CHICAGO STUDIO SPRING 2014
A S T O L D B Y: A N N A K N O W L E S - B A G W E L L
In my own words, Chicago Studio is an immersive educational experience in which students have the opportunity to learn from and collaborate with working professionals in the design field. Chicago Studio pushes the boundaries of traditional education and thus gives students the chance to learn and grow in ways they never could in a “normal� classroom setting. This book attempts to document the last four months I spent in Chicago, in the freezing cold, learning about what it means to be an architect.
DESIGN WORK RADICAL CONJECTURES TABULA RASA MEGABLOCK CARTOGRAPHIC ARCHITECTURE
SITE ANALYSIS TYPICAL ATYPICAL
URBAN PROPOSITIONS MOTOR ROW DELFT WORKSHOP
PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE INTERVIEWS DON COPPER KELLEY FOLTS HEIDI HOPPE CASEY RENNER TOM REAGAN LOUISE YEUNG JEFF GOLDBERG
LECTURES RANDY GUILLOT IKER GILL GREW RANIERI DON COPPER ADAM WHIPPLE NATASHA KROL DAVID WILTS JOHN SYVERTSEN
URBAN MAPPING SUSTAINABILITY ACCESSIBILITY DIVERSITY OPEN SPACE COMPATIBILITY INCENTIVES ADAPTABILITY DENSITY IDENTITY ACCESSIBILITY WITHIN MOTOR ROW
“Architecture was my way of expressing my ideals: to be simple, to create a world equal to everyone, to look at people with optimism, that everyone has a gift. I don’t want anything but general happiness. Why is that bad?” Oscar Niemeyer
DESIGN WORK The design work I did this semester ranges from one end of the spectrum to the other. We began with a series of three week long individual project, Andrew called, Radical Conjectures. These projects were supposed to be quick exercises to help us start to let go of our preconceived notions about architecture and design. After that we spent the next eight weeks working on group projects in our assigned firms. These urban propositions dealt with real issues currently going on in the city of Chicago which added another layer of complexity that as students we don’t usually have to deal with. The last five weeks of the semester were spent interning for our host firms in which our tasks were assigned by the firm.
“I’m not interested in living in a fantasy world. All my work is still meant to evoke real architectural spaces. But what interests 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
RADICAL CONJECTURES “A conjecture is an opinion or conclusion formed on the basis of incomplete information.”
CONJECTURE #1: TABULA RASA Intro: Chicago’s Chinatown is shaped by boundaries and rigid infrastructural conditions. It has been found in past CHICAGO STUDIO research that this had positive and negative effects on the area. On the one hand, it has provided a barrier where culture can internally thrive, but on the other, it has resulted in a neighborhood sprawl from the central point of Chinatown. As noted in the research, the Chinatown Triangle is not only the cultural and business center of Chinatown, it is home to the social/immigration services which are some of the core assets that created the concept of a “Chinatown”. Prompt: 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?
“You are (on) an island” Alicia Eggert
Understanding Community Growth
Chinatown Section
Chinatown Currently
Favela Section
VS.
Chinatown without Sprawl
CONJECTURE #2: MEGABLOCK Prompt: Reimagine our 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. Make: a sectional representation and map of the conceptual proposition on a 36� x 36� sheet. Required: The drawing and map(ping) should clearly convey a new physical order, atmosphere, culture and an infrastructure for horizontal and vertical movement. Include 1-2 succinct sentences on the analysis and design concept.
VS.
“For these young architects, the megastructure represented a new vision of modernity unhindered by the social and technical constraints of the past.� Sarah Deyong
CONJECTURE #3: CARTOGRAPHIC ARCHITECTURE Act I : Recording & Mapping: 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?
Act II : A Place of Sensory: Imagine a cartographer’s workshop that uses only one sense to gather and record his or her findings. What is the organization and atmosphere of the space? How does it relate to the body and the senses? What devices, maps or information stored? Considering it was constructed by the cartographer, how can the absence of a sense be used to amplify the other senses for an unexpected spatial condition? How does the space inspire the work? How does the work inspire the creation of space?
SITE ANALYSIS
CERMAK CORRIDOR TYPICAL SITE ANALYSIS HISTORY - VWA Districts, Neighborhoods, Divisions, Important events (All zones of the Cermak site - Motor Row, Chinatown, Industrial corridor, Pilsen…) CREATE - Photographs, Diagrams, Maps, Narrative LOCAL NEWS + ISSUES - GREC Civic leaders, Local conversation, Initiatives, Community Groups and Financial Incentives CREATE - In Depth Research, Data Collection and Graphics MAPPING - SOM Land-use, Zoning, Infrastructure, Site surveys CREATE - Site Model (digital and physical), Diagrams, Maps, DWG background to multiple scales MOBILITY - SOM Pedestrian, Bike, Public Transport, Vehicular, Access CREATE - Diagrams, Maps, Data Collection TYPOLOGY - CANNON Building Types, Use, Importance (residential, commercial, civic, parks, plazas, voids, natural elements) CREATE - Drawings, Photographs, Diagrams, Data Collection
PRAIRIE DISTRICT COMMUNITY EVENTS
The Prairie District became an extremely popular neighborhood for Chicago’s wealthy individuals after the Great Chicago Fire. It still maintains many historically significant homes, many of which have been opened to the public as museums or through tours.
HALLOWEEN
BLOCK PARTY
TOAST TO S.L.
CHRISTMAS
EASTER
McCORMICK/MOTOR ROW DEVELOPMENT
Plans to bring additional activity to the Motor Row/Prairie District Area anchored by the development of several hotels and a basketball arena for DePaul University is currently in flux due to litigation stemming from land acquisition.
CHESS REC. HISTORIC STUDIO CTA STOP GREEN LINE COMING LATE 2014
MARRIOTT 1500 RMS
HOTEL 500 RMS
CONCERT VENUE CHEAP TRICK FOOD/JAZZ/MUSEUM FAILED
ARENA DePAUL BASKETBALL
BREWERY BROAD SHOULDERS COMING SPRING 2014
DATA CENTER
RESIDENTIAL MOTOR ROW LOFTS SINCE 2010
McCORMICK PLACE ATTENDANCE
McCormick Place is the largest convention center in North America and a major contributor to Chicago’s economy. The wide range of events hosted at McCormick result in extremely large swings in population from week to week.
JUNE
MAY
APRIL
MARCH
FEBRUARY
JANUARY
DECEMBER
NOVEMBER
OCTOBER
SEPTEMBER
AUGUST
JULY
130,000
120,000
110,000
100,000
90,000
80,000
70,000
60,000
50,000
40,000
30,000
20,000
10,000
McCORMICK PLACE
ARENA/HOTEL This proposal would provide another destination for the McCormick area as well as additional accommodations for convention-goers. The arena would host DePaul basketball as well as medium sized events too small for McCormick Place.
McCORMICK PLACE
ADDITIONAL HOTEL This project is currently still in the design phase due to uncertainties revolving around land acquisition. The owner of the property is suing the city to allow him to follow through with his plans for a six-story data center on the site.
MOTOR ROW
RECENT ADDITIONS These are two of the more successful proposals to provide Motor Row with more density. Cheap Trick was interested in opening a restaurant/Jazz bar/concert venue on the 2200 block of Michigan for years until the developer’s funds failed to materialize.
MOTOR ROW LOFTS 2010
BROAD SHOULDERS SPRING 2014
CERMAK & 23RD NEW GREEN LINE STATION
The new Green Line station will make the eastern end of the Cermak corridor more accessible to Chicagoans living in other parts of the city. With a completion date set for late 2014, the station will soon benefit McCormick Place, Motor Row, and any projects being considered for implementation in the future.
CHINATOWN
RECENT ADDITIONS This is the first of four new boat houses in parks along the river promised by Mayor Emanuel. It was designed by Johnson & Lee Architects and opened in June 2013. The boat house offers storage for kayaks and canoes, as well as, direct river access. PING TOM PARK BOAT HOUSE
CHINATOWN
FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS The new Chinatown Branch Library will be a replacement for the old rental property that served 21,000 people each month. When the usual “prototype” design wouldn’t fit on the site, due to its non-orthagonal shape, Public Building Comissioner, Brian Bannon, opened the design for competition. The building, designed by Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill, is scheduled to open in 2015. PUBLIC LIBRARY
CHINATOWN
COMMUNITY EVENTS Every year, Chinatown has a celebration of the Chinese New Year which consists of fireworks followed by a parade up Wentworth Ave and down Cermak Road. The parade has become a cultural tradition with marching bands, dancers, floats, performers, and a 90-foot long “Mystical Dragon.” CHINESE LUNAR NEW YEAR PARADE PATH
CHINATOWN
COMMUNITY EVENTS The annual Summer Fair, started in 1979, was designed to promote Chinatown and allow the different community groups to work together towards a common goal. The fair has food from local restaurants, cultural entertainment, shopping, and Chinese arts and crafts, as well as, a lion dance procession. SUMMER FAIR ON WENTWORTH
CHINATOWN AGE BREAKSOWN
CHINATOWN UNDER 19
CHICAGO
20-34
35-49
50-64
65-79
80+
CHINATOWN
COMMUNITY GROUPS There are many different community groups in Chinatown that deal with everything from sports to education. These four groups offer different support services to the community as well as promoting and maintaining the culture of the area.
CHINESE CONSOLIDATED BENEVOLENT ASSOCIATION
CHINESE AMERICAN SERVICE LEAGUE
CHINATOWN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE PUI TAK CENTER
CERMAK CORRIDOR
WARD REDISTRIBUTION The 2015 ward distribution will cut Cermak Road into four sectors and place new parts of Chinatown under a different alderman. WARD 25 ALDERMAN DANIEL SOLIS
WARD 11 ALDERMAN JAMES BALCER
2014
2015
WARD 3 ALDERMAN PAT DOWELL
WARD 4 ALDERMAN WILLIAM BURNS
WARD 2 ALDERMAN ROBERT FIORETTI
CERMAK INDUSTRIAL CORRIDOR CREATIVE INDUSTRY INITIATIVE
The Cermak Creative Industry Initiative, led by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, is attempting to realize the redevelopment of four historic industrial structures into artistic, high-tech, and artisanal manufacturing. facilities.
WESTERN SHADE CLOTH CO
WENDNAGLE CO
WM HOYT & CO
THOMPSON SPICE CO
CERMAK INDUSTRIAL CORRIDOR ARTISTIC INHABITATION
Through Cermak’s industrial corridor, artists since the mid 1990’s have begun to informally move into abandoned buildings and utilize them as workspace. This has spurred many conversations about the future of the area, such as the creative industries initiative.
WM HOYT & CO BUILDING
https://gisapps.cityofchicago.org/servlet/com.esri.esrima CERMAK INDUSTRIAL CORRIDOR
Map Output
EFFECTS OF REZONING Negotiations led by the Department of Cultural Affairs have focused on the rezoning of Cermak’s four Created on: 2/19/2014 10:45 P.M. Industrial Zoning Map historical industrial properties to allow for redevelopment into an arts, entertainment, and business district. This has met with resistance from the zoning board, as this is one of the last true industrial zones left in the city.
WENDNAGLE
Zoning Business Commercial Manufacturing Residential Planned Development
Historic Preservation CHICAGO LANDMARKS Chicago Landmarks Landmark Districts
Chicago Historic Resources Survey - Buildings subject to Demolition-Delay Ordinance
Planned Manufacturing
Red
Downtown Core
Orange
Downtown Service
THOMPSON SPICE
WESTERN SHADE CLOTH
Parcels Wards CTA Line CTA Station Metra Line Metra Station
Streets
Schools
Downtown Residential
Water
Parks
Transportation
Forest Preserve
City Boundary
Downtown Mixed
Parks & Open Space Zoning Boundaries
Municipalities
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CERMAK INDUSTRIAL CORRIDOR CERMAK/ BLUE ISLAND PROJECT
This project seeks to improve the streetscape of Cermak with an eye towards storm water retention. Porous paving, bioswales, and vegetation reduce water runoff, while smog-eating concrete, light colors, and solar-powered LED streetlights help mitigate other environmental problems and inefficiencies.
PILSEN
BUILDING DEVELOPMENT Select sites in the Pilsen neighborhood that have recently been developed or had controversy.
NO MANCHES CLOTHING COMPANY
LA CASA STUDENT HOUSING
BENITO JUAREZ ADDITIONS TO PUBLIC SCHOOL
THALIA HALL THEATRE AND RESTAURANT
EPA CLEANUP LEAD CONTAMINATED SOIL
FISK STATION NEWLY DECOMMISSIONED COAL PLANT
PILSEN
BUILDING DEVELOPMENT The Resurrection Project, a community development organization, was responsible for the completion of La Casa. The building and resource center offers a location for college students from different universities to study because many of them do not have the space in their family homes. LA CASA STUDENT HOUSING
PILSEN
BUILDING DEVELOPMENT After years of effort from Pilsen residents and activists, the Fisk plant was finally decommissioned in 2012. Currently the city and Pilsen are looking at the redevelopment of the site, and how best to utilize the area to serve the neighborhood and Chicago. FISK STATION COAL-FIRED ELECTRIC GENERATING STATION
PILSEN
BUILDING DEVELOPMENT Built in 1892 by the Czech John Dusek, Thalia Hall fell into disrepair in the 1960’s, but is currently in the process of restoration. A recently opened beer hall and punch house now occupy the first floor and basement of the theatre, with the main hall reopening anticipated for 2014. THALIA HALL
PILSEN
BUILDING DEVELOPMENT Before the EPA cleanup of the lead contaminated soil at the former site of the Loewenthal Metals Smelter, Pilsen residents made makeshift signs warning the community of the dangerous area. The Pilsen Environmental Rights and Reform Organization is working with the EPA on the current cleanup process. COMMUNITY GARDEN
PILSEN
ONGOING DEVELOPMENT No Manches reopened in 2012 with a new vision for engaging Latino youth and giving back to the community. They work closely with La Casa student housing to donate supplies and encourage education. NO MANCHES
PILSEN
ONGOING DEVELOPMENT The school was expanded in 2010 with the addition of an auditorium, soccer field, updates to the technology, and a larger campus. In 2013, Juarez was off probation for the first time in ten years with better student attendance and improved teacher performance. BENITO JUAREZ ACADEMY
PILSEN
COMMUNITY EVENTS Every year on Good Friday, Mexican Catholic parishioners reenact the Way of the Cross, with locals playing the various roles involved in Jesus’s procession and crucifixion. The event draws thousands from across the Midwest, and is also used as a vehicle for voicing injustice and reacting to local issues.
CERMAK CORRIDOR
COMMUNITY EVENTS The Chinatown Dragon Boat Race for Literacy is held every year on the Chicago River in Ping Tom Park with thousands watching and participating. The proceeds are used to support and promote local literacy, cultural, and diversity programs.
CERMAK CORRIDOR CRIME REPORTS DECEMBER 2013
VIOLENCE THEFT VANDALISM DRUGS
CERMAK CORRIDOR
COMMUNITY EVENTS The Chicago Marathon is one of the six World Marathon Majors. Limited to 45,000 runners annually, the race brings increased tourism to the tune of $150 M to the city including $15 M to charities. The route of the race travels through Pilsen, Chinatown, and finally up Michigan toward the finish.
CERMAK CORRIDOR ATYPICAL SITE ANALYSIS SITE STUDIES AND RECORDINGS (including nec. blocks North and South) Cermak from Ashland Ave - Canal Street (VWA) Cermak from Lumber St - State St (SOM) Cermak from Clark St - Indiana Ave (GREC) Cermak from Michigan Ave - Lake Michigan/MLK Dr (CANNON) Required: 1) Drawings, collages, maps‌. determined by the group. 2) Presentation of Findings : 20 slides / 20 seconds per slide
American-dream freedom juxtaposition contradiction dua people cars alleyways dirty sterile whitebrea historic rust trash polished brick texture r ownership freedom escape oil limits boundarie busted insulated under deadwood 11:30 imposing drained sucking desolate alien cpr revive slither soggy thriving leaky drip stain peeling hazy jazz blues skidmark skidrow skidmark stormwater flip chevy desperate wheels classic rep sprayed stumble stagger clank crutch exha rubber leather cycle reuse weather adapt hiphopopotomus power empower possess deploy bloody grimace bandaged mineral-spirits turpentine shithole pissed-away optimist let-go sustain vision government fascism socialist capitalist tobacco smoke habit addicted addiction addict alone spit color fall coating brandish swords arm begin stoplight end lift-kit locksmith brakes t threaten beckon beg barter steal stolen give longing loan memories romance barf laughte melancholy tarnished chipped fractured hairline toasted a skeleton humanity chemical don’t-giv bare hack hatchet maul chip axe rivet ball-peen nighttime mischief black misdemeanor felony felo weapons zeitgeist conspiracy big-and-black theory export import plunder follow asunder cliff leave waste blank addition subtraction division clean detergent divergent spill splat rus
Focus on the unexpected, overlooked, non-typical, uncommon, unconventional, unorthodox, off-centre, anomalous, irregular, abnormal, aberrant, deviant, divergent; the strange, odd, peculiar, curious, bizarre
ality twoness tuna drove out the poor ad bleached seasoned patina character bolts refined steel cold elegant sumptuousness prestige es bleeding hemmed-in elevated broken empty remodeled failed bustiling whitecastle monster deny anomaly smother smut jacked-up up-onblocks run failure crack meth drugs smoke alcohol clinched cleanse gentrification smartass redeveloped petition gritty grimy grits gross grainy handpainted aust support destroy dissolve evolve plastic excite lose ignite spark fire flame thrust dispose filter repair repurpose sweaty salty malt sadness reposition grasp release fuckup municipal enterprise utility entrepreneur profitability t consumerism desire sweaty-dough cigarette e failure nova rebirth slink springs leafs paint m desperate drive-by driveway drive-in drive-through tires fluid squeal squelch squawk scream yell get need want dying money investment perpetual er interest credit hand-to-mouth debt buried receding removed pride bald-eagle skinned ve-a-shit rented traded bluebook Netflix expose welded bolted screwed nailed wrench expire dark on violence drugs guns germs rats steel hung horses mules rape pillage greased thunder lightning crack Detroit assembly-line pack recuperate equip bedtime shower power flower shhour revisit regain prime time heyday
“There is no doubt whatsoever about the influence of architecture and structure upon human character and action. We make our buildings and afterwards they make us. They regulate the course of our lives.� Winston Churchill
URBAN PROPOSITIONS Motor Row Cultural District Generative Archaeo-Urbanism
THE REVITILIZATION OF MOTOR ROW After the extensive site analysis we did on the broader context of the Cermak Corridor, we began looking at Motor Row as the site for our project for the duration of the semester. Motor Row is a three block stretch of Michigan Avenue south of the Loop. Since it’s hay day in the early 1900s. Motor Row has struggled to maintain a singular identity and purpose, instead fluctuating between grand vibrancy and under utilization. Our goal was to suggest a solution to regenerate the area while allowing it to maintain its unique character.
This drawing by John McCutcheon in 1911 shows the twenty year progression from a stately residential boulevard to one of the premier automobile districts in the nation. Thus named, “Motor Row�.
Motor Row 1890-Present
Because of Motor Row’s proximity to McCormick Place it has recently been getting attention from the city of Chicago as well as developers who see the potential in the area and plan to turn it into an entertainment district. The new green line stop that is to be completed in the fall of 2014 has the potential to bring both more locals and visitors to the area. This is anticipated to help developments, like the new DePaul Stadium, hotels, restaurants, and music venues, thrive once completed.
ARCHITECTURAL PROPOSITIONS When creating an architectural proposition for the area we decided to run with the program of an entertainment district, but instead of relying on the program to draw people in, we wanted to create a series of unique architectural experiences which would connect back to the history of Motor Row while also allowing it flexibility to grow as needed.
MUSIC BAR HOTEL HUDSON
RETAIL/ RESTAURANT MUSIC BAR
BANQUET HALL
RETAIL/REST. RETAIL/REST.
PIANO BAR
BLUES BAR RESTAURANT WINE BAR
ITALIAN REST.
RETAIL
SPORTS BAR
COFFEE SHOP
HOTEL RETAIL POPCORN PARKING GARAGE RETAIL/ RESIDENTIAL
CIGAR SHOP BOWLING ALLEY COMEDY CLUB MUSIC BAR RESTAURANT BURGER JOINT ICE CREAM RETAIL MUSIC BAR
MOTOR ROW MUSEUM
CHICAGO DEFENDER HOTEL JAZZ CLUB RETAIL/REST.
MUSIC/PERF. THEATER
THE RADICAL PROPOSAL With the radical conjectures still on our minds, our first proposal dealt with trying to understand the historical importance of maintaining the street wall. According to the historical report, the true value of Motor Row lies in the facades which front Michigan Avenue. By taking this literally and removing all things behind the facades it allowed us to explore the relationship of the street wall and the new programmatic space behind it.
By limiting access to two points on Michigan, we hoped it would draw interest as to what was behind the obstruction, creating a funneling of people down Michigan and in through the street wall to the program space behind. However, by layering different levels of transparency, visual connection between the interior and exterior could still be maintained and controlled.
By removing the existing structures behind the facades it allows for circulation to more freely adapt a new system within the spaces.
However, there is potential in keeping some of the existing structure which would allow for unique conditions when the new and old systems meet.
THE MICRO-PLANNING PROPOSAL After going down the road of the more radical proposal we realized, that while the exercise was helpful, we wanted to take the project in a more realistic direction. However, we were able to draw out ideas such as sequencing and threshold which became driving concepts for a micro-planning proposal. We realized that it wasn’t really the facades that made Motor Row special, rather it was the grit that established the character and made it unlike any other place in Chicago. In order to maintain these qualities, we choose half a block to develop which would in turn act as a catalyst for the natural growth of the rest of Motor Row. In this proposal we focused on creating spaces and experiences which would draw the user in and through Motor Row, enticing them to further explore the area.
On the West side of Michigan Avenue, we were dealing three existing structures adjacent to each other as well as an empty corner lot which had the possibility for new construction. In all of these buildings were looking at the idea of threshold as a way to draw people into a space, as well as the idea of the relationship between old and new. Program (North to South): Banquet Hall Farmer’s Market Piano Bar Restaurant/Public Park
Marmon Grand Building Banquet Hall When designing the reuse of the Marmon Grand into a banquet hall, we started drawing inspiration from it’s history as an auto showroom and cars coming and going from the street. By pushing back the entrance to the conditioned space, the original facade of the building acts as a gateway, pulling people into a public gathering space before entering the building.
The park space is used as a gathering and transitional place for the buildings that envelop it. It also serves as the exterior portion of the farmer’s market when the market wants to expand outside during the warmer months.
When designing the new restaurant on the empty corner lot, we focused on maximizing the opportunity for user awareness of the contrast between the existing building and the new one. By carving out the first floor of the new building directly adjacent to the old building it creates a space where the user can pass through to the park while at the same time the street wall is maintained.
The wall of the restaurant closest to the current building is curved to break the rigid rectilinear grid of Motor Row, creating a moment of interest for the user, again drawing them through and out to the park.
On the East side of Michigan Avenue, we were dealing three existing structures adjacent to each other as well as an empty lot sandwiched between two buildings. The east side of the street also dealt more directly with the relationship of Motor Row to McCormick Place. In all of these spaces were looking at the idea of threshold as a way to draw people into a space, as well as the ideas of the relationship between old and new in regards to dealing with the existing structure and grid of the buildings and the interaction or lack there of between public and private spaces. Program: Blues Bar Wine Bar Jazz Club Residences
In order to create a place of rest and solitary in the park, only the bones of the north most building are left. This allows for the building to be used as the vehicle for circulation from Indiana Ave to Michigan Ave rather than the park.
Process Work
MICHIGAN AVENUE
TICKETING
ENTRY
SALES
ENTRY
ENTRY
DISPLAY
RESTROOMS
ENTRY
GROUND FLOOR PLAN
BLUES CLUB
BAR
DINING
WINE STORAGE AND DISPLAY
SECOND FLOOR PLAN - RESIDENTIAL
THIRD FLOOR PLAN - RESIDENTIAL
16' SCALE: 1/16" = 1' - 0"
8'
32'
FOURTH/FIFTH FLOOR PLAN - RESIDENTIAL
0'
STAGE
KITCHEN
LOADING/ STORAGE
KITCHEN
WINE BAR
BALCONY AND SEATING
SEATING
KITCHEN
MAIN ENTRANCE
BAR
2ND FLOOR
LOUNGE
1ST FLOOR
SEATING
0'
8'
16' SCALE: 1/16" = 1' - 0"
32'
“There are not more than five musical notes, yet the combinations of these five give rise to more melodies than can ever be heard. There are not more than five primary colors, yet in combination they produce more hues than can ever been seen. There are not more than five cardinal tastes, yet combinations of them yield more flavours than can ever be tasted.� Sun Tzu The Art of War
DELFT WORKSHOP
This weekend workshop was a joint effort by Virginia Tech and TU DELFT in an attempt to have students generate design ideas for the Cermak Corridor. After walking Cermak a number of times, it was refreshing seeing it with the DELFT students. The cultural differences enabled students from both schools to begin to pick up on minute details we may not have otherwise noticed. Our group was struck by the amount of garbage we found on the street and decided to create a proposition that dealt with making people more aware of the amount of waste they produced.
The empty lots in an area can be repurposed by installing transparent trash towers which break down the different types of trash using color indicators. By allowing the community to interact with the trash receptacles, the mundane act of throwing something away becomes much more engaging. By using strategies such as this a community can become more aware of their habits and begin to better understand how to generate solutions for the area.
“Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.� Benjamin Franklin
INTERNSHIP
During the internship portion of the semester I had the opportunity to work on two major assignments: LEED Documentation and a Request for Proposal. Since I hadn’t had the chance to work in a firm before, I learned an exceptional amount in the five week period. The RFP was more rewarding and educational of the two projects in terms of understanding and experiencing (at least a little) the way in which a project gets processed in a firm. For the LEED Documentation, Andrew and I tackled the day lighting and views credits (8.1 & 8.2) for two projects. For the RFP, the four of us (Aaron, Patrick, Andrew, and I) worked directly under Greg Randal.
LEED DOCUMENTATION Siemens Chicago Office
SIEMENS - CHICAGO DOWNTOWN OFFICE 20 S CLARK STREET, SUITE 2210, CHICAGO, IL, 60603 LEED FOR COMMERCIAL INTERIORS: IEQc8.1 REGULARLY OCCUPIED SPACES PLAN MAY 1, 2014 SCALE : 1/16” = 1’-0”
REGULARLY OCCUPIED AREAS
NOT REGULARLY OCCUPIED AREAS
SIDELIGHTING ZONE AREA
22-04
22-06 22-07
22-05 22-14
22-15
22-16
22-17
22-18
22-07 22-19
22-12 ELEV
ELEV
22-05
ELEV
22-01 22-08
ELEVATOR LOBBY
ELEV
ELEV
ELEV
22-03
22-10 22-11
22-02
TEL/ EQUIPM RM
TEL/ ELECT WOMEN'S
MEN'S
VESTIBULE STAIRS 2
PUBLIC CORR
JAN CLOSET
PUBLIC CORR
STRS 1
SMOKE TOWER
SIEMENS - CHICAGO DOWNTOWN OFFICE 20 S CLARK STREET, SUITE 2210, CHICAGO, IL, 60603 LEED FOR COMMERCIAL INTERIORS: IEQc8.1 SIDELIGHTING ZONE FLOOR PLAN MAY 1, 2014 SCALE : 1/16” = 1’-0”
17’-5”
17’-5”
17’-5”
ELEV
ELEV
ELEV
ELEVATOR LOBBY
ELEV
ELEV
ELEV
TEL/ EQUIPM RM
TEL/ ELECT WOMEN'S
MEN'S
VESTIBULE STAIRS 2
PUBLIC CORR
SMOKE TOWER
JAN CLOSET STRS 1
PUBLIC CORR
SIEMENS - CHICAGO DOWNTOWN OFFICE 20 S CLARK STREET, SUITE 2210, CHICAGO, IL, 60603 LEED FOR COMMERCIAL INTERIORS: IEQc8.1 SIDELIGHTING SECTION DIAGRAM MAY 1, 2014
6’-4” 8’-10 3/4”
3
30”
1
2
17’-5”
SECTION 1
6’-4” 8’-10 3/4”
30”
17’-5”
SECTION 2
6’-4” 8’-10 3/4”
30”
17’-5”
SECTION 3
SCALE : 1/8” = 1’-0”
SIEMENS - CHICAGO DOWNTOWN OFFICE 20 S CLARK STREET, SUITE 2210, CHICAGO, IL, 60603 LEED FOR COMMERCIAL INTERIORS: IEQc8.2 SEATED VIEWS PLAN MAY 1, 2014 SCALE : 1/16” = 1’-0”
NO VIEW
VIEW AT 42” A.F.F.
22-04
22-06 22-07
22-05 22-14
22-15
22-16
22-17
22-18
22-07 22-19
22-12 ELEV
ELEV
22-05
ELEV
22-01 ELEVATOR LOBBY
ELEV
ELEV
ELEV
22-03
22-10 22-11
22-02
TEL/ EQUIPM RM
TEL/ ELECT WOMEN'S
MEN'S
VESTIBULE STAIRS 2
PUBLIC CORR
SMOKE TOWER
JAN CLOSET STRS 1
PUBLIC CORR
SIEMENS - CHICAGO DOWNTOWN OFFICE
20 S CLARK STREET, SUITE 2210, CHICAGO, IL, 60603 LEED FOR COMMERCIAL INTERIORS: IEQc8.2 EXEMPLARY PERFORMANCE: MULTIPLE LINES OF SIGHT 90º OR MORE MAY 1, 2014 SCALE : 1/16” = 1’-0” NO VIEW OR VIEW OF LESS THAN 90º
VIEW OF 90º OR MORE AT 42” A.F.F.
22-04
22-06 22-07
22-05 22-14
22-15
22-16
22-17
22-18
22-07 22-19
22-12 ELEV
ELEV
22-05
ELEV
22-01 22-08
ELEVATOR LOBBY
ELEV
ELEV
ELEV
22-03
22-10 22-11
22-02
TEL/ EQUIPM RM
TEL/ ELECT WOMEN'S
MEN'S
VESTIBULE STAIRS 2
PUBLIC CORR
JAN CLOSET
PUBLIC CORR
STRS 1
SMOKE TOWER
SIEMENS - CHICAGO DOWNTOWN OFFICE 20 S CLARK STREET, SUITE 2210, CHICAGO, IL, 60603 LEED FOR COMMERCIAL INTERIORS: IEQc8.2 VIEWS FOR SEATED SPACES SECTION DIAGRAM MAY 1, 2014 2
1
DIRECT LINE OF SIGHT
42”
SECTION 1
DIRECT LINE OF SIGHT
42”
SECTION 2
SCALE : 1/8” = 1’-0”
LEED DOCUMENTATION 625 West Division Street
RESIDENTIAL TOWER
625 W DIVISION STREET, CHICAGO, IL, 60610 LEED FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION: IEQc8.1 REGULARLY OCCUPIED SPACES GROUND FLOOR PLAN MAY 1, 2014 SCALE : 1/16” = 1’-0”
GF 03 GF 01 GF 04 NOT REGULARLY OCCUPIED AREAS REGULARLY OCCUPIED AREAS GF 02
SIDELIGHTING ZONE AREA
RESIDENTIAL TOWER
625 W DIVISION STREET, CHICAGO, IL, 60610 LEED FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION: IEQc8.1 SIDELIGHTING ZONE GROUND FLOOR PLAN MAY 1, 2014 SCALE : 1/16” = 1’-0”
GF 01
GF 02
RESIDENTIAL TOWER
625 W DIVISION STREET, CHICAGO, IL, 60610 LEED FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION: IEQc8.1 REGULARLY OCCUPIED SPACES TYPICAL RESIDENTIAL PLAN MAY 1, 2014 SCALE : 1/16” = 1’-0”
NOT REGULARLY OCCUPIED AREAS
REGULARLY OCCUPIED AREAS
03 B UNIT 01 A
01 C
02 B
UNIT 02 A UNIT 03 A
04 B
SIDELIGHTING ZONE AREA
05 B
UNIT 04 A
UNIT 05 A
UNIT 06 A
UNIT 07 A
UNIT 08 A
01 B
08 B
09 B
16 B UNIT 11 A UNIT 16 A
16 C
UNIT 15 A
15 B
UNIT 14 A
UNIT 13 A
UNIT 12 A
12 B
UNIT 10 A
11 B
09 C
UNIT 09 A
RESIDENTIAL TOWER
625 W DIVISION STREET, CHICAGO, IL, 60610 LEED FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION: IEQc8.1 SIDELIGHTING ZONE TYPICAL RESIDENTIAL PLAN MAY 1, 2014 SCALE : 1/16” = 1’-0”
17’-2”
17’-2”
03 B UNIT 01 A
01 C
02 B
UNIT 02 A UNIT 03 A
04 B
05 B
UNIT 04 A
UNIT 05 A
UNIT 06 A
UNIT 07 A
UNIT 08 A
01 B
08 B
09 B
16 B UNIT 11 A UNIT 16 A
16 C
UNIT 15 A
15 B
UNIT 14 A
UNIT 13 A
UNIT 12 A
12 B
11 B
UNIT 10 A
09 C
UNIT 09 A
RESIDENTIAL TOWER
625 W DIVISION STREET, CHICAGO, IL, 60610 LEED FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION: IEQc8.1 SIDELIGHTING SECTION DIAGRAM MAY 1, 2014 2
1 8’-8”
RESIDENTIAL UNITS
11’-2”
FLOOR 17
21’-11”
30”
6’-3”
RESIDENTIAL UNITS FLOORS 4-16
17’-2”
8’-2”
RESIDENTIAL UNITS FLOOR 3
20’-11”
SECTION 1
SALES
GROUND FLOOR
13’-4”
10’-10”
26’-2”
30”
SECTION 2
SCALE : 3/32” = 1’-0”
RESIDENTIAL TOWER
625 W DIVISION STREET, CHICAGO, IL, 60610 LEED FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION: IEQc8.2 SEATED VIEWS GROUND FLOOR PLAN MAY 1, 2014 SCALE : 1/16” = 1’-0”
GF 01
NO VIEW VIEW AT 42” A.F.F. GF 02
8’-9”
30”
30”
10’-8”
RESIDENTIAL TOWER
625 W DIVISION STREET, CHICAGO, IL, 60610 LEED FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION: IEQc8.2 SEATED VIEWS TYPICAL RESIDENTIAL PLAN MAY 1, 2014 SCALE : 1/16” = 1’-0”
NO VIEW
VIEW AT 42” A.F.F.
03 B UNIT 01 A
01 C
02 B
UNIT 02 A UNIT 03 A
04 B
05 B
UNIT 04 A
UNIT 05 A
UNIT 06 A
UNIT 07 A
UNIT 08 A
01 B
08 B
09 B
16 B UNIT 11 A UNIT 16 A
16 C
UNIT 15 A
15 B
UNIT 14 A
UNIT 13 A
UNIT 12 A
12 B
UNIT 10 A
11 B
09 C
RESIDENTIAL TOWER
625 W DIVISION STREET, CHICAGO, IL, 60610 LEED FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION: IEQc8.2 VIEWS FOR SEATED SPACES SECTION DIAGRAM MAY 1, 2014 2
1
DIRECT LINE OF SIGHT
RESIDENTIAL UNITS FLOOR 17
42”
DIRECT LINE OF SIGHT
RESIDENTIAL UNITS FLOORS 4-16
42”
DIRECT LINE OF SIGHT
RESIDENTIAL UNITS FLOOR 3
42”
SECTION 1
SALES
GROUND FLOOR
DIRECT LINE OF SIGHT 42”
SECTION 2
SCALE : 3/32” = 1’-0”
UNIT 09 A
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL Smart Hotels
G|R|E|C ARCHITECTS
HOTEL AT MOTOR ROW PREPARED FOR JAMES McHUGH CONSTRUCTION CO. PRESENTED BY: SMART-OLY
340’
CERMAK ROAD
Y SK GE
65’- 3”
ID
BR
96’
4’ -9”
DATA CENTER
INDIANA AVENUE
MICHIGAN AVENUE
160’
20’
20’ ALLEY
N
SITE PLAN
SCALE: 1” = 40’-0” 30 April 2014
HOTEL AT MOTOR ROW
G|R|E|C ARCHITECTS
CERMAK ROAD
RETAIL
F&B
CHECK-IN B.O.H.
F
S
H
UP TO PARKING
20’ ALLEY
INDIANA AVENUE
MICHIGAN AVENUE
H LOADING
N
GROUND FLOOR PLAN SCALE: 1” = 40’-0” 30 April 2014
HOTEL AT MOTOR ROW
G|R|E|C ARCHITECTS
CERMAK ROAD
S
Y SK
LOBBY / LOUNGE H
GE
F
ID
BR
F&B
B.O.H.
INDIANA AVENUE
MICHIGAN AVENUE
H
N
AMENITIES LEVEL SCALE: 1” = 40’-0” 30 April 2014
HOTEL AT MOTOR ROW
G|R|E|C ARCHITECTS
304’ - 7”
65’ - 3”
F
H H
N 40 KEYS/FLOOR
TYPICAL GUESTROOM FLOOR SCALE: 1” = 40’-0”
30 April 2014
HOTEL AT MOTOR ROW
G|R|E|C ARCHITECTS
ROOF +132'-9" THIRTEENTH +124'-0" TWELFTH +115'-3" ELEVENTH +106'-6" TENTH +97'-9" NINTH +89'-0" EIGHTH +80'-3" SEVENTH +71'-6" SIXTH +62'-9" FIFTH +54'-0"
SKYBRIDGE AMENITIES LEVEL
FOURTH +37'-0" SUPPORT
THIRD +26'-0" PARKING +16'-0"
±13'-0" CLEAR INDIANA AVE
GRADE +0'-0"
DIAGRAMMATIC E-W SECTION SCALE: N/A
30 April 2014
HOTEL AT MOTOR ROW
G|R|E|C ARCHITECTS
70’-0” 57’-0” 49’-0” 41’-0”
45’-0”
WEST ELEVATION WITHIN MOTOR ROW SCALE: N/A
30 April 2014
HOTEL AT MOTOR ROW
G|R|E|C ARCHITECTS
SOUTHEAST VIEW FROM CERMAK ROAD 30 April 2014
HOTEL AT MOTOR ROW
G|R|E|C ARCHITECTS
SOUTHWEST VIEW FROM CERMAK ROAD 30 April 2014
HOTEL AT MOTOR ROW
G|R|E|C ARCHITECTS
“Sometimes we forget architecture is a business.�
PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE
Through lectures and interviews, Pro Practice helped me get thinking more deeply about the practicing world of architecture and not just the more theoretical side of architecture that we are exposed to in school.
INTERVIEWS
DON COPPER PRINCIPAL ARCHITECT GREC ARCHITECTS
How does GREC deal with “Obligations to Colleagues” as far as an intern coming intern experiencing their first IDP experience? What are they allowed to do or not do? As far as someone coming into our firm, we really look to everyone participating in everything that we do. We try not to marginalize people because of their experience. That’s not the approach we take. We have had a lot of success with involving younger people in the design process. However, there is confidentiality in some of our projects, so we do try to control communications in the office for our client’s interest. What makes a project need to be confidential? Developers don’t want architects to talk about their prospective plans. Most of the time there is confidentiality if the client is in competition with someone else or if you want to do any sort of special zoning. Here in Chicago, you want to have all your information together and ready when you present it to the city, but while you are collecting it, you don’t want them to know what your plans are. When people leave the firm, what is allowed to go with them and what is considered property of the office? Our basic principle is, if you worked on something in the office then you should have access to the materials so you can represent what you did. We allow people to have access to our material for their portfolio. Down the road the material isn’t that proprietary. It’s not like we are doing a wall section that no one has ever done before. We have been lucky in that we haven’t had many times when we had to fire people, and that’s usually the scarier situation. You want to do it in a way that removes them from the temptation to do something damaging. That used to not be such an issue, but now with computers, everyone has access to everything. We did have a situation where someone still had remote access to the server and they were copying files off of it, but we’ve been really lucky that that is the only situation we’ve had to deal with. Do you deal at all with IDP with your employees? I am a supervisor/mentor for people who work here as well as former students who have done some work here. WIth IDP you can get hours from a mentor who will advise you on professional situations so there isn’t a conflict of issues like there might be if you were talking to your boss, however, we try not to make talking to your boss about professional issues a conflict here. Can you talk a little about what would be a violation of the “Obligation to Colleagues”? I try to encourage people here as well as students in Chicago Studio to suspend their inclination towards ownership or who came up with what, who did what, etc. This is a highly collaborative industry, I mean, like it or not, even the contractor is a collaborator in the design process. In a business like this, there’s no single author, it’s just not possible. Even the client, shares authorship of the work. It’s best to subtract that part from one’s ego in the design process. When Adrian Smith left SOM, he took credit for Bourj Khalifa, but so does SOM.
The fact is, they were both contributors to the project so of course they can both take credit for it, because it wouldn’t have happened without one or the other party. For you guys, in the early stages of group work, talking about this important because your group will either fail or succeed depending on if you can work together. Everything that you do is dependent on a group dynamic so you better figure out how to do it now so its good that you have exposure to it now. Do you think there should still be open communication between parties though, when it comes to claiming work? Absolutely, always. It is respectful to communicate with people. And if you are respectful enough to collaborate with people, then you are probably respectful enough to communicate in the proper ways. Going back to the person copying files from the server, what would make them want to do that? Well that goes back to what we were just talking about, that maybe if we had had that conversation, would they still have done that? But we didn’t have that conversation and there were some harsh feelings on both ends that weren’t handled very well.
REFLECTION When looking at the ethical issue of “Obligations to Colleagues” I wanted to talk to Don because I know how much he values his professional relationships. After our conversation with Don the main thing that I keep coming back to is that this ethical issue can be avoided with proper communication. I thought the point Don brought up about having a mentor for IDP to have someone to talk to that isn’t your boss was really interesting. I’m not sure why I hadn’t ever thought about it, and although it makes sense, I don’t think I would want to work for a firm where I didn’t feel comfortable having an honest conversation with my boss or manager. Obviously though, as Don pointed out with the example of the person taking their files and how that was an effect of a sour end to the relationship, the more people that are involved in a situation, the more complicated it becomes. It would seem you have to be not only incredibly self aware in situations where you are interacting with other professionals, but you also have to be able to read others and react to them appropriately. It makes me glad that I’ve had so many chances to work in groups during my education. That I have had the opportunity to experience a variety of different personalities and hopefully be able to better understand my role in a group dynamic.
KELLEY FOLTS ARCHITECT CANNONDESIGN
What are your daily roles and responsibilities? My roles change depending on the project I am working on as well as my individual needs. For example, if I need more IDP hours for CDs and I mention it to my supervisor, she will think of me next time CDs come up and she can put me on them. As long as you communicate your needs they are always taken into account. Do you think CannonDesign does a good job of taking the needs of the individual into account? Definitely, but like I said, you have to communicate. Cannon doesn’t want their employees to be unhappy. There is a heavy focus on having a strong and enjoyable office culture. The office culture at Cannon is a unique one. Do you think that stems from their design goal of involving the community? I don’t think one came directly from the other, but they probably are linked just because Cannon is really engaged in the communities they work in and that translates into the work environment. It’s also something that everyone fights for in the office and strives to keep alive so it makes for a collaborative and team oriented work place. What drew you to Cannon? I really enjoyed the people and the unique work environment. What would you like to change about your job? I’d love to have more vacation time, but not because I don’t enjoy work or I’m getting burnt out. I just want to travel more and experience more of the world. Do you think you will get the chance to travel more for work? I already travel a little for work, but it’s not the same. When you travel for the office it’s not like you are going to sexy places or doing really exciting or leisurely things. You’re really there for work. Do you think programs like CHICAGO STUDIO and design/build that focus more on the practical professional world of architecture are needed more in education? It’s a fine balance. You need those practical skills, but you also need to be able to problem solve and have the design thinking down. I struggle with understanding connections and how things come together, but that is because I wasn’t interested in it in school so I just avoided it. I got the things out of school that I was interested in and isn’t that what your education is about? Where do you see the profession in 10 years? Transitioning to focus more on the broader content. How buildings relate to their communities and how you get them to have a larger influence on the context in which they are placed. This means working with all the different players that end up shaping the building. These are more nontraditional than we usually think too. For example, when working in Brownsville we worked with the River Master of the Rio Grande. It’s about engaging with the community.
Right now Cannon is working on trying to maintain their design excellence through the entirety of a project. We are so good at generating conversation at the beginning of a project but then the practical things start to chip away at the project as you move forward. Do you think that by engaging community members sooner and more often we can instill a sense of ownership in people that will ultimately create a population that is more accepting of design? It’s more complicated than that. The design world in places will Europe are so different that I’m not sure it’s a shift that is even possible in the U.S. Part of it has to do with the economics of a place and what people want to put money towards. Did you struggle at all with the shift of interacting with clients after you got out of school? Not really. I’ve had the luck to work with really amazing clients. But it also helps that most of my interactions have been face to face. Having that interaction was really beneficial in my learning and being able to work effectively with them. It was actually really difficult for me going back into thesis year because I had been working with clients and to have a project all of my own without any guidance or restraint from clients was difficult. I initially didn’t have anything to base my decisions off of. Have you ever had to deal with strong opposition from a client on a project? That isn’t really a problem because we involve the clients so early on. The real problem is dealing with the practical things like zoning and code afterwards that can eat away at the beauty and elegance of a project. We focus on trying to minimize the deformation that those things can create on a project. If you could go back and do something different in your education, would you? I would try harder to make it more diverse in my experiences. I wanted to go to Germany and so I still have ideas about going to do that.
HEIDI HOPPE
ARCHITECT HEIDRUN HOPPE ASSOCIATES
Why did you become an architect? I always liked to build stuff. My father had a furniture shop and I was always in there making houses or stables for my dolls. My first degree was in English Literature and Fine Arts though. Who evaluates your performance? No one really as a small firm owner, but I guess my clients really. And other architects that I work for. What are your roles and responsibilities? Since I’m the owner of my firm I have many different responsibilities and titles. Some knowledgeable clients know what to ask for or know what they want, but otherwise the architect has to define that. You can’t let someone else define your role in a contract. Developers will try to define it for you if you don’t and that is why the role of the architect has declined so much over the years. What do you like most about architecture? I love to build stuff. I enjoy creating things that didn’t exist before, especially for under served communities. I also love working out plans. They are like a puzzle. It’s my favorite part of the process. What could be improved in architectural training and practice? Training: I don’t know what is going on at schools other than VT, so I limit it to VT. Judging by what I saw Katherine experiencing in her studies, it seemed to deal quite well with grappling with varied architectural ideas, scales, types, etc - individual design and group interaction - developing actual practical proficiency in computer applications – having speakers and travel exposing students to many viewpoints and ideally seeing architecture in person. It would be an improvement to look at larger global issues and ethics too – not ethics of running a firm but ethics in a larger sense. Probably VT falls short on architectural history. Not just seeing photos of buildings but in understanding the arc of the history – what it did when, why, how it shaped the world or failed to, what it meant to be an architect at various times vs what it means to be one now – all of these things understood THROUGH a study of places and the history they reflected or changed. I think it would help us to remember and develop our own role in this historic moment. Roundtable discussions of this kind of stuff would be great – designing is certainly necessary in school but really great to see who we are and what we might do with our learned and inherent gifts. Practice: A more collegial world of architects would be an improvement. It is understandably hard when each person and each firm wants to get the most and best projects, make enough to live on, etc. Each is in competition with everyone else. But if we could see ourselves in a larger sense and develop more interactive working situations that I can’t even imagine at the moment – it would be good. The more active role you mention is a given – architect as key player with wider influence. What shifts do you see happening in architectural practice, in the recent past and future? More women is a huge shift and this will continue. In a practical sense, it is more difficult to make a living now than it was in the past, and this creates a lot of angst.
I do see architects moving off into other fields and non-standard ways of practicing, which I think is a really positive development. Where do you see the profession in the next two years? Unfortunately I think that in general the large firms drive the practice, and these firms will be continuing to try to get work overseas in isolated buildings that try to find a “wow factor� since that is what the clients look to us for. The recession is still too recent for architects not to remain afraid of failing to survive. If you get a chance to read Blair Kamin’s 3-part series in the Trib on China, I recommend it. He defines a lot of what is going on now and it will definitely still be going on during the next 2 years. What is the most important piece of advice you would give this generation of architecture students? Oh my! Righty tighty lefty loosy? It has helped me lots of times. Well, actually, how about this: always think 2 or 3 powers of ten beyond your own individual project or job. Expand your work.
CASEY RENNER ARCHITECT SOM
Can you talk about your background and why you became and architect? My dad used to have all these magazines with house plans in them that I just used to study. So I used to study a lot of plans and maps. I think I was fascinated by trying to figure out the relationship of spaces. I did my under grad at University of Minnesota about a year or two behind Andrew. We ended up working together for Ralph Rapson. I studied in Copenhagen where I fell in love with Scandinavia. I ended up moving to Norway to work after my undergrad. I also worked for Vincent James before I went to MIT to get my MArch. Before coming to SOM the biggest firm I worked in was 20 people, so everything was very boutique. What kinds of projects to you work on here? I mostly work on large scale, mixed use, international projects. The projects I work on are usually competitions or in design phase. Since I’m a senior designer I rarely work on the technical side of things, but that works for me because I’m more design oriented. What has been your favorite project to work on here? My favorite project is the Central Mansion, a 22 story tower (about 21,000 square meters), that is currently being built in Hong Kong. I’ve been really involved through the whole process and with the clients so I’ve been able to see the development of the project. It’s a manageable size project so I know almost every aspect of it. We also didn’t get hired as the engineers for the project so we had to work with someone else to explain our design ideas. What are your day-to-day roles? My role as a Senior Designer means I’m dedicated to one project at a time. My responsibilities vary, I can be doing anything from scheduling meetings, delegating tasks, sketching, interpreting designs, or setting up files to pass on to someone else. I usually have 3-5 people per team and no more than 10 and even then I wouldn’t be the head of the whole team. Do you have any advice for architecture students today? It’s important to be able to understand the broad concept or relationships first. Knowing software is great, but if you understand the concepts then as rapidly as technology is advancing these days, you will have an easier time transitioning between new programs. It;s also important to understand that your career is not about Revit. What shifts do you see happening in the industry? There’s a trend going on right now where huge firms just keep swallowing up midsized firms and getting bigger and bigger. I think at some point we will get to the point where mid sized firms no longer exist. It will just be huge firms or tiny boutique firms. I don’t know what that means for us though.
TOM REAGAN
OFFICE MANAGER-CONTROLLER GREC ARCHITECTS
Tom basically handles everything non-architectural in the office. He deals with personnel and computer issues, general office manager duties, accounting (paying the bills, collecting the bills, pay roll) and even marketing proposals. He currently holds the same position at another architecture firm and a developers office. The developer he works for was actually the developer on the ACE Hotel project. He obviously can’t talk about what is going on in the different offices due to conflicts of interest. In that situation you have to hope that everyone can be respectful and fair about the situation. Before getting into the world of architect and design he worked in a fortune 500 company. He traveled a lot, but it was also a really stressful job where we was basically on call 24/7. After that he started working for his sister’s architecture firm where he did the accounting. Tom’s views on architecture and the profession are really intriguing since he doesn’t have any sort of architectural training (formal training) but he knows more about the industry and the way it runs than I do. He has noticed the differences between owners who are more technically focused and those who are more design focused. Designed focused architects have to be reminded about things like over spending the company’s money. But you need to have a balance between the two types of owners. He has noticed things are starting to pick up in the firm since the cuts in 2008. Efficiency of work: Work is more efficient with AutoCAD and computers, More work, Less people. But jobs that require you to travel to the site can be really inefficient. You loose a day of work traveling to and you loose a day back. Architects are really underpaid especially when you are taking liability for 10 or so years after a project. Advice: Don’t forget about your family and your personal life
LOUISE YEUNG
URBAN AND ENVIORNMENTAL PLANNER CMAP
I began the conversation with a short summary of why I was interested in planning and understand more about what CMAP does. I mentioned that community development was more my idea of something I wanted to do instead of more technical things like policy. Planning can definitely be more nontraditional and I think I have more of an abstract definition of planning than most other planners do. However, CMAP itself is a more “traditional” agency because it began as two different entities (Chicago Area Transportation Study (CATS) and the Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission (NIPC)) before they merged. And in a lot of ways they are still heavily focused on transportation planning. I don’t have much of a hand in the transportation side of things though. My education was in environmental policy and community development so I focus more on community sustainability, even though I can deal with topics that are much more traditional (policy) as well as nontraditional (food system management). Where do you get most of your projects from? Mostly (outside of Chicago) they come from the municipal governments but in Chicago they can also come from CDC’s (Community Development Corporations) and other non for profit groups. What do you do on a daily basis? Each project basically goes through two phases. The first is essentially site analysis. We visit the site, take photographs, do interviews, and collect data. Then focus on GIS (Geographic Information Systems) and various other forms of mapping and data analysis. The second phase is gaining an understanding of the issues at hand and then writing a plan that addresses the problems accordingly. In architecture, a firm can be responsible for different types of deliverables for a client. Is this the case with planning as well? There are varying levels of deliverables, yes. It mostly varies based on the resources of the constituent. Some governments don’t have the man power or monetary funds for big comprehensive plans so we end up just giving them the data analysis that we have done so they understand the things that are going on in the community. Why did you decide to go into planning? I worked in DC after graduate school but I wanted more of a local connection with what I was doing and planning seemed like an intersection of a number of my different interests. What is most satisfying about your job? Not directly related to what I do here, but I love that it allows you to think across different boundaries. For example, one of my professors is currently working on overlaying data of respiratory infection with geographic maps to find areas with PCP, Asbestos, or high lead concentration. Then he is working with properties owners to start to address the root cause of these infections. I also really enjoy working with people, but I’m also comfortable doing the more technical things too.
Do you see in shifts in the profession happening? There is currently a huge shift towards the trend of big data and technology as solutions. In some ways these things are really great because big data creates more transparency of government agencies as well as pushes planners to be more creative thinkers. DIVY just released a huge data set and had a competition asking people to just see what they could do with it. But in other ways, it’s tricky because technology is now being used as a band aid for problems instead of people really trying to address the root cause. It’s my belief that finding real solutions to problems is something that takes a person and not something that technology will ever be able to replace. Do you see collaboration between industry professionals becoming more prevalent? Yes, and sustainable design was one of the main forces of that push because it started to get people to think about buildings in relation to their urban fabric more so than they had before. What about collaboration between planners and the non traditional industry professional? It varies with the city. Some planners are beginning to work with public health care entities, ecologists, and hydrologists. Do you ever work with architects to do things like SOM’s Great Lakes project? Not usually, but it would be great. Projects like that allow for more people to start thinking about different issues. They start conversations.
JEFF GOLDBERG ARCHITECTURAL PHOTOGRAPHER ESTO
How did you get into architectural photography? I’ve been photographing since I was twelve. I grew up in the New York area and went to Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) for school. I originally wanted to be a photojournalist, but I realized you had to be really aggressive and pushy to get the shot you needed. That didn’t suit my personality very well and I didn’t want to fight for my shot. When I joined Esto and started doing architectural photography I realized how natural it seemed to come to me. I’ve always been interested in light as a photographer and architects use light in their work so I was drawn to that. I also like going into a project with fresh eyes and being able to show an architect something that they may have overlooked or forgotten about after being so invested and close to a project. Architectural photography should be simple and direct. Glass is about transparency and letting light in and walls and floors are about opacity and catching the light to create shadows. It seems like one of the benefits of photography as documentation is its ability to capture a singular moment in a place that is so complex. Do you think that is true? Definitely, photography has the opportunity to be both stagnant and dynamic at the same time which is actually very similar to architecture. Are there certain types of buildings that you like to photograph more than others? Not really, I enjoy photographing houses because you have more flexibility to move things around and choreograph the shot, unlike in public buildings where you have to deal with things the way they are and people moving around and such. Both are interesting though. What did you notice about your switch from shooting large format to digital? What changed about the way you shoot? The main change is that now my hands don’t smell like chemicals anymore. Now, I do most of my work post shoot now rather than spending my time setting up a shot. For every day of shooting I have at least a day maybe two of editing. I’ve noticed though with the capabilities we have with Photoshop, a lot of photos are really over worked. Photos are muddled in their colors and therefore lack contrast. There are no longer true blacks or whites, everything is just grays and you start to lose the dynamic qualities of a place. The other thing that has changed is I have the ability to shoot a lot more. When you are working with large format you can carry maybe twelve frames for a shot just because of their size. Now I shoot probably one hundred maybe two hundred photos in a day. Have you ever had a client who wanted you to capture a particular moment that you didn’t? No, I do a pretty good job of capturing all the moments that a client desires, but that’s because I like to sit down with a client before I shoot to talk to them about the project and see what they are interested in. It’s even better if I get to walk the site with them, that way they can walk me through the project and start to point out specific moments that were crucial to the design.
I also do a good bit of scouting the site for lighting and angles too. I will send a client maybe a hundred scouting photos and they will pick the ones they like (which are also typically my favorites of the bunch) and then over the next few days I’ll wait for the light to be right for the final shots.
REFLECTIONS ON PRACTITIONER INTERVIEWS Since it’s spring of my fourth year, recently a lot of my friends have been graduating. I remember thinking in the fall that I was so glad I had another year in school because I felt completely unprepared for the working world. This semester has drastically changed those feelings for me. Having the chance to work and just get to know so many people in and out of the profession of architecture has been an experience that I wouldn’t give up for anything. Looking back on all of the interviews and meetings I’ve had over the semester there are a few things I notice. One, even after you are an architect you are still trying to figure out what exactly that means. Two, it’s not the end of the world if I don’t end up as a traditional architect. Architecture is incredibly complex, throw in the issue of rapidly advancing technology, the demand to design sustainable buildings, and the fact that a lot of architects can’t put their egos aside, and you have a lot of things to think about. I will say that it made me feel a lot better when Casey said “You’re career is not about Revit.” In school, we are constantly under pressure to find an internship over the holidays and summers and because the industry is so competitive, you try to master as many skills as you possibly can to make yourself marketable to a firm. Plus, Tech is dealing with all of their politics about wether to make software programs required courses or to remain true to their pedagogy. It ends up being a tense subject a lot of times between the staff and the students. To have someone like Casey, who is obviously a highly talented designer working at SOM, say, don’t be a slave to the technology, felt like a big deal to me. At least it was a refreshing moment. Overall though, I really just feel that I have a much better understanding of what it actually means to be an architect and a practicing architect at that, not just an architect in the theoretical sense. After doing design/build I thought I had a better sense of what it would be like to work in the industry. And in some ways I did, but in a lot of ways, design/build was still very sheltered from the realities of working in the industry. This isn’t a bad thing, it’s just the nature of the program that it isn’t a classroom setting, but it isn’t an office setting either. But I digress, the point is, after being able to sit down and talk to Heidi, Kelley, Don, Louise, Tom, Jeff, and Casey I know about what is happening in the industry right now. I have a better understanding of what issues architect and design are facing right now, so I know what I will be walking into when I graduate. Speaking of graduating, I still don’t know where I will end up this time next spring, but I feel optimistic. Having the chance to talk to Louise about CMAP was really great because my interests in design are a much broader scale then what most firms delve into. So it was nice to be able to talk to someone who regularly dealt with broader scale design projects to see what changes she is seeing on that side of the spectrum. I also want to note that although Natasha and I never had an official interview, she was amazing to talk to over the course of the semester. Her intellect and enthusiasm astounds me and I feel extremely lucky to have someone like that who is willing to take the time to sit and talk with me. That leads me to say that in closing, I am incredibly grateful to have had the chance to sit down and talk with all of the people involved with Chicago Studio. I have learned so much this semester about the profession and what it means to actually be a part of it. I am blown away by the generosity and passion of the people involved and I really look forward to staying connected with all of them.
LECTURES
RANDY GUILLOT
DESIGN PRINCIPAL & REGIONAL DESIGN DIRECTOR CANNONDESIGN
Randy’s 10 Rules for your career in Design: 1. Build meaningful relationships through hard work. There is no substitute for hard work The process of architecture has changed from being a recipe to being more organic, changing, a and unknown Attach yourself to talented people 2. Communication is everything. “You are as good as your ability to convince people how good you are.” 3. Have broad influences and mentors. Embrace the mentor 4. Surrender to your time management demon. We suck at time management Don’t rush things Don’t cut yourself short 5. Your client is your design partner. 6. Listen. Do this to the best of your ability, but also take it and make it your own, but understand it still has to get done 7. Don’t expect the outcome/set yourself up for discovery. You can’t be creative and innovative is you aren’t going through the FULL process 8. Promote your strengths. Say what you are good at, but SHOW it too If you don’t promote yourself, who will? Great attitudes can’t be taught 9. Be generous and be courageous. 10. There is always more than one right answer. It’s in the grey that we thrive
I was really excited by Randy’s lecture. He had a lot of great things to say for students who are just getting started, but also things that should be carried all the way through a career. Going back over the notes I took, the thing that keeps coming to my mind is just be passionate about what you do and let that show. Be curious and understand that you should never be done learning, in fact, don’t ever WANT to be done learning. That means learning from experiences as well as learning from other people. I will say that the other thing that comes with that is just being open. I think many of the things he talked about like communication, time management, listening, and promoting your strengths, come from understanding yourself and your process. This is something that, as a student, I’m still trying to figure out. Accepting things about yourself is probably the most difficult thing to be open about, so it’s a constant process. While I think all ten of the things he said were important, I know communication is a huge thing I need to work on. I communicate decently through writing, but as an architect I need to be able to communicate visually through graphics and that’s something I struggle with. The other thing is setting myself up for discovery. I tend to focus too much on knowing what my end product will be and then just producing. This semester will be good for me in that way since Andrew focuses so much on process. Lastly, time management is an issue which goes hand in hand with the later. This is something that I think I have gotten better at, but will (hopefully) continue to grow at
IKER GIL
DIRECTOR//EDITOR-IN-CHIEF MAS STUDIO//MAS CONTEXT
What are the assess that cities have that people don’t pay attention to, but that can be taken advantage of to propel the city forward? You can do a lot with what you already have How do you trade things that people already have, but they don’t need, to trade for something that they do need? Barcelona: Public space: How people use the street and public space: Precise interventions in the city that was trying to make sense of a larger network. Interested in what other people were doing both in architecture and in design in general How do you begin to connect the dots between different contexts and different disciplines
“Nothing I do is linear.”
Because he does projects he is interested in The more you project an idea, the more people will see that and the more a certain client will seek you out Architecture for Humanity Chicago: Street Furniture Competition 2010 Creating a system with cheap materials that can grow and become a landscape which is flexible Provide a framework to approach the problem and tweak it instead of trying to have all the answers Creating a sense of ownership by having the community build the project (from start to finish) Even after the competition was removed the people continued to use and develop the empty lot and the city then gave them 100,000 dollars to turn the space into a permanent park The competition was a way to test a solution (never thought it would stay there) and if it works you can invest more money and more effort into a better solution -Chicago Exhibition: How do you make multi-functional space that makes people want to engage? How do you make an exhibition more public and playful? Pedway Project: How do you map what is already there and propose something new? Keeping the same structure, but begin to open it up and make it more useful Communal space versus public or private space It doesn’t have to be comprehensive and long to begin to study an idea Emerald Park Project: Winner: How do you start to connect different systems in a city to make a network which is much tighter?
Starting a conversation about the opportunities which doesn’t start off with the city in a defensive position (shows that you are interested and engaged in your city) How do you start to think about the potential of the city? Marina City Towers: Interior Study: Interesting an iconic building in Chicago which has a certain pride about not only their units, but the whole building in general How do people make a home? How can something that is so similar also be so different? Starting to talk about how successful the building is without talking about it in architectural terms. Shown through photographs rather than architectural drawings Showing something that is domestic, through something that is domestic: a newspaper Using the exhibition as a way to build trust with the owners of the apartments When traveling to other cities, people would begin to relate buildings from the 50s and 60s in their city and beginning MAS CONTEXT How do you talk about one topic from different perspectives? How do you create a platform for people to write and collaborate with many different people? Print versus online When you print something you need to create something that is intriguing, something that people want to spend money on. New Mexico house: Mix between people at different times of their lives No real outcome there, but projects did develop from that afterwards
Projects can be the catalysts for changing the perception of space. The trend I noticed when typing up my notes for Iker’s lecture was that his desires for design go beyond looking at the city or building scale and instead relate back to the human scale. Iker’s Marina City project fascinated me in its ability to take an architecturally iconic building and make it something solely focused on the user instead. By understanding that there was more significance to the building than just its unique form, the project that Iker put together was able to begin to understand what was important about the space created for the individual. Even then, the representation used was one that didn’t speak specifically about the architecture, but more about the unique personalization occurring within similar spaces. This focus on the individual user is something I think contemporary architecture is missing. The trend in architecture now seems to be focused mostly on creating monuments with intricate and complex forms rather than on the experience of the user in the space. I wonder in some ways if this trend hasn’t added to the outside perception of architects as just caring about aesthetics. One thing Iker mentioned was that this focus, on the individuality of the units, lead to a trust between the different owners and those working on the project. I’m curious if more projects, that encouraged this connection, occurred if that perception might begin to shift. For that to happen though, it seems that the current understanding of our responsibilities as architects would have to change. Meaning, there would need to be more focus on creating experiences within buildings that address the way people live and function and less emphasis on the exterior aesthetics of a building. One of the other things that I really enjoyed about Iker’s lecture was the variance in representation from the standard architectural presentation. Both the info graphics and the presentations overall were visually striking, but also explicit in their message. This could be an effect of MAS CONTEXT being a compilation of so many people from different backgrounds, resulting in the need for a graphic to be completely clear to all people, not just architects. The question of representation is one that we have been talking a lot about this semester and one that is essential to understand for architecture. And this project is a shining example of how successful a drawing or graphic can be when presented properly.
DREW RANIERI
ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL ARCHITECT SCB
What is a contract?
“AN AGREEMENT TO REDUCE THE RISK AND CLEARLY STATE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF A PROJECT.” Components of a Contract: Fee Time Materials Schedule Responsibility/Risk Roles Work Product (including ownership) Fees: Lost time is lost money The best fees are for time and materials Schedule: If a project gets held up, the architect looses Risk/Responsibility: You can’t leave blanks in the responsibilities If something goes wrong, whose fault is it? Specifications cover the architect (as long as they are correct) Roles: Who’s doing what and to what extent? Work Product: How will the drawings be used later? By the owner? How accurate do they need to be then? Digital Media Changing the relationship between the owner, architect, and contractor The expectations of the owner are being changed by the use of digital media
Design Relationships
OWNER
CONTRACTOR
ARCHITECT
Phases and Breakdown of Time for a Project
CONSTRUCTION ADMINISTRATION BIDS
PROGRAMMING SCHEMATIC DESIGN DESIGN DEVELOPMENT
CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS The main thing I took away from Drew’s lecture about contracts was the importance of the relationship between the architect, contractor, and owner. Doing design/build gave me a little taste of what working with subcontractors is like, but it was different because in that situation we were playing the roles of both the designers and the contractors (hence not having to write any contracts). We understood what it was we were trying to accomplish with the design and could make adjustments as necessary on the job site. I can see how disconnections between the architect and the contractor could cause issues to arise during construction. So then how does defining the roles and responsibilities of the different parties in the contract help to reduce that disconnect? It doesn’t. Today’s contracts deal with defining roles and responsibilities. But what if they started to define set educational and collaborative sessions between the architect, contractor, and owner? Would this in turn help to create more projects that are efficient and also push the boundaries of design? I understand that with the complexity of the industry today the likelihood of merging the role of architect and contractor back into one is slim to none. I doubt that would be a smart move for the economy anyway. However, I think it could be an interesting idea to use the contract as a way to induce interdisciplinary learning between the different parties the same way they are used to define how many times the architect must or can visit the site.
DON COPPER PRINCIPAL ARCHITECT GREC ARCHITECTS
ACE Hotel LA Adaptive Reuse of a Landmark Building Downtown LA Gritty area that is starting to be repopulated by young creative people (pre gentrification) Interior -> Tactile United Artists Theater Building (1927) Pacific Head Quarters of Texaco 1st Floor-Lobby, Check in, Theater 2nd Floor- Office Center, Ballroom 3rd - 13th Floors- Guest Rooms Cast-in- Place Seismic Reinforcement Interior Design done by Commune Design Hotels don’t usually have architects do the interior design because they want to brand the space If you renovate a building you can’t add signage but if it has signage you have to restore it. Keeping the character of the neighborhood 3 levels of land mark commission Had to be consistent when getting things approved Adds to construction costs
“Nothing’s Simple” As architects, we just articulate what everyone already knows. We think about how you make it, they think about how you live in it. CDs define the roles and responsibilities of everyone in a project Shop Drawings How the contractor will build your drawings If it’s wrong, you file a non compliance and they have the opportunity to prove how they will solve it.
I understand from a lability stand point why Don thinks architects should steer clear of the construction side of the process, but in all honesty, I believe architects who have a clear understanding of the way in which a building comes together ultimately can make better architecture. And I think there are plenty of design/build firms out there that prove that taking on the liability is not the end of the world. It’s frustrating in a lot of ways that we, as architects complain all the time about how awful contractors make things for us, and yet we make no effort to try to better understand the why our designs would be built. Perhaps it is just my love for the making process, but I can’t comprehend why an architect wouldn’t want to try to have their hands on all aspects of their designs. I mean, isn’t the ultimate goal of the architect to have their design be realized? We shouldn’t get upset when a contractor or engineer tells us we can’t do something, instead, we should see that as our failure. From the beginning of the design process, an architect should be thinking about the physical manifestation of their project and the process that that entails. The fact that multiple times I’ve heard that the role of the architect is diminishing makes me wonder why we aren’t doing anything to take back that role. We can’t blame contractors or engineers for this shift either, they are simply compensating for the architects lack of building knowledge.
ADAM WHIPPLE PROJECT MANAGER NEWCASTLE LIMITED
Project Management and the broadened field of architecture Urban Designer and Project Architect Skills: Problem Solving Presentation and Communication Coordination and Teamwork Breaking down complex ideas Spacial Understanding Design and Creativity Project Management: Organizing components of a project (A project is)Created once and is specific (It has a schedule, a scope, and a budget) There are only small differences between architecture and other industries Differences in size of office Small firm: Project Manager does a lot more/ has more responsibility. Large firm: Responsibilities are much more limited and specific Managed clients mostly Now: Involved on big projects, but also doing a lot more Design Work Site Purchasing Hiring Scheduling The broadened field: Architecture is much more broad than people think about Design thinking is starting to be embraced by other industries Project Management is the easiest way to move between fields To learn design thinking you have to be ingrained in it Design thinking can’t be imported, other skills can be Square is a rectangle, but a rectangle is not a square You have to figure out what you want to pursue and how to package it
The main point that Adam brought up about the differences in responsibility at a small firm versus and large firm seems pretty obvious to me. Of course at a small firm there are less people to do the same amount of work which means each person has to be able to wear a variety of hats. In a larger firm, each person has the ability to become more specialized and go into more detail on a specific type of task. After being around Cannon and SOM though and seeing all the different types of work that they do, it seems like that blanket statement might not be totally true of all firms. For example, at GREC while each person does do a number of different things, they each have their specialties too. Ryan is the rendering guy, Ray is the CD/ AutoCAD guy, and Paola is the Illustrator wiz. It seems to me that the amount of variety in tasks that you have is also dependent on the culture and work style of each individual firm.
NATASHA KROL
STRATEGIST-ENGAGEMENT MANAGER MCKINSEY & COMPANY
Natasha started off her lecture by having us get up, go outside and walk around a block at least twice. We had to choose some way to document the walk in whatever format we decided. I walked around a block, twice, photographing all of the doors that were off of the sidewalk. Here was the lecture that followed this exercise: What did you notice? How did you record it? What is it that you bring to the world? What do you have to offer? “To explore the invisible” Our experience of: Architectural Space Life Work Is a result of how we arrive at it. Working at McKinsey: “Facilitating people to solve their own problems” Why do we do what we do? Working with other to come up with solutions to a problem Acts as the glue to the different ideas in order to come up with one solution Efficiency is based a lot on the company/more stable/financially secure or does the company have more influence? Are your employees happy? What is my method of engaging with the world? Document yourself. How do you get past the misconceptions of motives? Have empathy Time Listening
It was really refreshing to hear from someone with an architecture background that does something completely different from architecture. In school, it seems we are just expected to graduate, work for a firm, and then get our licence. To see someone take the design thinking that we learn in school and apply it to something totally different was really fascinating and encouraging for me since I’m not 100% sure that traditional architecture is what I want to be doing for the rest of my life. It was also interesting to me that what Natasha does as a strategist revolves around people and fixing the needs of people. This is very similar to architecture, although I think in today’s world we seem to forget sometimes that architecture is about people. The other thing that was really interesting about Natsha’s lecture was this idea of self reflection. This is a concept that people rarely talk about. We focus so much on what the image is we are projecting to everyone else, we hardly stop to consider who we are. This goes back to my thoughts on the idea of self awareness when interacting with other people. It doesn’t surprise me that Natasha is good at what she does since she is obviously very self reflective and I’m sure that benefits her in social situations.
DAVID WILTS PRINCIPAL ARUP
Big Five Goals: 1. Improve user experience for all 2. Improve productivity 3.Reduce costs of Operations 4.Reduce costs of Energy and Utilities 5. Empower sustainability and stewardship goals How can technology and automation benefit the user experience? Different user groups use the building differently If automation starts to get in the way, then it’s too much. Negative effects=too much People assume it’s too expensive or too much time Building systems that start to talk to other user applications Motion sensors that speak to outlook to say if a space is actually being used or not. Return on investment It’s bought already Capabilities already there you just need to add the data exchange between different interfaces By linking systems you can save labor, material, and transportation costs Utility/Funding Grants Manufactures Offset costs Vancouver Convention Center Dynamic automation Perut Museum of Nature and Science Putting the systems on display Lawfirm NYC Quick turnaround remote occupancy monitoring
Project Deliverables/Process Questionnaire Design Brief User/Systems Matrix Overview Diagram Deployment Matrix Roles and Responsibilities Drawing Package Specs Package
“The building knows you’re there and wants to take care of you.” David’s lecture got me really exciting because the whole time I kept relating it back to working at Squires. It brought up some really interesting questions for me. One, at what point does this technology start to push out the human factor. For example, if smart building systems were integrated into the student center, lets say the motion sensors that relate back to Outlook to say when a room is in use or not combined with electronic locks where you could use your Hokie Passport to swipe into a room, then my job at the front desk of monitoring when groups go in and out of rooms by picking keys up with me, would pretty much be pointless. On the other hand, I could see the room monitoring software incredibly efficient for Squires where we can never be certain if a group if actually using a room or not. The appealing thing to me about all of these smart devices is that when they are done properly, they are incredibly efficient. However, I am cautious of the development of the technology and how dependent we may become on it. Earlier this week my cell phone service was shut off and I didn’t have a phone for a few days. The deprivation made me starkly aware of just how dependent I have become on using my phone for a lot more than just communicating. This experience made me wonder what other effects I am dealing with in response to the rapid advancement of technology during my lifetime.
JOHN SYVERTSEN PRINCIPAL ARCHITECT CANNONDESIGN
Passions eb and flow, but they never go away. Background 10 years working in a small firm Owned a firm Visiting professor at Minnesota Teaching 2&3 years Didn’t know how to say no at the beginning Joined a 150 person firm to later end up becoming the president Merged with CannonDesign Similar in ideas and complimented each other geographically CannonDesign: Once merged, just became another guy working in the firm instead of the president/CEO Public interest within the firm -> Find a way to connect many people together -> Open Hands Studio For architecture to start to improve people’s lives, the firm has to be engaged in the community Architecture for Humanity The absence of design in corporate America is evident Ford Foundation and Public Architecture: Brownsville Project Struggling downtown Brownsville due to tough boarder condition How do you find a way to get the school to stay in DT Brownsville? RFQ Interview Chosen The first step was site selection and of the twelve sites, one was in DT Brownsville Saw the opportunities for social, economic, cultural, and historic implications with the Brownsville Project A relationship started with an act of generosity is a trusting relationship. “Daunting Challenge meets Radical Optimism” What we hope is to figure out the relationship of the client with their community and be able to change. Shape not only the physical, spacial needs, but also the social and communal aspects of a project.
Finding ways to infuse the cultural with your values. Michael Porter- Harvard Business Review- Business value of public interest How do you redefine “value”? It’s the responsibility of the designer not just a feel good thing. “Isn’t it okay for the reward to be quiet and profound?” JB Jackson How barbed wired changed the American landscape Teaching you how to see Beauty is not an aspect but an essence derived from humans
John Syvertsen talking about Open Hands Studio was really inspirational for me. I’m a little sad that I didn’t meet him earlier in the semester because the work that the studio does is just up my alley. This idea that an architectural project can be so much more than just fulfilling the needs of the client is one that we have talked about a few times over the semester and one that we talk about in school, but we talk about it in relation to our architectural theories rather than realistically talking about the people that the project will indirectly effect. I would be interested to know more about how John got this idea in his head. Was it just something that he noticed in the office culture that there was interest in, or did it stem from something else? I also loved at the end when he was talking about doing a lot of reading even though most of it wasn’t architectural. It made me think of Andrew’s comment about being the most interesting person you possibly can be. I have come to discover how true it is that the more well rounded you are, the better chance you have at connecting with someone, just because you have a higher likelihood of having common interests. I would be curious if John’s wide range of interests lead him at all to the idea of Open Hands.
“Make no little plans. They have no magic to stir men’s blood and probably will not themselves be realized.” - Daniel Burnham
URBAN MAPPING
Through our exploration of urban design principles, as well as my own experience living in a city the size of Chicago, I now have a better grasp on what to takes to not only plan but also implement a “good city�.
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 over arching 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
Planned vs. Unplanned
Density vs. Sprawl
Guiding Populations
Intercity Transit
Urban Infill
Energy Efficient Materials
PRINCIPLE #2: ACCESSIBILITY 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.
Multiple Modes of Transportation
Small Blocks & Streets
Concentrated Destinations
SMALL BLOCKS AND STREETS
EASE OF MOVEMENT
Geometry & Scale
CONCENTRATED DESTINATIONS
EASE OF MOVEMENT
PRINCIPLE #3: DIVERSITY Anna Knowles-Bagwell Aaron Williams
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. Mixed Use to Reduce Urban Sprawl
Conservation and Diversification
+
=
Optimizing Adjaceny Between Uses
VISUAL VARIETY
CONSERVATION
Multiple Voices within a Development
SMALL PAR
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.
INDUSTRIAL
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INDUSTRIAL
Programmed open spaces for human activities versus open spaces that accommodate industrial and infrastructural needs.
QUNLI PARK, CHINA
NEW YORK, NEW YORK
PHOENIX, ARIZONA
TOP: Large open spaces for habitat and natural 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.
PRINCIPLE #5: COMPATIBILITY 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.
PRINCIPLE #6:INCENTIVES Patrick McMinn John Sturniolo Incentives for expanding or building a city generally focus on areas that have under used 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.
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HISTORIC BUILDING PRESERVED
PRINCIPLE #7: ADAPTABILITY 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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DIRECTION OF EXPANSION
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General Practice
Optimal Practice
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INCOMPLETE NEIGHBORHOOD
DEVELOPMENTS DEVELOPMENTS
PERMANENT PERMANENT OPENOPEN SPACE SPACE
GENERAL PRACTICE GENERAL PRACTICE
OPTIMAL PRACTICE OPTIMAL PRACTICE
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SCALED CITY PLANNING SCALED CITY PLANNING
OPEN SPACE
PRINCIPLE #8: DENSITY Ethan Bingeman Alec Yuzhbabenko
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
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Financial Districts
Establish Neighborhoods
Residential Districts
PRINCIPLE #9: IDENTITY 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. Balance between generic and unique
Issues: environmental sameness, repetition of elements, places that are hard to comprehend /sense of being lost, and lack of natural features
ACCESSIBILITY WITHIN MOTOR ROW Motor Row is relatively successful in it’s accessibility on a number of scales. When looking at the urban scale and the connections between Motor Row and the rest of Chicago the new green line train station just to the west will make a huge difference in the accessibility to the area from other neighborhoods in Chicago. Right now, the easiest public transit method (and the one that will get you the closest) is the 3 bus. However, there are several bus routes that run in the area and are easily accessible for all the cardinal directions. Steping down a scale and looking at Motor Row in relation to its immediate neighbors, Motor Row is easily accessible for pedestrians of both the South Loop neighborhood and the previous Ickles homes neighborhood. It also is right next door to McCormick Place and is therefore easily accessible for visitors staying at the hotels at the convention center. Even within Motor Row itself, the human scale of the buildings make it a comfortable place to spend time in. The buildings are broken down into smaller, tighter parcels, making them ultimately more visually diverse, but also allows for different types of program due to the varied spacial qualities. However, the streetscape is terrible for pedestrians and bikers along this stretch of Michigan. The street is four driving lanes with street parking which makes crossing the street for any pedestrian, not only uncomfortable, but dangerous. If the sidewalks were extended and bike lanes were added along Michigan it would allow for several different benefits to occur. One, adding bike lanes means more people would feel comfortable biking on Michigan and therefore there is a likelihood of a reduction in automotive traffic. Two, extended sidewalks would allow for more comfortable and safer pedestrian traffic. Three, it would allow the space for business owners to start to stretch out onto the sidewalk, creating outdoor seating for restaurants or outdoor vending for stores. This inevitably would make more people stop at a place, increasing customers, and increasing sales for companies.
Bus Route Pedestrian Green Line Train