one of the most important aspects to consider is the concentration of density within an efficient transit network. Compact developments can aid in reducing travel time, discouraging automobile use and encouraging walkability. By connecting concentrated pedestrian-friendly destinations with mass transit systems, the use of cars is reduced. In order to better serve the pedestrian, breaking down large areas into small blocks and streets can provide safer and easier crossings, while also giving the road system redundancy. If a breakdown occurs, parallel routes can provide traffic alternatives. When designing transit systems, having the ability to handle multiple modes of transport is beneficial. Transportation, circulation and access corridors should be considered when designing a city. Setting aside areas as land reserves for future transportation use can prevent possible demolition of buildings. Transit corridors should be located at the boundaries of districts without blocking important views to create more walkable areas. By reducing the size and radius of turns, traffic is forced to slow down, which makes the area safer for pedestrians. Another way to increase pedestrian comfort is to consider the street types and design treatments. Wider sidewalks, designated mass transit, automobile, and bike lines, and landscape treatments can all work together to create a more pedestrian-friendly area. In conclusion, considering the needs of pedestrians and transit requirements in design can lead to a more accessible city.
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Small Blocks & Streets
SMALL BLOCKS AND STREETS
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PRINCIPLE #3: DIVERSITY
CITY BUILDING
AARON WILLIAMS + ANNA KNOWLES-BAGWELL
Diversification of a place occurs within two main categories; the built environment and the residents. The built environment can be varied through the conservation of natural landscapes or significant historic buildings, allowing for the character of a place to develop over time and authentically reflect its history. When developing new structures, design variation is important because it helps to increase visual variety. This can be accomplished by breaking larger parcels of land into smaller parcels and allowing different design approaches to take place. Design variation may be influenced by zoning laws, which over time vary building stock, or by simply allowing multiple design languages to be implemented. These strategies combine to create an urban landscape which is visually dynamic and representative of the people who inhabit it. However, simply creating an interesting and diverse building stock is not enough to keep people living and thriving in an area. Mixed use can be used as the umbrella strategy for diversifying the cultural elements which draw people to a place, allowing them to find their niche and stay there. In this case, mixed use means more than just variation in the amenities and program of a development. Instead, it incorporates a larger scale of thinking, including accessible transit and practical proximity between amenities. This concept of immediacy reduces the amount of sprawl, creating communities which are overall more viable for residents. It is also important to retain multiple levels of affordability within a mixed use development, thus maintaining economic diversity and combatting social stratification. When all of these elements are brought together, in combination with other proven urban strategies, the result is a place which is rich in character as well as visual and intellectual interest.
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PRINCIPLE #4: OPEN SPACE BRYCE BECKWITH + ADRIENNE MILNER
The presence of open space within an urban environment is imperative for reasons pertaining to human health, natural habitats, and the quality of living environment. Open space should take into account the preexisting habitat and natural systems. When designing large open spaces surrounding wildlife, migration corridors should be preserved. The ground plane needs to remain porous to accommodate watersheds that often exist surrounding flood plains, rivers, and drainage corridors. The isolation of park spaces should distance habitat from human contact, creating various spaces of sensitivity to natural habitats. Recreation and urban landscape is an important type of open space for the health and quality of life within dense living conditions. Open space intended for recreational use and human activities should be programmed accordingly. The urban landscape should contain green spaces for environmental purposes that improve the quality of life such as cooling air, filtering polluted runoff, and absorbing carbon dioxide. Various scales of open spaces should be distributed within an urban fabric in accordance to easy accessibility. Lastly, open space is a crucial element of any built environment for the visual and spatial relief that it offers. Conserving man-made and natural landscape such as hills, rivers, parks, and skylight strengthens contextual characteristics. Views should be preserved, providing visual relief from the built environment, and highlighting landscaped contextual characteristics. Physical connection to these preserved views are important as it creates a release from cities and prevents the applicability of the island effect on the built environment.
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QUNLI PARK, CHINA
NEW YORK, NEW YORK
PHOENIX, ARIZONA
TOP: Large open spaces for habitat and natrual systems such as water runoff and watersheds. MIDDLE: Different scales of open park spaces for recreation in proximity to living areas. BOTTOM: Dense living conditions surround open space creating islands that isolate wildlife. YUZHBABENKO | 133
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PRINCIPLE #5: COMPATIBILITY
CITY BUILDING
ISAAC CURREY + LINDSEY CURREY
“In deciding whether buildings are to stand out or fit in, the principle [of compatibility] suggests that elements of similarity are just as important in establishing a recognizable, identifiable sense of place as elements of singularity.” Throughout the process of design, context should constantly influence a project. This means checking the proposal against current conditions, and looking at it as a part of the whole of the city. Designers should reference not only the surrounding urban landscape of today, but also the city’s historical context. In addition, designers should try to account for future conditions, even postulate as to what changes their project might spark in the urban fabric. At the resolution of individual buildings, scale is a major factor in establishing compatibility. Parcel size, as well as height and setbacks can be regulated to form an urban consensus. However, allowances should be made for some variation, interest and relief. If desired, a height difference of up to two times can create a landmark building, but anything much above that will seem out of place and “freakish.” Likewise, over large parcel sizes break the continuity of the city. “A building should be respectful of its surroundings and of its time.” Beyond scale, designers are confronted with the temporal matter of style. In many ways, the built environment is a visual timeline of history. Every architect or planner of a new project has to ask themselves how much they want to reference and reflect the context, “respect [the] surroundings,” and how much do they want to deviate, in order to be “of [the] time?” How should the character of the building sit in this timeline? These questions are answered primarily through decisions of material and detailing, color and historical preservation. Compatibility is about the broader sense of place; about both similarity and difference. Seeking to respect the existing character and qualities of a site, compatibility in design makes way for the values of today and the possibilities of the future.
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PRINCIPLE #6: INCENTIVES PATRICK MCMINN + JOHN STURNIOLO
Incentives for expanding or building a city generally focus on areas that have underused land, infrastructure or buildings, such as spaces that are in economic decline or brownfields. This development is commonly carried out by governmental or private organizations to facilitate further investment. The most common incentives are: tax reductions; subsidies for land costs; site assembly and preparation; new infrastructure for transportation and utilizes; health care, education, and public safety services; open space and landscape beautification; and additional density allowances. A growing, livable city is an attraction for talented individuals who in turn will accelerate the success and expansion of the city life and attractive spaces. This develop process is found, planned, and defined through master planning and infrastructure improvement. The master plan provides a strategic approach for attracting new investments, city growth and development, and a defined focus for the future of the city. The master plan is designed around development quality, beautification, and value enhancement. Development Quality focuses on circulation, open spaces, and phases of building construction as a framework for potential investors. Landscape Beautification of streets, parks, and waterfronts are one of the main methods of attracting investments to a particular area. Value Enhancement consolidates existing land parcels and adds additional density to the plot which in turn adds further value to the property. The second direction for city development is through infrastructure improvements, which are done through access improvements and the creation of public facilities. By improving the infrastructure of a space to facilitate the ease of access into those areas, transit oriented development follows these constructs; malls, restaurants, hotels, and other like facilities being commonly found near a major access point such as a subway station. This can be accomplished through transit and street redesign, new bicycle paths, pedestrian walkways, parking, and other access improvements. The creation of public facilities such as airports, convention center, ballparks, museums, performance halls, cultural and educational facilities all create new jobs and draw in visitors and economic revenue. These facilities can also add value and revenue to one another, such as a new convention center attracting new hotels which attracts new restaurants and entertainment venues. SOCIAL CENTER
MAIN TRANSIT AXIS
RESIDENTIAL
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UNUSED DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS TRANSFERRED
HISTORIC BUILDING PRESERVED
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PRINCIPLE #7: ADAPTABILITY
CITY BUILDING
RACHEL MONTAGUE + GREGORY DALFONZO
Adaptability, as framed by Kriken, is focused on the goal of creating cities that are flexible over time. More flexibility enables designers to conserve resources and history as a city ages. Designers are expected to take into account the needs of a progressive urban landscape, while maintaining the vibrancy of the built environment. The main points of adaptability are centralized expansion, smaller modules, conservation of open space, and viability of communities. All of these topics overlap in their effects and intentions, developing a balance between adaptation and innovation. Centralized expansion supports an efficient and understandable cityscape. By maintaining focal zones of established areas, both the sense of incompleteness and debris from new construction are separated from daily life. The finished center serves as an orientation device for visitors. Planning with smaller parcels of land encourages the most efficient use of valuable space that centers on the pedestrian. Parcels can be combined to create distinct programmatic groupings that can later be reallocated as uses change. A high degree of walkability, supported by maintaining accessible walkways through larger buildings, connects these disparate elements of the city and supports collaboration. Open space is a precious commodity in the city. For urban dwellers to receive a share of wind, sun, view, and green spaces, cities must prioritize the maintenance and development of flexible open spaces. The economics of the city are such that the supporting elements of daily life must be integrated into every community. Shops, gyms, residences, and businesses can be developed in a mutually supportive way. The viability of communities also relies on simple spatial decisions. Engaging the street and pedestrians results in a more comprehensive use of buildings, which can support a change in program later in time. Most of the moves that support adaptability are common sense, but they are also often overlooked, as designers seek to develop their personal ideas. While the expression of concept is important in the success of a design, the awareness of and engagement with more general issues is just as crucial. Adaptability will make any design much more valuable, especially as cities become more crowded and adaptive reuse becomes mandatory.
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General Practice
Optimal Practice
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PRINCIPLE #8: DENSITY ALEC YUZHBABENKO + ETHAN BINGEMAN
Density is defined by the number of people living or working on a given unit of land. It varies based on many factors, but culture is the most influential. Developing countries tend to have a density of about 100 square feet per family while more developed countries have about 1,000 square feet for every 2 people. Another determinant of density is the terrain in the location of a place. Mountains, rivers, oceans and other natural boundaries impose limits and dictate the urban fabric. When dealing with city design, there are three elements to consider in an effort to achieve a livable city: +Integrating transit with shopping, business, and entertainment with residential areas to support efficient transit and encourage walking. +A suggested density of 300 dwellings per acre to maximize views, sunlight, and adequate open space. +Establishing amenities (recreational, cultural, and supportive services) to activate the street at all times. Implementing these elements, higher density, mixed-use corridors connect areas by means of public transportation. Strengthening neighborhoods provide a base for the density to form. Protecting landmarks, parks, and industrial areas, which are essential to a city and neighborhood character, bring economic benefit for the density to thrive. Lastly, expanding open spaces begins to make the higher density more enjoyable for residents. Sprawling development destroys irreplaceable land, wastes energy and infrastructure, and causes millions of hours lost in commutes. Through transit oriented development, careful planning, and providing adequate amenities, these densities are sustainable, livable, and achievable.
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Establish Grid
Green Space
City Fabric
Infrastructure
Sensible Growth
Brownfield Sites
FINANCIAL DISTRICT
FINANCIAL DISTRICT
RESIDENTIAL
Financial Districts
Establish Neighborhoods
Residential Districts
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PRINCIPLE #9: IDENTITY
CITY BUILDING
ERIN YOUNG + CATHERINE IVES
Identity is creating and preserving a unique and memorable sense of place. The primary sources through which cities achieve identity are natural features, climate, culture, and design. Because each one of these elements can vary, it gives uniqueness to cities because of the infinite combinations. The greatest challenge for modern city builders is designing fast-growing, yet livable cities. Such fast development can hinder builders from recognizing and utilizing attributes of a specific city, causing these elements to not have time to develop into rich and deep ideas. On the other hand, generic components of a city can stitch together the urban fabric in an otherwise dense area with too many variables. The generic then becomes the background for specific landmarks and cultures to develop a sense of place. A good city must involve the public interest to protect and enhance the city’s uniqueness over the private interest that threaten it. However, the development of identity can be inhibited by conflicting interests, such as too many monumental icons that don’t respect their existing context. Establishing identity within a city is difficult and can be faced with many challenges. Many of the issues are common among cities, such as environmental sameness, repetition of elements, places that are hard to comprehend, a sense of being lost, and a lack of natural features. By utilizing existing conditions and recognizing a city’s potential, it is possible to create a sense of identity.
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Issues: environmental sameness, repetition of elements, places that are hard to comprehend /sense of being lost, and lack of natural features
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Cities are often viewed as the least-healthy environments for humans because they are centers of pollution, overcrowdedness, and waste. But the opposite can be true. A well-planned city can be a model of sustainable living. Good city building counters the sprawl of suburbia with concentrated land use, replaces globalized design with regionally appropriate building types, and allows for livable, desirable neighborhoods. This proactive, green-focused, user-friendly guide to city building is organized into three parts: Part one examines the past and defines the current practice of city building, addressing its shortcomings and proposing a comprehensive framework for rethinking the approach to cities in the future. Part two translates this framework into nine best-practice principles that are common to successful, livable, urban environments: sustainability, accessibility, diversity, open space, compatibility, incentives, adaptability, density, and identity. John Lund Kriken and Philip Enquist, both longtime partners in the preeminent and award-winning planning firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) have collaborated with writer Richard Rapaport to create City Building.
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FUTURE OF CERMAK
FUTURE BUILDING
POTENTIAL PLAN
The vacant plot of land that remains after the Ickes Homes were demolished has a high potential for development. With the Loop expanding, more and more housing is in demand. The Red Line on the west and a new Green Line stop to the east straddles the site yielding connectivity to downtown. The entire lot is planned out as an urban fabric in terms of building height. A tower is placed on the corner of the site to preserve views for other buildings and to promote density. A high-rise compliments the Hilliard Homes across the street and connects itself to the nearby tall buildings of McCormick Place. The middle of the site acts as a spine of open public space, a storm water drainage basin, and a way to funnel in the summer breezes from the northeast. The south of the site that backs up to the highway would be lined with tall trees and vegetation to block noise and cold winter winds out of the southwest. The orientation of the buildings favors the south to take advantage of day lighting while the terraced spacing between each building decreases shading on neighboring facades.
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PRO PRACTICE PROFESSIONAL LECTURES
These talks hope to provide students with an advanced understanding of the framework of the profession. The professionals give advice with applicable working knowledge of the practice of architecture. The lecture responses help to understand the complexity of the profession through critical thought and writing.
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Randy Guillot, AIA, LEED CANNONDESIGN, PRINCIPAL
“As one of CannonDesign’s principal designers, Randy Guillot is changing the face of today’s healthcare architecture by creating buildings that are filled with daylight, connected to nature, and designed to promote health and well-being. His work helps redefine clinical, scientific, and corporate environments through careful consideration of client objectives and the transformative potential of design. Through his projects and the communities they affect, Guillot leverages the potential of design, in projects ranging from hospitals to research facilities and corporate headquarters. His award-winning work spans four continents and has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Modern Healthcare, Architectural Record, and Contract.” - www.cannondesign.com
In his lecture, Randy establishes ten major topics of advice for an aspiring young architect. These are the guidelines that have been fundamental in the success of his career. Guillot says that each of these “rules” can be tailored appropriately to any specific situation that one might encounter. Each rule and my interpretation of it follow: BUILD MEANINGFUL RELATIONSHIPS THROUGH HARD WORK For me, this means to be genuine with the people you are trying to connect with. Show your drive and determination for what you do. The people in charge will notice when you go above and beyond the task at hand even though one might not receive immediate recognition. Keep building reliance. Become the “go-to” person in all variety of areas. ATTACH YOURSELF TO TALENTED PEOPLE One person can be very talented in something, but they cannot be talented in everything. Be able to form relationships with a variety of individuals who excel in areas where you are weak. Push your ego aside and accept input from others. Utilize the collective brain. COMMUNICATION IS EVERYTHING People are not telepathic. They cannot read your desires. Express yourself even if it is negative. Don’t bottle anything up because it will make it even worse in the long run. Communicate your interests to better your career path. LISTEN “Listen and ignore.” Listen to what you are told because that is what is expected of you. At the same time, selectively hear the bigger picture so that you can take the task to the next level. Take initiative. Do and out-do, but do not forget your role and your contribution to the whole. HAVE BROAD INFLUENCES AND MENTORS Mentors and inspiration should span a wide spectrum of areas and information. As architects, there are so many fields that influence our thinking. Even though somebody might not be in the same profession, their experience will help you look at your own work though yet another lens. DONT EXPECT THE OUTCOME Don’t start out on a concept with a preconceived idea. The idea will be very flat without much substance to back
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up it up. Let the analysis and the prompt tell you what is given, but let the process turn the given into something original. Don’t problem solve, but experiment. PROMOTE YOUR STRENGTHS No need to flaunt or sell yourself, but do show what makes you special above the rest. Allow your work to show off your strengths in a modest way. Be able to have a well-rounded purse of work samples so that you are able to apply them to any given circumstance. Do not feel like you need to hide everything in your sketchbook. Those who need to see it will not see things in your sketchbook. Use social media to your advantage and reach a lot more people. BE GENEROUS AND COURAGEOUS Be willing to give up some time and devote it to something that you might not feel will benefit you. “Pro bono” seems like not a very effective way to run a business, but you give and you gain. Go the extra mile even if you are not being rewarded for it right away. Don’t hesitate to do things out of the goodness of your heart because you never know who will do the same for you. THERE IS ALWAYS MORE THAN ONE ANSWER Even if you feel like you have come up with a resolution to a proposal, always know that there are plenty other ways to approach the problem. Don’t let your ego get in the way. Some clients might change their mind and some will simply not approve of your idea. Be flexible and be willing to work with the client to come to another resolution. For every great idea, there are 10 other just as good ones waiting to be revealed. WHY DO I CARE? What makes you so special? How are you any different from the rest? What do you have to bring to the table?
www.cannondesign.com
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Peter G. Ellis, FAIA
CANNONDESIGN, SENIOR PRINCIPAL
“Peter Ellis leads CannonDesign’s urban and city design practice and is dedicated to both the design and implementation of new cities and the strengthening of major urban cores across the globe. With more than four decades of experience in architecture and urban planning, Ellis had directed major projects in Dubai, China, Germany, the United States and is currently leading the design of Sports City, a new city for one million inhabitants on 5,000 acres 30 miles south of New Delhi, India. The project requires the design of residential and commercial districts and is currently in the first phase of implementation. Ellis also has strong experience managing major architectural design projects including corporate headquarters, residential complexes and hospitals.” - www.cannondesign.com
Ellis is a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects (FAIA) and a member of the Royal Institute of Architects (RIBA). He is a member of the Dean’s Council of the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago. Peter Ellis talks about his experience in the city design group at CannonDesign. His experience of designing a new city in India allowed him to learn about all the “moving parts” of the city. Having a blank canvas, allowed Ellis to do things all at once and have all the systems relate to one another. India is a place with a very hot climate and very different cultural ideals. The country has defined lines of developed and developing growth. India’s density is equivalent to America’s population in the territory of Kansas. The way that Ellis began to structure this new city in India is with the open space as the primary structure of the city. The green corridor weaves through the landscape to provide public spaces and watering holes. It also serves as the primary storm water system that captures the monsoon rains and drives them down to the aquifers. This integration is very important because it provides the city with essential drinking water. It is also more efficient than underground sewer networks. The street system takes in consideration the public sector. The streets become more narrow and closer spaced apart. Building facades are oriented in preference to the sun and wind. Utilities are decentralized and placed in neighborhoods. By designing a city from scratch, it sparked an interest for Ellis to consider how American cities that were built in the 1900’s could be restructured. By restructuring already built cities, it would lead to green infrastructure plans. This would return the cities back to nature. Nature is always trying to take back the landscape, so instead of fighting that, why not let it do what it is best at and create an urban sponge. Nature is the new city infrastructure. The city needs to work in unison as one big entity. Each cycle is interdependent. Rainfall is captured on roofs or parks and then funneled down to the aquifer. Then the water treatment plant in each neighborhood treats the water and sends it back out to the city. Through purification of the water, methane gas is created which powers power plants. The heat produced out of power plant could be used to chill the water for air conditioning. This process loops back on itself. Nationwide, water utilities are confronting a new set of complex environmental, demographic and financial challenges while also trying to meet customer expectations for a safe and affordable water supply; the collection and treatment of wastewater and stormwater; flood protection; and clean, attractive, fishable, swimmable rivers and streams. There are also new challenges posed by aging infrastructure and the impacts of climate change 152 | YUZHBABENKO
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on human health and our ecosystems. Meeting these challenges requires either a significant new investment in “grey� infrastructure (underground storage tanks and pipes) or a paradigm shift in our approach to urban water resources. Over the past decade, new strategies have been implemented to promote the economic and social growth of a city and meet environmental, ecological and business missions. Green infrastructure systems that assist or mimic natural processes will be the future of cities.
www.cannondesign.com
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Geoffrey Walters, AIA, LEED CANNONDESIGN, PRINCIPAL
“As part of CannonDesign’s technical quality program, Geoffrey Walters’ leadership drives the firm’s ongoing initiative to align the design and technical aspects of all projects, promoting full collaboration across all disciplines. He has more than three decades of experience in crafting successful solutions, spanning the government, education, healthcare and corporate and civic markets. His work includes such notable efforts as the Wauconda Area Public Library project, honored with an AIA Chicago Distinguished Building Award and AWI Wood Design Award, as well as one of the first buildings in the country designed to incorporate principles of “Community Policing,” the City of Elgin Law Enforcement Facility. His contribution to Designing with Structural Steel: A Guide for Architects, published by the American Institute of Steel Construction, reflected his unique architectural perspective.” - www.cannondesign.com Geoffrey Walters talks to the broad definition of the role of technical architecture. This is one “leg” of the “3-legged stool” metaphor that also includes design and business. Each one checks and balances the other out. PROCESS It is important to get a deep engagement with the client that determines all their needs. An early dialogue helps pinpoint the interests and expectations like program needs, durability, acoustics and performance. Getting this feedback helps CannonDesign have an open and involved interaction between architects, consultants, and the client/owner. During this process, collaborative work makes the work more efficient. No single person can know everything and be able to solve the issue without others’ expertise and opinions. It is never too early to think about things like code, easement and circulation. PERFORMANCE People never thought about energy efficiencies and performance in the past. Over the decades, an interest sparked in sustainability because of cost and global environmental issues. Due to buildings being responsible for almost half (48%) of all fossil fuel energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, focus on transforming the Building Sector from a leading contributor to climate change into a central part of the solution to this crisis. The 2030 Challenge, calling for all new buildings and major renovations to reduce their fossil-fuel GHG-emitting consumption by 50% by 2010, incrementally increasing the reduction for new buildings to carbon neutral by 2030. The 2030 Challenge has been widely adopted throughout the building industry, and incorporated into city, state and federal legislation. On December 19th, 2007, Congress passed, and the President signed, the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, requiring that all new and renovated federal buildings meet the 2030 Challenge targets. A big focus has turned to energy modeling. Design decisions like orientation, massing, openings, transparencies, etc. all dictate the performance of buildings. Complex problem solving in the early stages of this process allows for more energy efficient buildings as the outcome. DETAILING Detailing has a lot to do with how the building performs. The envelope system (vapor, moisture, and weather 154 | YUZHBABENKO
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barrier) is a major factor. Building systems and structure systems all have to do with this as well. This consideration is important from the bigger picture all the way down to the way a window connects to a wall. DOCUMENTATION Building Information Modeling (BIM) software like Revit is the construction of a 3D model in a virtual environment. Revit is the documentation of the building itself. It is important to clearly show this set of documents so that the contractor can interpret them. The narrative of explaining the building is a design issue. The architect needs to be thoughtful of this delivery to avoid confusion and abundance of RFI’s. DELIVERY Every project is unique in ways of how all this documentation is presented. Most projects used to follow the Design, Bid, Build process. Now, there is a hybrid system emerging that varies from one project to the other. When dealing with larger scope projects, bid packages are comprised that phase out the construction. This makes the process a bit more complicated with coordination because the building is already being built as the architect is still designing it. Each process has its own advantage and disadvantage. Sustainability shouldn’t be the design, but it should be the outcome. Architects are not designing sports cars where the form reflects the performance. Efficiencies should be integrated at a very early stage of the design process. Design is a web of decisions that not only carries the needs of the client, but also its responsibility to people and the environment. This complicated process requires the architect to be a jack of all trades with the consultants as the masters of each one. Continued education and research is the most important aspect of the architecture profession. It is the designer’s duty to stay informed, have the appropriate knowledge to apply innovative methods, and execute this information into the built environment.
blog.greenwizard.com
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John Syvertsen, FAIA, LEED CANNONDESIGN, SENIOR PRINCIPAL
“As the leader of the firm’s environmental sustainability and community outreach efforts, Syversten has dedicated himself tirelessly to design excellence. Throughout his 30+-year career as an architect, his primary focus has been on projects of all sizes and typologies for higher education. Syvertsen holds a seat on CannonDesign’s Board of Directors.” - www.cannondesign.com
Civic engagement is a hallmark of Syvertsen’s philosophy. A former Chair of the American Institute of Architect’s National Committee on Design, he is currently President of the Board of Trustees of the Graham Foundation and immediate-past chairman of the Chicago Architecture Foundation. John serves on the Board of the American Architectural Foundation, the University of Washington Architectural Commission, the University of Illinois at Chicago Chancellor’s Design Review Committee, the Overseers of the College of Architecture at Illinois Institute of Technology and Family Focus, Illinois. Syvertsen is the lead on CannonDesign’s commitment to the public good. He the founder of Open Hand Studio™. This Studio represents CannonDesign’s commitment to public interest design. They believe that communities derive significant benefits from access to the design professions, and through Open Hand Studio CannonDesign is dedicated to providing pro bono design services to those who would otherwise lack access to them; helping the general public to understand the potential for design to improve life and advance culture; and providing innovative solutions to local and global challenges. The studio seeks opportunities to incorporate these values into every project they undertake, and believe that this approach creates shared value for communities, clients, staff and shareholders. This clear vision of social sustainability has caused CannonDesign to define Open Hand Studio as a virtual studio, a movement, a dialogue and a call to action. We achieve multiple aims through a three-pronged approach: +Connect individuals with national and community organizations dedicated to providing design services for the public good. +Organize outreach activities and events benefiting the communities in which we work. +Target and assess pro-bono projects for clients that need our service and could not otherwise accomplish the work. CannonDesign is the first AE firm to pledge to A Billion + Change, the leading effort in the United States to organize pro bono and skills-based service on a national scale. We further advance our dedication to public interest design through partnerships on a global and local scale with leading institutions in this arena including Public Architecture, Architecture for Humanity and Taproot Foundation. -cannondesign.com
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Drew Ranieri, AIA, LEED
SOLOMON CORDWELL BUENZ, PRINCIPAL
“Drew is an architect with thirty years of experience with a wide range of building types and scales both nationally and internationally. Currently he practices design at Solomon Cordwell Buenz which is an award winning architecture, interior design and planning firm. Drew has previously worked internationally with Mario Botta Architects, in Chicago for Murphy /Jahn as well as Krueck + Sexton and for eight years at his own firm in Chicago.” - www.zoominfo.com
In this lecture, Drew Ranieri presented an overview of how contracts work in the realm of architecture. He listed the key components (in no particular order) that would make up the legal document. This document serves as an agreement between the Architect, Owner, Contractor and consultants. MONEY Before even getting into the specifics of a project, there is the primary question at hand: Why hire an architect in the first place? Architects provide a service that is more than just aesthetics and theoretical reasoning. A good architect can give you the most for your investment. The architect’s duty is to problem solve around various problems and milk the budget. What is the initial budget? What does the project cost? How much are the fees? All these are questions being dealt with throughout the entire process. Most companies want to make the most profit at the end of the day to support their business and pay their employees. In turn, greed might develop where the quality suffers from the constant urge to save money. There needs to be a balance. In any sort of business, money is what drives most of the decisions executed. As a result, everything regarding money needs to be clearly stated in the contract. SCHEDULE Prior to any work starting, a specific schedule is laid out for everyone involved from beginning to a proposed end. It costs more and more money each day a project continues past its set deadline. The architect has his own timeline that he follows called phases. The phases are broken down into the amount of time and the estimated percentage of the fee each one will take up. 5% - (PC) Programming/Conceptual design 15% - (SD) Schematic design 20% - (DD) Design development 35% - (CD) Construction documents BID 25% - (CA) Construction Administration These percentages are rough and do not necessarily dictate such a linear process for the architect. They are only written out this way so that there is a clear billing inquiry. 158 | YUZHBABENKO
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RESPONSIBILITY Importance varies during the lifeline of a project. Responsibility switches from one leader to another. Along the way, each party is held up to a standard of work, which is pointed out in the contract. The contract ensures responsibility if something was to go wrong. EXPECTATION As technology progresses, expectations are higher and higher. The main thing is to be careful what you show in presentations of the proposal. With the power of computers, renderings are getting more and more realistic. This technological accuracy now holds you accountable to a raised standard. Meeting expectations is a great responsibility when serving clients. Most business comes from returning customers. Not only do you have to meet the client’s needs, but you have to please the critics as well. With social media being such a relevant source of communication and globalization, it is easy to reach out to the masses and promote the business. On the other hand, it is just as easy to hurt your reputation in front of the masses. There’s always someone watching. SCOPE OF WORK The scope can embody anything from conceptual design, all the way down to specifications of service equipment and furniture. This is a very important section of the contract because it clearly states what the architect is responsible for. The scope sets up boundaries to work within. If a question comes up dealing with something outside of the scope of work, it is not applicable per the contract. Every element is somehow intertwined together, but each one is clearly outlined in this set of rules and obligations. This legal document keeps everyone safe more or less when things come up in court.
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Brian Lee, FAIA, LEED AP
SKIDMORE OWINGS & MERRILL, DESIGN PARTNER
“Brian Lee believes that architecture starts with solving our client’s genuine needs, but also must strive to achieve inspirational results that transcend expectations. A fundamental question that guides his work is how a building’s aesthetics, program, and tectonics can provide meaning to those who live and work in its spaces. His handson design approach is focused on achieving full integration of the natural and built environment through the most innovative design forms, materials, and construction technologies. Using these simple and essential principles, Lee has designed landmark structures of lasting value and impact around the globe. Directing this international practice — including projects in East and Southeast Asia, Europe, and the Middle East — has honed his collaborative and design leadership skills.” - www.som.com
Brian Lee talks about what Skidmore Owings & Merrill is like and his 35 years of experience at the firm. The office is big, global and has a lot of resources. The organization has won countless awards in innovation. The benefit of the firm and its vast project base allows SOM to be the leaders in research. The people of the firm are very diverse which brings a lot of perspectives on how to tackle any design problem. The body of work that has been produced lately has a vast range of scale. From creating object buildings to urban planning and tying everything into the context. The work has certain themes that run through them, but each project tries to be unique from the other. Lee describes some of the themes that he values in his practice of architecture. He talks about urbanity and how a building relates to the city, how it relates to the people, and how it engages the surrounding landscape. It is important to consider how a building responds to daylight, views and tactile materials. With the many tall buildings that SOM deals with, there is a constant battle between human scale and the scale of the city. The question is always how to “humanize the experience”. Thinking about the people who use these buildings should be one of the most important drivers of design. Buildings should transform and adapt. The architecture should be more than what the program asks of it. The buildings need to be integrated and connected to the surroundings. Hybrid buildings that propose a unique solution to the particular site are able to connect to the place. Local materials and craftsmanship that exists in the area help further relate the building to the context. Search for the problem and solution that is unique. It is important how the architect presents their idea. It is important to recast ideas that are common knowledge to the public, but then expand on the idea which makes them one of a kind. It isn’t about salesmanship, but it’s more about convincing a client on your idea. The idea has to be pitched in a way that clients can relate to and understand. The tough battle that SOM is posed with has a lot to do with human scale. It is talked about a lot, but the outcomes do not seem to be a result of the words. There are some projects that touch on “humanizing the experience”, but most of them are mega structures that reach way higher than the surrounding context. Regardless, the firm is a remarkable demonstration of modern innovation in technology. SOM plays a vital role in creating identities and landmarks of the urban fabric.
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Adam Whipple, MBA, PMP
NEWCASTLE LIMITED, PROJECT MANAGER
“Adam Whipple has over 10 years of experience in architecture, planning and urban design project management. Prior to joining Newcastle, he served as Urban Design Project Manager for Skidmore Owings and Merrill, LLP, where he managed national and international planning and urban design projects. As a Planner/Architect with Solomon Cordwell Buenz and Associates, he was responsible for the design and management of urban design projects in the Midwest. Whipple also served as a Project Architect and Project Manager as a commissioned officer for the United States Navy Civil Engineer Corps, where he was responsible for construction management and contract negotiation.” - www.newcastlelimited.com
A native of Elgin, Whipple earned a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies and a Master of Architecture degree from the University of Illinois at Champaign. He also earned a Master of Architecture in Urban Design from Harvard University. A registered architect in the State of Illinois, Whipple is a member of the American Institute of Architects and The Congress for the New Urbanism. Adam talks about the broadened field of architecture. As students go through the curriculum of an architecture degree, there is a vast exposure to various important skills. These skills may be applied to numerous other careers if architecture does not seem to be the perfect fit. PROBLEM SOLVING The ability to look at a problem and propose a solution that is different in the way everyone else would approach it. Whether it is something so simple that everyone overlooks or an unconventional way of thinking, a design student brings a totally different perspective to the table. PRESENTATION + COMMUNICATION A clear representation and delivery of an idea or concept. Having the ability to speak fluidly in front of a large professional audience. COORDINATION + TEAMWORK Becoming a leader when it’s required. Being able to follow, but then stepping up to the plate when called up. Managing tasks to coordinate and execute a single task with a variety of people and skill sets. EXECUTABLE TASKS Breaking down a complex problem to efficiently complete it in an allocated amount of time. TECHNICAL ISSUE Having the technical knowledge and adaptability with various software programs and hands-on projects. SPATIAL UNDERSTANDING Thinking 3-dimensionally from a 2-dimensional drawing. Visual comprehension. Society and business are looking for all these qualities in a prospect employee, but might not realize that an architecture student has all this experience. Make sure to promote all your abilities. Some of these skills might not be so clear to see, but it is important to step back and realize the underlying value. 162 | YUZHBABENKO
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www.newcastlelimited.com
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Laura Fisher, FAIA, NCARB, LEED AP IPM CONSULTING
Laura Fisher has more than 30 years of diverse experience worldwide representing owners in strategic real estate planning, project management, leasing, design, construction, furnishing and property management. She aligns with organizations to collaboratively define the requirements that reflect their culture and objectives. Laura builds client confidence through listening and addressing direct and indirect needs, resulting in long term strategic relationships. Laura’s client–focused approach has delivered projects for multinational corporations, international law firms, financial institutions, condominium associations, non-profits and PK-12 educational entities. - www.ipmconsultingltd.com
Laura Fisher speaks to the same subject as Adam Whipple. She expresses that graduating students of architecture need to have an understanding of their skill set because there is a value to all those services. Fisher’s advice focuses on the expansion of those skills and applying them in the professional realm. During school and even after graduation, there is a constant need to continue learning. Distinguish yourself. To be even more diverse and have an edge on your peers, always aim to broaden those skill sets. It is helpful to learn outside of the curriculum and tap into the resources of other majors. That knowledge might not have a direct connection to a chosen career, but it will influence you as a person regardless. Be mindful of how you present yourself. Posture and behavior tell a lot about a person. Be confident, but aware of your position at the same time. Have the proper attire by doing a little research and finding out the culture of the firm. Don’t over-dress, but at the same time avoid casual attire. Present your credentials in the same way. Taylor them to fit each company you are interested in. Make the resume and work samples very clear and concise. Have multiple professionals review and give feedback to help in the editing process. After finding yourself in a professional environment, establish connections. Make meaningful relationships with all sorts of people. Never be afraid to step out of your comfort zone to talk to people. You will be surprised with how much you can learn from each individual. Always follow up on the connections made. As a result, what do you have to offer? How does the employer benefit from your skill set? Strive to have a clear understanding of your individual value.
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Strategic Real Estate and Project Management Consulting Services Design Construction Real Estate Propert Management Furnishings/Fit Out Relocation Coordination
Serving Corporation PK-12 Education Law Firms Financial Institutions Condominim Associations Non-Profit Associations
- www.ipmconsultingltd.com
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Students are asked to take advantage of being surrounded by professionals by engaging with them in active discussion. Through this discussion, students will learn the practice of architecture from practicing architects. This allows students to engage in the design process outside of the classroom and in the real world. It gives them the opportunity to witness and participate in the operations of the architectural profession, by working within professional teams.
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Philip Enquist, FAIA
SKIDMORE OWINGS & MERRILL, URBAN DESIGN + PLANNING PARTNER
“Philip Enquist is the leader of SOM’s Global City Design Practice, the world’s most highly awarded urban planning group. Enquist and his studios have improved the quality and efficiency of city living on five continents by creating location-unique strategic designs that integrate nature and urban density within a framework of future-focused public infrastructure.” - www.som.com
The scale of Enquist’s design perspective continues to expand from innovating sustainable urban forms that enhance city living with walkable, transit-enabled districts humanized by their natural amenities to rapidly changing urban clusters within regional ecosystems like North America’s Great Lakes basin and China’s Bohai Rim. Enquist is committed to the profession through one-on-one mentorships, his recent teaching of a studio for architecture and urban design students at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design, and as the Charles Moore Visiting Professor at the University of Michigan’s Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning. He was honored with the 2010 Distinguished Alumnus Award from the Architectural Guild of the University of Southern California’s School of Architecture for his dedication to strengthening the physical, social, and intellectual infrastructure of cities. The year prior, the Chicago Tribune named him and his studio “Chicagoans of the Year in Architecture,” citing “the city-friendly designs of Phil Enquist.” Enquist passionately believes that the world’s explosive growth in cities and population must be managed by humanely bold and holistically sustainable thinking at the national, regional, and metropolitan scale and that human habitat design will become the alpha design science of the 21st century. A conversation held with Enquist led to much inspiration, motivation and ideas. The conversation was about a possible thesis direction. A proposed thought about the research of the Chernobyl disaster in Ukraine and its consequences on the surrounding ecosystem, environment, infrastructure and human inhabitance was discussed. The topic led to many thought-provoking effects. Upon further examination, a variety of scales started emerging and gave a direction to the initial idea. A CRISIS CITY How does design respond and accommodate a disaster? From hurricane Katrina hitting New Orleans to the great Chicago fire, major fluctuations in population occur from city to city. The same thought can be applied to cities in China that are experiencing rapid growth where the demand surpasses construction. On the other hand, there are cities like Detroit that need the growth, but already have the supporting infrastructure network. With ongoing global warming problems and their consequences, design needs to be implemented. Sustainable design is no longer the leading topic of concern; it is the fundamental idea behind all decisions. Prevention is what society will soon be faced with. The dam is full and today’s leaders are only patching leaks. The question is no longer “if”, but now it’s a question of “when”. What is the role of the architect in this situation? What are the coastal cities of the future? 168 | YUZHBABENKO
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Andrew Obendorf, AIA
SKIDMORE OWINGS & MERRILL, ASSOCIATE
Andrew Obendorf is an Associate at Skidmore Owings & Merrill. With 10+ years at various firms, Obendorf has been able to experience a variety of projects ranging from the design of a house all the way to high-rises. He came to SOM from Wheeler Kearns Architects with the intention to stay for only two years, but has been at the firm for over 8 years now.
Andrew went to school at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. After graduation, Obendorf decided to move to Florida to work for Basham and Lucas Design Group where he was a Project Manager. Being at Basham and Lucas allowed Andrew to see how a very small firm runs their business. Two years later, Obendorf went back to school at University of Illinois at Chicago to pursue his Master of Architecture degree. Andrew interned at Wheeler Kearns Architects during his time at UIC. After graduation, Skidmore Owings & Merrill brought him on. Obendorf was one of my supervisors during my internship phase at SOM. During an interview, Andrew had a lot of advice for a young architect who is getting ready to finish up with school. Below is an excerpt from the conversation I had with Andrew. WHAT WOULD YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS BE WHEN IT COMES TO INTERNING? You need to go through the ropes of all sorts of different firms. See what it’s like at a small firm, a medium firm and a large corporation. Only then can you make an educated decision about where it is best for you. You might be one of the best architecture students, but sometimes the bigger firms might not be the right fit. Dip your toes into as many places as possible. TALK ABOUT YOUR TIME AT SOM. It is time consuming and exhausting. On the other hand, I don’t see myself doing anything else. I love my work and responsibilities here. I have never worked on the same type of project twice. We have that luxury because of how big the company is. All the necessary resources are sitting right next to you or just around the corner. The work is always fresh and exciting. That is why I have ended up here for more than eight years now, even though I was only planning on staying for two when I first got here. SINCE YOU REVIEW PORTFOLIOS, WHAT WOULD BE YOUR ADVICE WHEN TRYING TO STAND OUT? Most portfolios that we get here are very good in general. Making connections and getting to know people is the best way to get to where you want to be. When it comes to portfolios, show a variety of skills. Keep handdrawings to a minimum because in reality, you will be working behind a computer. If an employer is hiring you, they are essentially seeing how you can make them money. Show the skills that they want to see. Promote only the best projects; I don’t need to see how you have progressed from your first year. Each project should show a new skillset. Build up your resume and experiences as fast as possible.
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Iker Gil
DIRECTOR, MAS STUDIO // EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, MAS CONTEXT
“Iker Gil is an architect, urban designer, and director of MAS Studio. Some of the recent projects of the office include a documentation of the residents and units of Marina City with photographer Andreas E.G. Larsson, exhibited at the Art Institute of Chicago, pinkcomma gallery in Boston and WUHO gallery in Los Angeles; a prototype for a single-family home in New Orleans; the Instituto Cervantes of Chicago façade identity; an urban proposal for the area surrounding Lambeau Field in Green Bay; and Cut. Join. Play., the first prize in the 2010 Architecture for Humanity Chicago Street furniture competition and exhibited as part of the US. Pavilion at the 13th International Venice Architecture Biennale. The office also organized the competition “Network Reset: Rethinking the Chicago Emerald Necklace” with the Chicago Architectural Club.” -www.mas-studio.com
Iker is also the editor in chief of the quarterly design journal MAS Context and the editor of the book “Shanghai Transforming” (ACTAR, 2008). He also curated the exhibitions “Shanghai Transforming” at the Chicago Architecture Foundation and Virginia Tech, and “Synchronizing Geometry” held at S.R. Crown Hall (IIT). In addition, he currently co-directs the Chicago Expander program at Archeworks. In 2013 he taught Masters Project Preparation at the College of Architecture at IIT and , from 2008 until 2011, he was an adjunct assistant professor at the School of Architecture at the University of Illinois at Chicago where he taught design studio and architectural analysis courses. Since July of 2011, he is a board member of the Chicago Architectural Club. Iker has received several grants and awards for his work, most recently the 2010 Emerging Visions Award from the Chicago Architectural Club, The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation grant and Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts in support of MAS Context and was included in i4design Magazine‘s 5th annual Suite Sixteen that recognizes “the Midwest’s most innovative design pros who are pushing old boundaries, exploring new concepts and making a difference in design with the work that they do.” COULD YOU TALK ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND? (IG) I grew up in Bilbao and then went to study architecture in Barcelona. After receiving a grant, I came to Chicago to continue my education at IIT. Then I went back to Spain for a year and got my architecture license. After that, I came back to Chicago and got my Master’s at UIC. After school, I started working at SOM as an urban planner. WHY DID YOU SWITCH FROM ARCHITECTURE TO URBAN PLANNING? Our understanding of architecture in Spain is much more related to the city. Throughout my career I always looked at larger scale projects. I’m not interested in particular architecture like doing façades, or lighting or specific tasks. No, I want to do everything. Planning fits my large-scale problem solving aspirations. WOULD YOU GO BACK TO PRACTICE IN SPAIN? No, I see my professional future stationed in Chicago. I would do collaborations in Spain and all over the place, but I see the States as the most opportune area. WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO LEAVE SOM AND START MAS STUDIO/MAS CONTEXT? SOM was a very interesting structure compared to what I was used to in Spain. Even the mentality is different. I got to a point where I realized that I couldn’t see myself in the position of the people above me. There were other things I wanted to do like publications, but it was hard to introduce it to a well-oiled machine like SOM. 172 | YUZHBABENKO
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HOW DO YOU OBTAIN YOUR WORK AT MAS STUDIO? I don’t wait for work to come to me, but I go after the work. I experience something that could be improvised, and try to pitch my own proposal to a possible client. The more you do that, the more people begin to recognize you and maybe recommend you in the future. WHAT IS YOUR ADVICE FOR SOMEONE WHO WANTS TO DO SOMETHING SIMILAR TO MAS CONTEXT? Just do it. Go after whatever you want to persue. Dont hesitate or let anything stop what youre passionate about.. Look up to the people above your position and ask if you see yourself in their shoes in the future. If youre not happy with your situation, change it.
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COLLABORATION AT VENICE BIENNALE
IKER GIL, ANDREW OBENDORF, ANDREW CLARK AND JULIE MICHIELS
“Chicago, IL: “Cut. Join. Play.” is one of 124 entries now on display in the U.S. Pavilion at the prestigious 2012 Venice Biennale. The project is a collaboration between Chicago-based MAS Studio (run by SOM alumnus Iker Gil), SOM Associate Andrew Obendorf, Andrew Clark and Julie Michiels. The project — which developed templates to create plywood street furnishings — won a 2010 competition held by Architecture for Humanity Chicago and was built that summer on a vacant lot in Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood. Gil (IG) and Obendorf (AO) recently sat down with SOM Communications Manager Edward Keegan and Communications Coordinator Beth Murin to discuss the project, its ideas and process.” -www.som.com
An interview was conducted on the collaboration between MAS Studio and SOM with their Venice Biennale submission. I chose to include this interview because it demonstrates a successful simplistic idea implemented by consolidated efforts. HOW DID “CUT. JOIN. PLAY.” BECOME PART OF THE BIENNALE? IG: There was a process to submit projects to the U.S. Pavilion based on the theme, “Spontaneous Interventions.” They were looking for projects initiated and built by designers, a bottom-up approach. We did this project in 2010 and it seemed a good fit. Curator David Chipperfield set the tone for this Biennale as “Common Ground.” He said at the opening, “This is an exhibition of architecture. It’s not sociology or urban politics.” How does your project respond to that idea? IG: Architecture is policy making and sociology and a lot of things. Part of the project was how to create a framework to allow people to use it the way they feel it should be used. Engage them in a way that takes their needs and interests into consideration. Otherwise, the project cannot be successful. It’s about changing perceptions. It’s about thinking about the opportunities already available in the city. You don’t always need $30 million or $400 million to create a public space. AO: It’s a little project but it had a big effect. It’s simple enough that people can screw the bolts and paint the forms. It makes a difference by building something small with an immediate impact rather than trying to direct policy. WAS THE PROJECT MEANT FOR ONE SPECIFIC SITE? AO: The original idea was that it was a prototype. It was something that could be moved or changed and the brief was inclusive of any vacant lot in Chicago that needed activation; it was for $1,000 and a limited amount of time. Something that was temporary that could be put up and taken down easily. While to this point it’s something singular, the hope is that it grows to be something else. We’re developing templates so it could be replicated. There’s hope that it grows. HOW DID THE PROJECT INITIALLY COME ABOUT? IG: In 2010 Architecture for Humanity Chicago organized a street furniture competition. It asked how to reactivate empty lots and put street furniture there. Our approach was to do a system that is flexible—a template people can appropriate to their specific conditions. After we won the competition that’s when they told us what the site was going to be. It is important to point out that while Architecture for Humanity hosted the competition, other 174 | YUZHBABENKO
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organizations such as Archeworks, Positive Space and Enlace were involved along the process of the project’s implementation. DO ANY OF THESE STILL EXIST? IG: No, but it was supposed to be for three months during the summer, and they lasted for six months. It was done with plywood as it is a readily available and inexpensive material, in order to change the perception about that site. It’s not meant to be the definitive solution, but a way of testing things. That’s the interesting thing about this type of project—your investment is minimum, but your return could be huge. SO THE BUDGET WAS $1,000? IG: It actually turned out to be zero, because all the plywood was donated, as well as the paint, soil and plants. We donated a couple of units we had built as prototypes. It was built by Architecture for Humanity Chicago, Archeworks, Enlace, us, the Alderman, City Year, and the community—people in the neighborhood as part of Earth Day [April 24th, 2010]. The first day we built the structure and the second day they brought the plants. After that, they used these to apply for the city to turn it into a permanent park and I believe they received $100,000 to start the process. YOUR PROJECT IS A BIG IDEA, BUT SUCH A SMALL PHYSICAL THING. THE WHOLE IDEA OF SPONTANEOUS INTERVENTIONS IS THAT WE LIVE IN A TIME WHEN BUDGETS DON’T ALLOW FOR MUCH. HOW HAS THIS PROJECT INFLUENCED THE TRAJECTORY OF YOUR OWN CAREERS AND YOUR OWN IDEAS ABOUT ARCHITECTURE? AO: It’s a great example of what collaboration can do. It’s about a single idea and that can be on a small-office or large-office scale. If you have the right people, something big can come from one idea. Iker tries to bring different voices to the table, to come up with a collective idea that may be bigger than what one person would do. We do that similarly here [at SOM] — just on a different scale. The genesis of the ideas and the minds around the table are very similar and what I learned from this is that those collective voices can multiply an idea to be much bigger than what you thought it could be when you were doing it. WHAT BACKGROUNDS DO EACH OF YOU BRING TO THE TABLE? IG: All four of us are architects, but our parts are completely different. I work in architecture and city-scale projects, but I’m involved in research, publishing and teaching. Julie works in interiors in a corporate office. Andrew [Clark] works in graphics and industrial user experience projects. Andrew [Obendorf] is more a traditional architect, as a designer at SOM. We are four people who work in different aspects of architecture, but we all understand what everybody’s saying and we bring different things to the table. WHAT DO YOU THINK WILL BE THE RESULT OF THIS YEAR’S BIENNALE? AO: Some of the spontaneous intervention projects are a similar scale to what we’re doing, some are huge. To be included in that group of people that are doing really great things all over the country using design as a voice to affect their communities is something that we are very excited about. IG: It’s good to have the “official” recognition in an event of this caliber. It’s a great opportunity to show policymakers the effect that design can have on places. There are 124 examples of what you can do and the benefits that those projects had in the community. We need to look at old problems with fresh eyes and use design to help shape urban policies.
www.mas-studio.com
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Timothy Swanson, LEED AP CANNONDESIGN, URBAN STRATEGIST
As one of CannonDesign’s Urban Strategists, Tim Swanson is charged with challenging the future while maintaining a familiarity of the past, identifying the reaches of form while maintaining an honest sense of habitation, responding to the myriad of functional needs while presenting solutions that leave the minimum of footprints. The built environment must be exciting and purposeful, rich in complexity but resolved in presentation; Swanson must make active the landscape while designing within it, committing to a practice of meaning, lasting.
After meeting with Tim over several different times, it made me realize that the power of an architect extends far beyond the design of a building. It takes a little more effort, but the intention should always encompass a broader scope. Try to push the boundaries of the property line at any given opportunity. THE BIGGER PICTURE Tim believes that we have a responsibility to the specificity of place and the prospect inherent in a culture and a people. We must broaden our collective understanding of place to identify the myriad of influences that affect the everyday condition. From relationships between transportation, amenity, and built form, we must extend to the nature of health and the human organism, the role that innovation and thought leadership affects quality of place, and the responsibility to create an environment of learning at all ages, for all ages. One of the most current examples of this is CannonDesign’s masterplan of University of Texas Brownsville. The University of Texas at Brownsville is embarking on the most important transformation in its history. In anticipation of the separation of University of Texas Brownsville (UTB) from Texas Southmost College, Public Architecture invited CannonDesign, through its Open Hand Studio, to participate in a Ford Foundation-funded workshop in Brownsville to explore potential synergies between the university and the city. CannonDesign led the workshop’s knowledge-community and urban-design tracks, both attended by Brownsville’s mayor and UTB’s president. Based on the resulting report, the UT system commissioned Cannon Design to provide planning and design services for UTB’s new campus, including site selection, visioning, academic programming, master planning, and design for the first buildings. UTB draws upon the intersection of cultures and languages at the Southern border and Gulf Coast of the United States to develop knowledgeable citizens and emerging leaders who are engaged in the civic life of their community. It embraces teaching excellence, active inquiry, lifelong learning,rigorous scholarship and research in service to the common good. The university promotes the interdisciplinary search for new knowledge that advances social and physical well-being and economic development through commercialization while honoring the creative and environmental heritage of its region. Guided by visionary leadership and inspired by the hopes and spirit of the people it serves, UTB will become a model institution for the 21st century. -cannondesign.com
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www.cannondesign.com
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PRO PRACTICE CODES OF CONDUCT AND ETHICS
The purpose of this is to foster a deeper understanding of real world ethics and to encourage students to consider the inevitable conflicts of conscience that can arise in professional settings. For this assignment, students will research the governing laws and principles related to the Profession of Architecture.
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Peter Van Vechten, AIA, NCARB
SKIDMORE, OWINGS & MERRILL, DESIGN DIRECTOR
“Peter Van Vechten is a design director and studio head in SOM’s Chicago office. Since joining the firm in 1983, he has participated in a wide variety of complex projects including, healthcare, institutional and educational facilities, urban design and infrastructure, commercial office buildings, and multi-use developments. Peter and his team explore design alternatives to form an architectural concept that best accommodates the client’s program, goals, and aspirations.” - www.som.com
Peter is interested in the relationships between an existing context, the demands of contemporary life, stateof-the-art technologies, and the particular requirements of a project. He believes in a collaborative process in which the client and architect work together to realize a project that is of the highest level of quality and design in order to enrich the human spirit. His projects have appeared in numerous publications and have been exhibited at the Art Institute of Chicago, the Chicago Athenaeum, and the Fundacao Calouste Gulbenkian Museum of Lisbon in Portugal. Peter Van Vechten has a very selfless and serving approach to architecture. To be a favored and successful director, Peter is dedicated to the highest standards of professionalism, integrity, and competence. Some of the highest responsibilities for Van Vechten are the obligations to the public, obligations to colleges, and obligations to the environment. OBLIGATIONS TO THE PUBLIC Members should embrace the spirit and letter of the law governing their professional affairs and should promote and serve the public interest in their personal and professional activities. Members should render public interest professional services, including pro bono services, and encourage their employees to render such services. Pro bono services are those rendered without expecting compensation, including those rendered for indigent persons, after disasters, or in other emergencies. Peter embraces this ideal and believes that architecture should respond to the public good. He says that any design problem should focus on many scales at once. One scale dealing with contextual relationship and the other is the human interaction within the space. Having a big focus on healthcare in his practice, Van Vechten is constantly looking for innovative ideas to incorporate into his designs. He believes healthcare is the leading driver in improving the human experience. Peter looks up to Shigeru Ban and his efforts for the social good. OBLIGATIONS TO COLLEAGUES Members should provide their associates and employees with a suitable working environment, compensate them fairly, and facilitate their professional development. Members should build their professional reputation on the merits of their own service and performance and should recognize and give credit to others for the professional work they have performed. Peter embodies the role of a mentor to younger professionals. He believes that education never stops even at his position. He tries his best to share his knowledge as much as possible even though he is constantly learning from the people around him. Peter stresses the fact of expressing gratitude. There are expectations of work in the professional realm, but an appreciation of the work adds value to the individual and a sense of belonging. 180 | YUZHBABENKO
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OBLIGATIONS TO THE ENVIRONMENT Members should promote sustainable design and development principles in their professional activities. In performing design work, Members should be environmentally responsible and advocate sustainable building and site design. With the current global environmental conditions, sustainability is an important part of the design practice. With constant innovation and research being conducted at SOM, Van Vechten is always looking for ways to incorporate these techniques and methods. He says that it is all part of the design process. It is no longer a choice. Substantial measures have to be taken to improve our current state and it all starts with one building at a time.
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PARTNERS & SPONSORS Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) www.som.com 224 South Michigan Ave Chicago, IL 60604 (312) 554-9090 Cannon Design cannondesign.com 225 N Michigan Ave, Suite 1100 Chicago IL 60601 (312) 332-9600 GREC architects, LLC www.grecstudio.com 401 E. Illinois Street, Suite 220 Chicago, Illinois 60611 (312) 661-1500 von Weise Associates (VWA) www.vonweiseassociates.com 311 West Superior Street Suite 216 Chicago, IL 60610 (312) 337-5511
AFFILIATES Chicago Architecture Foundation www.architecture.org 224 South Michigan Avenue Chicago, Illinois, 60604 (312) 922-3432 Gensler www.gensler.com 11 East Madison Street #300 Chicago, IL 60602 (312) 456-0123 JAHN www.jahn-us.com 35 E Wacker Dr # 300 Chicago, IL 60601-2157 (312) 427-7300 Perkins + Will www.perkinswill.com 330 North Wabash Ave, Suite 3600 Chicago, IL 60611 (312) 755-4778 Solomon Cordwell Buenz (SCB) 625 N Michigan Ave Chicago, IL 60611 (312) 274-0058 www.scb.com Lawton + Stanley Architects http://micah-stanley-r7mk.squarespace.com/contact/ 4507 N Ravenswood Ave, Suite 102 FB Lab Chicago, IL 60640 AIA Chicago www.aiachicago.org 35 East Wacker Drive #250 Chicago, IL 60601 (312) 670-7770 AIA Student Group: http://www.meetup.com/ChicagoYAF/ AIA Events: http://www.aiachicago.org/events.asp