CHICAGO STUDIO - ERIN YOUNG by Erin

ERIN YOUNG SPRING 2014

CHICAGO STUDIO 1

ERIN YOUNG CHICAGO STUDIO VIRGINIA TECH SPRING 2014

TABLE OF C TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABOUT CHICAGO STUDIO

DESIGN LAB

CHINATOWN ISLAND MEGABLOCK CARTOGRAPHIC ARCHITECTURE HISTORICAL TYPICAL + ATYPICAL ANALYSIS TU DELFT WORKSHOP REDMOON THEATER

10 12 14 20 28 30

INTERVIEWS BRIAN BASSETT JOHN JANDA BRIDGETT BAKER THOMAS DON COPPER - ETHICS KELLEY FOLTS LUIS MONTERRUBIO TAYLOR MCKINSEY HAYES BRISTER REFLECTION

84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 100 102

CONTENTS LECTURES RANDY GUILLOT DREW RANIERI BRIAN LEE NATASHA KROL IKER GIL GEOFF WALTERS LAURA FISHER PETER ELLIS ADAM WHIPPLE JOHN SYVERTSEN

104 106 108 110 112 114 116 118 120 122 124

URBAN MAPPING SUSTAINABILITY ACCESSIBILITY DIVERSITY OPEN SPACE COMPATIBILITY INCENTIVES ADAPTABILITY DENSITY IDENTITY ACCESSIBILITY FOR REDMOON

126 128 130 132 134 136 138 140 142 144 146

VON WEISE ASSOCIATES INTERNSHIP

148

PHOTOGRAPHS

154 5

ABOUT CHICA The CHICAGO STUDIO creates a neutral platform for the discussion of architectural and urban strategies, and the curriculum is guided through the collaboration of Chicago’s leading visionaries in an effort to generate potential innovations for the City of Chicago. This powerful mechanism directly integrates education and practice by embedding A+D students within some of Chicago’s leading A+E firms. The program operates in a virtual campus where university facilities are recreated throughout the city in design firms and organizations made available from the program’s vast network of supporters. Its distinctive structure and curriculum promotes a collaborative design process encompassing multiple points of view within academia, the profession and the broader community. -Andrew Balster, Director of the Chicago Studio

CAGO STUDIO

DESIGN

N LAB

CHINATOWN ISLAND 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”. The prompt is to transplant Chinatown from its existing context and create Chinatown Island in Lake Michigan. The extent of Chinatown is determined and selected based upon one’s reading of the area, research and intuition.

Mapping the growth in density over time in Chinatown and Chicago has shown a similar growth pattern at a multiplicity of scales. The Chinatown Island is a reflected density growth diagram on Lake Michigan. The Chinatown downtown that is known today will be juxtaposed next to Chicagoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s downtown, emphasizing the reflection. As Chinatown has shown a continuous history of expedited growth in population, Chinatown will expand in reflection of being a mirror to the existing infrastructure of Chicago. While Chinatown expands, the downtown cores of Chinatown and Chicago will start to blur as they interact and densify over time.

MEGABLOCK Reimagine the Cermak Corridor from Damen to McCormick Place as a unified MegaBLOCK. The proposition must fit within the ratio of a cube in an imaginary and isolated state. The megaBlock should convey a new physical order, atmosphere, culture and an infrastructure for horizontal and vertical movement.

Cermak Road contains several neighborhoods and cultures along a long, narrow stretch. When the area of the Cermak Axis is reconfigured into a cube that reflects the different spatial conditions that occur in McCormick Place, the largest convention center in North America, different parts of the neighborhood occur at different depths guaranteeing interaction while maintaining the feeling of a dense community within the respective cultures.

CARTOGRAPHIC ARCHITECTURE ACT I: RECORDING

RECORDING THE CERMAK AXIS WITH ONLY THE SENSE OF TOUCH (TACTIOCEPTION)

144 CHARCOAL RUBBINGS 3 MILES 1 ROAD EVERY BUILDING

14 16

15 17

CARTOGRAPHIC ARCHITECTURE ACT II: MAPPING

1 texture

2 textures

3 textures

4 textures

signage

grates

gate

misc

fence

glass

stone

sheet

other

5 textures

0 textures facade

FREQUENCY OF TEXTURE

fence

1 km

brick

4 blocks

ORIGINAL SEQUENCE

less dense

DENSITY OF TEXTURE

more dense

BREAKDOWN

ORIGINAL SEQUENCE

BREAKDOWN

STREETFRONT TYPOLOGIES

ORIGINAL SEQUENCE

BREAKDOWN

MATERIAL TYPOLOGIES

ORIGINAL SEQUENCE

BREAKDOWN

ACT III: A CARTOGRAPHER’S WORKSHOP

2 4 5

KEY 1 MAGNETIC 2 WORK 3 CATALOG 4 PROJECT 5 SORT 6 SIT

N N

1 ft

20 ft

A CARTOGRAPHER WHO CAN SEE TEXTURE, BUT CANNOT FEEL IT 19

HISTORICAL TYPICAL + ATYPICAL ANALYSIS CERMAK ROAD HISTORICAL ANALYSIS CERMAK ROAD

typical having the distinctive qualit informal showing the charac particular person, situation, representative, classic, quint average, ordinary, standard, predictable, unsurprising, un early 17th century: from med

ties of a particular type of person or thing: cteristics expected of or popularly associated with a or thing: tessential, archetypal, model, prototypical, stereotypical; normal, regular, routine, run-of-the-mill, stock, orthodox, conventional, nremarkable, unexceptional dieval Latin typicalis, via Latin from Greek tupikos, from tupos

ATYPICAL ANALYSIS CERMAK ROAD

atypical not representative of a type, group, or class: unusual, untypical, non-typical, uncommon, unconventional, unorthodox, off-centre, anomalous, irregular, abnormal, aberrant, deviant, divergent; strange, odd, peculiar, curious, bizarre, weird, freakish, freak, eccentric, quirky, alien; exceptional, singular, rare, unique, isolated, unrepresentative, out of the way, out of the ordinary, extraordinary;

THERE ARE CONSEQUENCES OF REVITALIZING AN AREA WITHOUT PROPER TIME AND CARE.

CAN YOU REVITALIZE WITHOUT DISPLACING PEOPLE AND KILLING THEIR CULTURE? 27

TU DELFT WORKSHOP

OODS

AMPLIFYING E X I S T I N G PHENOMENA TO EXTEND THEM B E Y O N D C U R R E N T B O R D E R S 28

Over a weekend, students from Virginia Tech and TU Delft in the Netherlands collaborated to come up with an urban design scheme for the Cermak axis. The chosen focus was “Food + Mobility,” to explore how the signature foods of the various areas along Cermak can expand beyond the boundaries of their neighborhoods. Taking the existing idea of Divy’s bike sharing business, the concept is to create food cart bicycles that can go to the different neighborhoods to sell food. The mobile food bicycles are especially beneficial for the different food deserts that exist around the city. It allows people to make a substantial income, while providing more diverse food options for citizens who often do not leave the neighborhood they reside in. The idea is not solely for food. The carts can become places to sell handmade goods as well. The storage of these bikes can be an incentive for more affordable housing that can also allow the homeowner to learn the skills required in fixing the bicycles.

EXISTING PROGRAM

BIKE LANES PROPOSED EXPANSION W 16th St

EXISTING CONDITIONS

W 18th St

W 21st St

S Western Ave

e Isla

S Blu

Ave

S Ashland Ave

Ave

S Halsted St

Island

S Ashland Ave

S Western Ave

S Blue

S Halsted St

S Canal St

S Damen Ave

W Cermak Rd W Cermak Rd

FOOD + MOBILITY

S Canal St

S Damen Ave

W 16th St

Existing Bike Lanes Bike “Friendly” Routes

TWO TYPOLOGIES

CONCEPT t

c va

WORK

MOBILITY

= BASIC MEXICAN TACO’S

CAN MEXI ’S TACO

MEXICAN TACO’S

N MEXICA TACO’S

CARTS AS MARKETING

FOOD CART

EXCHANGE

EXPANSION

FOOD

SOUVENIRS

SELF MADE DISHES

SELF MADE GOODS

REDMOON THEATER

REDMOON THEATER Redmoon is a civically-engaged immersive theater company whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s belief of art being a part of public health and ephemera being a form of urban planning has led them to perform lots of large-scale spectacles in the local community, often underserved areas that do not have the economic resources to engage in creativity. These free outdoor performances are supported by indoor versions performed in their Pilsen warehouse at a ticketed price to their higher class, supporting patrons.

BUSINESS MODEL Redmoon’s free, outdoor performances are funded by ticketed indoor performances and Redmoon for Hire. All of Redmoon’s employees and contraptions are involved in each of the three parts of the company. Redmoon is very involved with the city and is currently working with the Chicago mayor to plan the Great Chicago Fire Festival.

CC A

OO N DM

CREATIVE CAPITAL

REDMOON INDOORS

IMMERSIVE THEATER Redmoonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s spectacle form of theater is very immersive with the audience feeling like they are part of every aspect of a performance. Redmoon uses fantastical contraptions that often manipulate fire as ephemera. Their contraptions are built from found objects that they have designed and built themselves in their warehouse.

A MULTITUDE OF SCALES Although Redmoon Theater is the smallest project in CHICAGO STUDIO S14 in terms of square feet, the company works at an infinite number of scales. While they do work within the warehouse, performances occur all around the city and even around different parts of the world.

Redmoon is very invested in its local community, and do not want their growing success to affect local land prices to cause gentrification. They aim to keep themselves generally hidden on Cermak Road as their company continues to develop.

REDMOON SITE

The project is focused on an architectural intervention within Redmoon Theaterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s current warehouse in Pilsen along the industrial corridor. The theater is pretty anonymous in its location, wrapped by two large industrial buildings along Cermak Road to the west of the Chicago River and Chinatown. 39

THE EXISTING BUILDING The building Redmoon resides in is a repurposed warehouse that is 300 x 200 ft and divided into an administrative space, spectacle hall, a wood and metal shop, and the west wing that is currently a storage and in-between space.

THE SPECTACLE MACHINE Redmoon follows a cycle of interior generation, exterior deployment, and interior storage/redeployment. Spatial uses change day-to-day based on the needs of the performances and outreach programs. As Redmoon has become more and more a pillar of the Chicago public arts community, Redmoon wants to develop their warehouse architecturally to better reflect their complex programmatic and spatial needs.

THE WEST WING

The West Wing is the flux space of the building that also takes up about half of the total buildingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s square footage. Redmoon Theater has the goal of using their warehouse as a tool to create performances and engage the surrounding community with a trade school. Their vision is to be able to have a flexible space to support any number of desired programs and events that would be theatrical or community based, while also being rentable to help fund their different outreach efforts. Redmoonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s indoor shows and events only happen a few times a year, so having a more regular way of income would ease the pressure on their indoor ticketed events. For the combination of circumstances, needs, and potential in the West Wing, the architectural intervention is focused in this part of the building.

SKETCHES

AMPLIFICATION + EXEMPLIFICATION

The design goal is to create the architectural embodiment of Redmoon; to exemplify the processes and effects of the Redmoon spectacle machine, while also amplifying them. Our design is what we call a contraptionized environment. Inspired by Redmoonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unique contraptions, the space incorporates ephemera into architecture, to create a flexible and ephemeral space that can be changed on demand. 53

A SERIES OF RECONFIGURABLE PLATFORMS THAT MOVE UP AND DOWN

A SUPPORTING SPACE FRAME STRUCTURE AND ADDITIONAL COLUMNS THAT MINIMALLY IMPACT THE OPEN FLOOR

A KIT OF PARTS X2

X 36 58

X 36

X 20 X 68 59

PLATFORM 61

X 17

X6 62

X 2700

X 72 63

SPACE FRAME 65

These platforms give Redmoon the potential to divide the space up or create an entirely new floor in the West Wing. What results is a space that is great for making, collaborating, and performing.

In a sense, the platforms become a contraption in themselves, constantly reappropriated to engage everyone from the performers and builders to the spectators.

ENGAGEMENT BEYOND THE SITE

Redmoonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s emphasis on public spectacle and exterior deployment means that an architecture that truly exemplifies the theater must bleed beyond the walls of the solitary building and fixed site. Beyond being able to move up and down, the platforms are also deployable with the ability to be taken out to a performance, put a set on it, and then bring the platforms back or left in the community to become an infrastructural leave-behind. Thus, Redmoon is able to bleed out into its community in a more permanent way beyond their ephemeral performances. And to be immediately visible in its local community, a hot air balloon will deploy from the warehouse and raise to make the Redmoonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s location on Cermak Road visible from surrounding streets during interior performances.

VISIBILITY VS ANONYMITY

A REDMOON BATHROOM While this project is a way to help Redmoon see the great potential of their building, the limited budget of the non-profit theater company makes the space frame and platform winch system of the West Wing a difficult design to implement. Redmoon has had a hard time embracing their public restrooms to meet code while maintaining their contraptionized aesthetic. This bathroom design takes the concepts from the Contraptionized Environment of the West Wing to help Redmoonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s current bathroom become a better attribute to the space. The new bathroom is covered by three of the platforms used in the contraptionized environment design. They will remain fixed, but will maintain flexibility by introducing another tier of inhabitable space in the West Wing. During indoor events it can be an upstairs bar where patrons can see the entire Redmoon event from above. There is a spiral staircase that leads up to the space on top of the bathroom. The handrails are reapppropriated broken umbrellas that have been restructured to serve as handrails.

INTERV

VIEWS

Interview with BRIAN BASSETT

CannonDesign Senior Designer E: How has your career led you to your current position in CannonDesign? B: My current role in CannonDesign is to work in the health care department as a Project Designer. On a dayto-day basis I work on project development. I usually work with Randy depending on how smooth a project is going. I am generally involved throughout all project phases, from design development to detailing. I graduated from a five year architecture degree from Mississippi in 1999. In school I got involved with neighborhood studies and design charettes. A year out of school, I found myself doing similar work at an office. After that, I moved to DC and went to work for CannonDesign for two and a half years. I had a wide range of work there from small, renovation projects for non-profit to a hockey recreation center that took up several blocks. The wide range of work was a lot of fun. Then at one point, I was ready for a different change of pace. I had been working on a volunteer project out in Maryland where a tornado wiped out a downtown area. I was on a committee helping to plan the rebuilding. The guy that was ahead of the initiative ran a small firm in DC, and he offered me a spot at his firm. So, I ended up doing that for another two and a half years. It was a nice, small environment where they were focusing on design innovation in any way they could manage. My DC experiences became the foundation for me to move to Chicago and end up with a job at OWP/P. I never intended to get into health care, but seeing the work Randy was doing, elevating the opportunity to improve the type of environment for the patients, users, and communities sounded great. After all, hospitals are usually the biggest buildings in a community as well as the most abash. Four years after starting at OWP/P, they merged with CannonDesign, and in a way it is like I am back where I started. From where I am now I can really appreciate my first experience at CannonDesign more than I did initially due to my current more-involved position. I really like the CannonDesign work environment. Because the studio is really broken down into project teams, I still feel like I am working in a small environment and not a group of a hundred people.

BRIAN BASSETT E: How do you reflect on your experiences both at smaller and larger firms? My internship at home is a larger firm of eighty people, and now I am getting a glimpse of the work of a small firm at von Weise Associates. B: In the smaller firm, I enjoyed the opportunity to wear a number of different hats. I had to dive right into the whole project process because the firm was too small for anyone to specialize. At the same time, a smaller firm has a smaller sphere in terms of resources. Now that I am at a larger firm looking back, I still have a huge respect and appreciation for the head architect in that smaller firm I worked at. It gave me my strong background, being able to work at multiple phases of a project. My only critique now is that their experience is also limited. There is nothing wrong with that, but it is definitely a different culture. I think smaller firms will always have a different culture, usually defined by the head architect. The culture of a bigger firm will be defined by a framework so that work gets done. As much as you try to take down physical barriers, they are still there, and they are also necessary. At a larger firm you may not be able to have much communication with partners because there is a lot of work on their plate. At a smaller firm, you will interact with the head architect quite often. E: How do you find the firm where you think you will fit in if you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have a connection? B: A lot of it is based on knowing where your values and interests lie. When I moved to DC I knew I wanted to work in a city, a place with good work, and with lots of people my age. Priorities shift over time, and you will sometimes find yourself checking to see if your life is balanced the way you want to. Once something feels out of balance, you will recognize that it will call for a change. Seek out the opportunities to keep yourself balanced, and in the first several years you will have the ability to move and try a lot of things in a short amount of time. At the same time, there is also value in staying at a place for a while, such as getting to know people and becoming part of the network. When I moved to CannonDesign after the merger, it took me two to three years to get comfortable again with my contribution to the firm. E: Do you have any advice for applying to a firm where I do not have a connection? With the short amount of time people will look through your portfolio and give you face time, it is super important to convince them that I am worth investing as a new hire. B: With everyone being able to put together a great portfolio, cover letters are becoming more and more important. If you can be concise with your intentions and goals, while showing you did your homework, you gain some traction. Things such as grammar errors are easy ways for us to question how much effort was put in a personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s application. Also, for portfolios, how you package the work is just as important as the work itself. Do not make your portfolio your architecture life story. Narrow it down to show what you are truly passionate about in a way that is unique to you.

Interview with JOHN JANDA

von Weise Associates Project Manager E: What is your role and responsibility with VWA? J: Right now I am a project manager, overseeing everything involved with specific projects. I report to Chip with design issues and keep him up to speed on what is going on. I am transitioning into a quality control position because Chip wants a second-in-command to help oversee everything. E: How do you manage finances and duration of a project. J: At VWA, the client comes to us with an idea of a budget and what time schedule they are looking at. So for example, for one of our houses we are putting together a schematic bid set which gives the parameters of the project. The contractor will then go through the bid set and price it out that way the client has an idea of where we are headed with the project. If it is really off the mark, we usually revise the set. As architects, we can broadly estimate the cost of a project, but things change a lot really quickly. Thus, it is important to have a consistent dialogue with contractors that way you minimize surprises. Over time, you get better at approximating prices per square foot for projects. E: How did you find your niche at a smaller firm? J: Out of school I worked at my brother’s architecture firm, a small firm where I got a lot of one-on-one time. Then I moved to OWP/P, a very large firm. At a large firm, you learn very specific things, but you get exposed to a very narrow part of the profession. When I then moved to Philadelphia I worked at MGA, a mid sized firm. I worked specifically on a university library renovation and addition project. It was the first time I was part of a team and given a wider responsibility. I would report to the project manager and partner in charge of the project. It was a great experience. At this firm, each of the partners had their own specialty, and they would each become part of the project depending on the phase. I was able to gain their knowledge of a lot of different things, which was really nice. After a while I was ready to move back to Chicago, and a large series of layoffs left a sour taste in Philadelphia. The first firm I worked at in Chicago is very similar to Chip’s office. I worked during a boom time when budgets were crazy. It was great because we were able to design things very well. The owner of the firm was the design guy, and the rest of us did the day-to-day tasks. I started out more as an intern and finished as a full fledged project manager. Then, I came to Chip’s office, and I have been here for two years now.

JOHN JANDA E: How do recessions and prosperous periods in the economy affect the workplace? J: I think what happens is when Recession hits, everyone hunkers down. Chip was able to keep the firm afloat so we did not have to lose anyone. So when things picked up again, people started to shift around. Our team right now is pretty built up again so we are on solid footing. During the recession, people wouldn’t move because there was nowhere to move. One of the benefits of a smaller office is that the owner feels a bit more responsible. Working is a personal relationship, not numbers like a bigger firm. E: What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of different sized firms working on projects? J: Whatever size firm someone chooses to work with there are going to be trade offs. If you hire a large firm, you get all their experience and knowledge. You get their efficiency. It’s great for big, complicated projects because there is no way a small firm could achieve to complete them in a reasonable amount of time. With a small firm, there is a team of really creative people who can respond to a problem with a different way. Large firms can do that too, but they tend to do the same thing over and over. It’s their model and that’s how they make money. Large firms get to know a lot about certain things, but for me, I felt like that type of environment held me back. E: Do you see any changes that might be happening in architecture and office structure in the next ten years? J: I can definitely say that the Revit model is going to take over, which is quite frustrating for a small firm like us. Revit is a very powerful tool, especially for larger firms where a lot of elements are repetitive, however a small firm will have difficulty customizing and building everything in Revit. The efficiency that exists in a small firm gets compromised. VWA uses AutoCAD and Sketch Up right now. Ideally the two dimensional and three dimensional worlds should coexist so you don’t have to draw it twice, but we will see how it goes. E: Who is pushing this Revit movement? J: Contractors are getting really savvy with models. It’s super helpful to just look at a model and understand it quickly rather than analyzing it in section, plan, and elevation. E: How is technology affecting the workplace? J: What is nice is that you can instantaneously check things with clients and contractors with screen shots and messaging pictures. It makes me wonder what people did before all this technology existed. The profession is now being asked to build in virtual space. It isn’t something we’ve had to do before. The great thing is you can figure everything out, but that is also the bad thing, there is an expectation to figure everything out. The thing is that technology isn’t really speeding up the production process. It might shorten construction time a little, but now more time is put into earlier in the process. And instantaneous communication, like email, takes up so much time. There used to be a certain schedule you would work around with phone calls, but now with email, everyone wants answers right away. E: Do you have any advice for the younger generation of architects? J: Don’t be afraid to stray from the typical prescribed path of an architect and move around if you want to get different experiences. As you get older it gets harder to try new things, and as you get older you get more comfortable and you start to specialize. So, try new things when you’re younger. Do things outside of architecture, because the schooling makes us so internally focused, and there is so much else out there. When things look bleak, go back to grad school, but work for a bit after your undergraduate, it will give yourself a different mind-set. The other thing is pick a grad school that is very different from your undergraduate. It will shift your mentality.

Interview with BRIDGETT BAKER THOMAS

Skidmore, Owings, & Merrill Medical Planner / Health Care Architect E: How did you find yourself here at SOM? B: Well, I graduated from Tech in 2002, and after 9/11 the economy wasn’t so great. My husband/boyfriend-atthe-time and I both kind of decided to move to Chicago collectively. I had gone through the process of applying and interviewing with different firms, but no one was hiring. I then got an SOM internship for the summer because they usually take 30 or so interns every summer and it was a good starting point. They didn’t realize I had graduated already, and I was not going to bring it up at the time. Although I didn’t like the idea of working on massive projects at the time, I told myself that if there was ever a time to experiment with such a work environment, now was the time to do so. So, I continued looking for different work options during the summer, but at the same time I decided it wasn’t so bad at SOM. I also enjoyed working with inhouse structural engineers because they are really fantastic. At the end of the summer I told my boss for the first time that I am actually a graduate and looking for a full time position. He talked to a few superiors, introduced me around, and then they hired me. As of now, I have been here for 12 years, not expected at all. E: What kinds of projects have you worked on here? B: I’ve worked on a variety of projects. Burj Khalifa’s interior, I’ve done some planning work in the south side, master planning in Dubai, which is actually when I decided I wanted to try master planning. Then I got put on a health care project, and I have been working on health care projects ever since. 4.5-5 years on health care projects. Now I am the main Medical Planner.

BRIDGETT BAKER THOMAS E: How did you get to your current position at SOM? B: So when I had a baby, I knew I would have to get the work/life balance going. I wanted to try Project Management because I knew they were issued laptops, and could do work at home if necessary. So, I went to my boss and he had it work out for me. However, in the 2008 crash, a lot of layoffs happened. One of my heads told me, “If anyone asks, you are technical and not project management.” It turned out that they were getting rid of project management employees that were less senior, which would have been me at the time. I do think that one of my benefits and qualities in the work force is that I can move from different things and pick up new skills quickly. Right now I am a Medical Planner, although I like to call myself a Health Care Architect. Last October I got promoted to Associate at SOM. At other firms if you are an architect or professional in a firm, you are already called an associate, but it is not that way at SOM. To be considered an associate at SOM, you have to be licensed, and the office goes through a voting process. Associates are the people who represent the firm and have longevity at the firm. E: How did you go about getting licensed? B: My husband and family did everything they could to help me get licensed by helping to take care of the kids. I fully took advantage of the maternity leave extensions, and I was still almost too late to finish before the five year clock was up. I was able to pass most of my exams the first time, but the mechanical and structural exams took me multiple times. Luckily, SOM has a lot of resources, and a lot of help that I took advantage of. A structural engineer at SOM tutored me after work once or twice a week to drill me on the structural portion. It was the best thing ever. He kept saying the things over and over again, and I would tell him that I already understood, but when I sat down for the exam I finally was able to recall all the information unlike before. E: So how were you able to shift to project manager? B: Positions are very defined here except when you are first hired. As an intern you are thrown into a mixing pool to test out your strengths. Then, you are given a defined role. Once I decided I wanted to do project management, I basically told my boss that I wanted to try it, and he shared that information with the partners. In the beginning I began working as a project manager under another project manager on a larger project to get used to the role. I found out that I mostly wanted a variety of tasks with my given role at SOM. Yes, there are dull moments in being a project manager, but at least I am not responding to emails and dealing with paperwork the whole day. It is usually in sections of the day. However, I will say that if I don’t get to draw at any point during a given day, I go home feeling rather unhappy because that is one of the most satisfying things for me to do. With my current position as a Medical planner/ Health Care Architect, I still get to have a wide variety of tasks, which I think suits my personality best.

Ethics Interview with DON COPPER

GREC Architects Partner E: As a Tech alumnus, can you share your perspective of being a firm owner? D: It’s interesting because I sometimes describe myself as an accidental executive. I can’t say I never thought of owning my own firm, but once I found out more about how the profession works after school, I didn’t necessarily have the desire to become an owner. The way it happened was circumstantial. I got laid off from Destefano and Partners after they lost a big project in Spain. I was self-employed for a while, trying to gather my head together because I was a bit disillusioned after getting laid off. I felt that I had an important role at that firm, being a designer on an important project, but that’s how life works out sometimes. I became an owner with GREC because the opportunity arose to form a firm with my best friends, and honestly I don’t think I otherwise would have become an owner. E: Our ethic is the topic of “Obligations to Colleagues.” How does your firm deal with this ethic in terms of an intern coming into your firm as their first experience, going through IDP? What they are allowed to do/not do? D: We are pretty open to both of those cases. As for 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, because we have had a lot of success in involving younger people in our design process, even winning a competition due to an idea pitched by an intern. However there is confidentiality in some of our projects, so we do stress the importance of keeping things confidential in the office for our client’s interest. E: What makes one project top secret or confidential? D: If I am a developer hiring an architect to study a site I am interested in, I wouldn’t want you to tell other people about my prospective plans. So, most of the time there is a confidentiality if the client is in competition with someone else. Another possible scenario if you want to go to the city and get a special zoning condition. You want to control that process, so you want to have all your information before you ask the city. However while you collect all your information and do studies, you don’t want the city and alderman to find out through the newspaper what you are doing. Especially here in Chicago, the alderman don’t want you to have plans that they don’t know about.

DON COPPER E: In regards to the ethic, when people leave your firm, what stays here versus what goes with them? D: The exit issue is a good one. Our basic principle is, if someone worked on something in the office, they should have access to the materials necessary to represent the work they did. We allow people to have access to our material for their portfolio, especially since once a project is down the road, the material isn’t as proprietary. It’s not like we are doing a wall section that hasn’t already been done before. We have been very lucky to have very few experiences where a staff member had to be fired. That’s usually a bit scarier, because you want to handle the situation in a way where it removes the person from the temptation of doing something damaging. Back in the day you used to not be nearly as vulnerable as an owner when computers weren’t as accessible, but now everything is on a network that everyone else in the office has access to. We had one person who after they left, they still had remote access into the server somehow, and we had evidence that they were copying information. So, we were lucky to have caught it and not find anything damaging. E: What is your role with the IDP process for a lot of your colleagues and past students? D: In terms of IDP, I am a supervisor and a mentor to many people who work here and past students of the Chicago Studio. I understand that the role of mentor for IDP is so you have someone who doesn’t have a conflict of interest in an intern’s acquisition of experience, but at GREC we try not to create a distinction. We are their boss, but we do have their best interest in mind. E: So what is your insight on what some would see as a violation of the “Obligation to Colleagues?” D: I have this thing about authorship. I try to encourage people here as well as the Chicago Studio students to suspend their inclination towards authorship. Who did what, came up with what, and who did what part, because to me, this is a highly collaborative profession. Like it or not, even the contractor is a collaborator in the design process. To me, in a business and art form like ours, there is no single author. It is not possible for one person to design a building. The client who tells you what he wants to accomplish in a structure also has a certain level of authorship with the work. So it is best to subtract that part from one’s ego in the design process. We know that Adrian Smith left SOM, and both take credit for Bourj Khalifa. The fact is that they both had an integral part in that building, so of course both take credit for it from the true standpoint of the ethic. This ethic is very relevant to you all in Chicago Studio since you guys are in the early stages of group work. The group dynamic is very important. I have seen shining successes and some inabilities to succeed at group work. For the groups that struggle, I tell them that they better figure it out, because it is part of the day-to-day interactions and conversations of the architecture profession. At least you all have an exposure to it now.

REFLECTION For the ethic of “Obligations to Colleagues,” it was really important to me to get a partner perspective on the topic, because the amount of experience could be very insightful, and help me know what to expect in my near future experiences in the architecture profession. Don helped me realize that while it is useful to take advantage of how IDP encourages young architects to have a mentor outside of personal interest to help guide you through the process of becoming an architect, an open conversation with a supervisor can often be just as helpful of a relationship. Trying to be selfish and have ownership of projects and people in the profession does not lead you down good paths in the profession, so recognizing early that architects have to depend on one another and share ownership in designing is the best policy to have to avoid conflicts with this ethic. While a lot of this seems like common sense, this ethic is definitely not something to take action on unassumingly. It never hurts to ask for use of firm information for portfolios, because doing so without permission leaves the possibility of a professional relationship going sour, when it could have easily been avoided by a simple conversation.

Interview with KELLEY FOLTS

CannonDesign Intern Architect E: Correct me if I am wrong, you have done Chicago Studio, was placed at CannonDesign, and then stayed at CannonDesign for your first job? K: Yea, when I did Chicago Studio it was the fall semester, and then in the spring I decided to stay for an externship, which you cannot do anymore. I then stayed during the summer working on the same project I worked on during the externship. I went back to Tech for my thesis year, keeping everyone at CannonDesign in the loop with my thesis work, and they welcomed me back when I graduated. E: Did your experience at CannonDesign influence your thesis? K: I worked on a school master plan for my externship, and I would definitely say that I used to always shy away from urban design because I had it in my head that urban design was a lot of flashy renderings with placeholders. After working on an actual urban design project at CannonDesign I realized how much of a connection it had with architecture, so in that respect it definitely helped me push my thesis project. E: How did Chicago Studio influence how you wanted to enter the workplace? K: Chicago Studio was my first internship experience, and I didn’t know what I wanted when I came in. I hadn’t heard of CannonDesign before but I figured it would be a great place to start. After seeing all the different cultures involved in Chicago Studio, it helped me figure out how to place myself beyond how good a firm’s work is. I loved CannonDesign’s studio culture, which made me want to stay. E: What kind of work have you done at CannonDesign so far? K: Since joining CannonDesign, I have been working on bigger projects, so things I first worked on in my externship are now starting to get put into motion. Right now, I am mostly working in InDesign, but now I am starting to get into Revit to work on classroom modules.

KELLEY FOLTS E: Are you getting very involved with NCARB and the IDP process? K: Yea I have been counting hours for IDP. I have been talking to my project managers recently to get more construction documentation hours, which is why I am working in Revit right now. I am also taking classes for the ARE’s so I can take an exam every 2 or 3 months. E: Do you have any advice on dealing with IDP and the ARE’s? K: It’s so hard because you can’t just read a book for a lot of the material. It is very inclusive with working in the profession, so I try to study in snippets throughout the day. My biggest advice is to knock them out as soon as possible, otherwise life will eventually limit you from taking those exams. E: Do you think architectural education can be improved based on your experience thus far in the profession? K: I know someone who goes to a school where she has a semester of school followed by a semester of work. Her program is fully integrated with the profession. I have also heard of a masters in Boston, where you are working full time with night classes over the course of five years. Tech hasn’t fully embraced the profession, except through the Chicago Studio, which is still a great start. I have been thoroughly amazed of how excited the profession is in contributing to education. I think it really helps the office and the office helps the education in return. E: I have never seen a studio culture like CannonDesign’s. How did it happen, and are the other offices like the Chicago office? K: The OWP/P and CannonDesign merger really changed the outlook on the firm, especially the Chicago office. From going to the other offices, especially the smaller ones, things aren’t quite as exciting as they are here. Since we are the biggest office with a big influence, I do think how we do things is starting perculate to the other offices. E: Can you see yourself working at another office in the future? K: I don’t think I’d move to a small firm, but maybe a medium one. I am very happy at CannonDesign for the foreseeable future. They have invested so much in my education that I have a high level of respect for, so I want to pay them back for at least a few years. I have an itch to live in Berlin or Chile at some point, but we’ll see. Right now I wouldn’t want to leave CannonDesign unless I want to change cities.

Interview with LUIS MONTERRUBIO

Department of Planning and Development Coordinating Planner E: Can you tell us a little bit about the department you work for in the mayor’s office? L: We are the Department of Planning and Development and we are divided into three different bureaus. All of us interact on a daily basis to turn projects in the city of Chicago into a reality. My primary function is doing work with the planning division. I used to primarily manage all the plans adopted by the planning commission. All the different architects and urban planners come to the Chicago Planning Commission saying, “We have a plan not reflected in your plan that we want to implement.” We make sure that the plans we adopt for the city conform with existing policies. Where to have the plan, how to have it, and how to make it happen are all important things we consider in my department. Dealing with the city’s current assets is important to consider when planning for the future. E: How did you get yourself into planning from architecture and your background in Mexico? L: This makes me feel so important. I am a licensed architect from Mexico City and my thesis was in Chicago. I did some presentations here with my group, and they offered us some internships here when we were done. I was only supposed to be here 3 months and now it has been 14 years. So as you can see, it ended up to be more than an internship. I was working in the neighborhood division at the time with incentives. It was a very different experience from a having a design background, having to work in management. If the city wanted to sell you a parcel, we would first want to see your design, and see how your design fits with the existing context. We would determine if the project would match community concerns. So it was a lot of working with legislative processes and elected officials. We are taught architects are superhumans, but you really do need to work with other disciplines because they are also professionals with an informative perspective. For example, lawyers may have a bad reputation, but they can help protect us from certain liabilities. I can’t tell you I have learned everything but I have learned a lot.

LUIS MONTERRUBIO E: So what are some of your day-to-day tasks? L: I do a lot of existing condition analysis, so I walk through areas and do surveys. Then, I make maps to show the existing condition of the area so my department can make recommendations to help decide what can happen in an area to trigger a different type of development. Right now Chicago has too much zoning to allow commercial development. We want to focus on areas that are easy to focus and concentrate dense commercial development. It is also important that it is diverse so that there is a high level of success and they can depend on each other. Industry currently takes up 18% of the city’s zoning, and only 12% of it is actually being used. We want to make sure that industry maintains its presence in Chicago. E: How do you impact projects beyond getting them started? What say do you have if things don’t develop as planned? L: Projects aren’t done even after you provide the incentives. We make sure things stay sustainable. Chicago is a successful city because of its diversified economy. We don’t just rely on the downtown, we also have manufactured industry too. We are the professional mecca of the Midwest, so we monitor to make sure developments follow the laws of existing zoning. Plan developments are larger projects that usually have their own type of zoning. Every time we get one of those, we are very involved with the design process, which is exciting for me because I get to use my degree. We usually make recommendations on things like materials, like how we recommend brick instead of CMU. We make sure that tall buildings don’t pour ice and snow onto the street with the risk of hurting people. We also look at sustainable features. We want you to address LEED certification and density. E: What is the most difficult, tedious, and worst part of your job? L: Because it is Chicago, there is a lots of politics involved with everything. A lot of different people with various opinions want to make sure certain things happen regardless of everything else going on. The good thing about planning is you get to listen to a variety of people and you have to care. You aren’t going to be addressing 100% of everyone’s wishes with your recommendation. We try to address everyone in the beginning to avoid conflicts. Everything has liabilities, and you don’t want to set yourself up for a law suit. Another thing I struggle with is that I am LEED AP, but as a professional I also know that LEED isn’t great for everything, like affordable housing. Getting LEED certified as an affordable housing project is too expensive, and I know that a good living area can be sustainable without being LEED certified. E: Based on previous conversation about zoning affordable artist lofts, I went to visit one in the industrial corridor over the past weekend. I found that only the first floor was dedicated to artists and the rest of the five floors were an assortment of barbershops and tattoo parlors. What is your take on that? L: In art spaces, its hard to define what an artist is because a lot of people claim to be artists of their crafts. Keeping these artist lofts affordable is a whole other animal. If a developer tries to fix up a development so he can label them “artist lofts,” the value of the development rises above what most true artists would consider affordable. A lot of what you saw in that building in the industrial corridor were spaces providing a fixed income for the artist gallery on the first floor. Although it seems surprising to you, it’s quite common, which is why I am very skeptical about these “artist lofts” that are becoming popular in Chicago.

Interview with TAYLOR MCKINSEY

Redmoon Theater Navigator / Urban Planner E: How would you describe your position on urban planning? T: Stop relying on bureaucracy to make change. Get your friends and start doing things like riding your bikes, walking, going into a vacant parking lot and using the space for something creative. That’s all it takes to get someone’s attention. E: What got you interested in urban planning? T: At first I think I subconsciously got into it when I was 5 years old. I was born in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio. My step-dad got transferred, and we moved to Greektown, Toronto, Canada, also known as the most diverse neighborhood ever. It was very walkable, safe, and I was able to hang out with all my friends. Then a few years later, I moved back to Ohio and my parents divorced. So I was growing up again in the suburbs with cookie cutter houses and everyone driving everywhere. Growing up in that atmosphere after Toronto, I found it difficult to hang out and enjoy myself since my friends were in different neighborhoods across town. So that got me thinking early on, why can’t everything be like Toronto. At 18 I went to college and my dad pressured me into doing civil engineering, which I ended up hating of course. So, I then decided to do liberal arts, but when I took an environmental geography course, it blew my mind with what they talked about. As a major, geography its an undecided student’s dream because you are looking at all these different subjects from a spatial perspective. You can analyze anything from a map. Why do things happen where they happen, and how, and how would they happen differently if they were somewhere else. So my major became geography, and then I got some internships in Ohio and Chicago. I ended up having like 18 internships through undergraduate and masters, but I had to get my masters if I wanted a real job which is complete bullshit. Luckily, I was able to get my masters paid through working for Columbus. Which was not worth it, and there is a joke between my friends and me about how we got our money’s worth.

TAYLOR MCKINSEY E: How did you end up at Redmoon? T: So after grad school I got lucky and ended up working at the Center of Neighborhood Technology in Wicker Park, but they are a huge nonprofit constrained by budget and budget issues, something Redmoon is also going through. Non-profits are all competing for money, struggling to stay alive, so they are sacrificing their values by taking shitty contractors, things that I really dislike. So after I quit my job I was going to join the Peace Corp and go to Albania. I just wanted to go to Europe because I thought I was really fucked and in deep despair. However an intern at my old job in CNT who went to Harvard urban planning design school hooked me up with Redmoon’s Jim Lasko because they were talking about the Great Chicago Fire Festival, and they needed someone to help. They didn’t know what they exactly needed, but they needed some design stuff and someone to use their connections which is what I can handle. E: How did you get started with the Potentials Project? T: Well, I knew I always wanted to meet people and find out what they are interested in, which is how the Potentials Project started. It was a way to find out what people are doing in their free time, like Adam from Cartografika. You have a boring 9-5 job but what do you like to do, or want to do after 5pm? What would you do with your time? So I meet community organizers, almost like a hidden sector of people who all they do during the day is meet people one-on-one. That’s what Obama would do, meet with people in the south side and find out their concerns. E: How would you describe the approach of the Potentials Project? T: We combine the philosophy of meeting people with social media, design, and all the shit we can do now. We believe that with method we can make change and circumnavigate bureaucratic processes, something Jim Lasko would know. He realized 30 years ago, that the way Chicago comes up with a plan, spending millions of dollars on engagement efforts that don’t necessarily work is a very top-down thing. It’s not real, grassroots planning. It’s halfassing by not getting everyone’s input. Community organizers are the ones we are interested in, the ones who meet with anyone, homeless people, employees, etc. They find out what we really need, and make a plan around that. That’s what I think is the most exciting and fulfilling approach to planning and urban design. E: What are you guys up to right now? T: We are doing a preview with a group on May 3rd to come up with local problems with 40 people from every part of the job spectrum. Then we will host a design charette. One we are working on currently is on the topic of gun control. It’s not a typical urban planning concept, but it is in my mind because gun violence is a symptom of bad economic development due to selling drugs, which is due to not finding jobs. Since everyone is just volunteering their time and passions, nothing costs a cent, and my hope is that this is much more successful than any political urban planning I have ever done. I’m mostly taking what I have learned from a lot of my past internships. E: Any last things you want to say? T: Society wants us to be boxed into one specialization, and history has told us that doesn’t work. Look at the Renaissance. It is best to have a society where everyone is jack of all trades, working together so amazing things happen. The best class I ever took was about innovation across the globe that has been used for urban planning. We had a bunch of presentations on the best practices of urban planning communities, and the rule was to have no text. What I learned was that only thing urban planners do is copy each other. There are no original ideas, it is now just taking an old idea and adapting it to our environment. So, things I saw seven years ago are now everywhere, like buffered bike lanes. So steal ideas, credit the creator, and just spread the shit.

Interview with HAYES BRISTER

Henricksen Account Executive E: You got an architecture education and have done a lot of work in different fields. What general advice do you have? H: I always just say show up, because if you don’t show up, you’ll never know what you’ll get. If you get asked to hang out or go to a lecture, go. Just don’t miss opportunities. You never know where things will take you. Do you know what I mean? I love my background, I love how differently I think from other people, but I knew I wouldn’t last long in architecture. E: When did you realize that you think differently than most people? H: In school I could definitely tell by my third year that I was think differently from when I was 18. Later, when I met people not in architecture, I realized more so. In architecture school we have to teach ourselves a lot of things to get to an end result. How do we represent our final result and what will that be? We are very multifaceted and lot of people won’t know because it’s hard to represent on a resume, but something that is easy to prove over time. E: What school did you go to, and what firms have you worked for? H: I went to Mississippi State University, a 5 year program like Virginia Tech. I did an internship for a year at Gensler during school. Then after school I went to work at SCB, then Adrian Smith + Gordon Gil for 3 years. After that, I worked at Smith Group, an architecture and engineering firm. So, if I didn’t like architecture after all of that then I figured I would definitely never be happy. The personality of working in architecture didn’t fit me. E: How did you end up at Henricksen? H: So I had a friend who worked in marketing at SCB, who went to IA, then wanted to create a sales dealership. He knew I was trying to get out so he contacted me. We were all 31 year olds starting a dealership thinking we were bad ass. The whole company ended up folding in 8 months, but even from our short time of success we did really well hitting the industry because we were young faces with a determination for success. So, that’s how I got Henricksen’s attention, and here I am.

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HAYES BRISTER E: Why do you think you are happier at Henricksen? H: For me, I like how I get rewarded for hard work. In architecture I felt like I did hard work and didn’t get appreciated for it. Don’t get me wrong, I like to work hard, but I felt really overworked with no let up. Different places will treat their employees really well, like SmithGroup and Gensler. I really liked it there, and I have a friend that came into SmithGroup with me and is still there. A good work environment makes a huge difference. You will be very happy if you get into a place like that. If the business feels like they are doing you a favor, that’s no good. Honestly, I think I was unhappy because I was really burnt out and unlucky to be working in a bad time when there weren’t a lot of hirees, but still a lot of work. E: Any advice on being able to get a good work environment? H: Age demographic can say a lot. If there is a bunch of really young people with a few older folk, it usually means they work a lot and get treated like shit. They just axe a million people saying you’re lucky you got to work there. You want to be at a place where you get built up and nurtured. I do think jumping around can do good or bad. Yes, you can build your salary and portfolio that way, but if you are in a good spot, then stick it out. E: You’ve been here a year. How long do you see yourself here? To be honest this is where I can see sticking out for the rest of my career. I am finally happy. You can make really good money and not worry about

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Professional Practice Interviews REFLECTION

Erin Young 4th Year Architecture Major, Virginia Tech May 2014 The professional practice interview segment of the Chicago Studio has become one of my favorite parts of the semester. The semester has been very high paced, including the time spent with the different professionals at each of the pin ups. Being able to sit down with a few of the highly involved individuals I have come across, and to have some serious conversations, has been a great way for me to stay inspired by the profession during some of the more begrudging parts of the semester studio project. From being in school, I have gotten used to the idea that to achieve greatness you have to set up a prescriptive path to get there. In the fall of my fourth year, I had started to worry about where my life will take me after graduation because I have no clue what kind of architecture I am interested in pursuing. Luckily, one of the biggest things I have learned from these Chicago Studio interviews is not to make a prescriptive career plan with high expectations. Everyone I interviewed had no idea they would end up where they are today, but are definitely happy where they are. Rather than creating a career path check sheet, they stayed true to their personal values, and let their gut guide them across the field into different opportunities inside and outside of architecture. One of my favorite interviews is the one I had with Taylor McKinsey, an employee at Redmoon Theater who is an urban planner. The exposure I have had to the field of urban planning this semester has been very inspiring and influential to how I see architecture and cities now, and Taylor had a very grassroots view of its practice. As I learned from Luis, getting anything done in Chicago is a drawn out process with lots of involved parties with politics and different agendas. Taylor said changing urban planning does not have to start with the political circus of a city government, and begin with a bunch of friends who meet up and come up with different ideas and plans, which he does with his Potentials Project. Taylorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s involvement in his passion and the city of Chicago is very inspiring, and I hope I can do something like his Potentials Project when I am working. The place where I intern every summer and winter has fully embraced the world of Revit with all it has to offer. I have benefited from the opportunity to learn how to utilize the tool, seeing how a project can get knocked out by a large number of people being able to work on the same project at the same time. I expected Chicago to be no different, but during my stay in the city I have come across many architects realizing Revit and BIM software to be a double-edged sword. A software that lets architects figure everything out in a building is not necessarily a good thing, and takes the focus away from a lot of things that architects once had valued. Technology in architecture is great, but consequences are everywhere and need to be well thought through before pursuing. While I have recognized that BIM software is here to stay, I have also learned from talking to different professionals that it is a tool that we cannot blindly use when we put together construction documents. 102

REFLECTION In school, most architects decide that they want to be design architects in the profession, but not many actually become design architects after realizing how big the world of architecture is and figuring out what design architects actually do. John Janda had a great way of saying that he did not want to be a design architect because not seeing projects realized a lot of times could get discouraging and felt like one was “spinning their own wheel.” While this is only one perspective, I think it was a really good point to hear in an interview when I have spent my whole college experience designing imaginary projects. There is so much involved in the realization of a chosen project, that limiting oneself to just designing buildings that may never get realized can be a burnout. From interviewing female architects at different levels in the office, I have definitely learned that I need to get my licensure out of the way after school if I intend on moving up in the architecture profession. It is easy to say right now that I won’t settle down and have kids until much later, but you never know. It is best to knock the exams out right after school while I still have the good habits of studying from college. While I am very open and interested in pursuing different design fields with my degree, right now getting licensed is high on my priority list because I do intend on being active in the field of architecture throughout my career though I may drift in and out. Being surrounded by a bunch of highly motivated and career-driven architects has been very motivating to me in thinking about where architecture will take me, but observing and hearing how it affects peoples’ personal lives has also had a huge effect on me. At pin ups I have overheard different professionals bonding over the fact that they have not seen their wives in a couple of days, or they need to find a new babysitter that is available early enough, or talking about who stayed at the office later. These are not the usual conversations I am used to hearing. “What is the cost of success in the architecture profession?” This was a question I started asking myself in the middle of the semester. I am very driven and hardworking when I put my mind to something, but I also pride myself in being involved with organizations outside of school/job. My interview with Hayes Brister, a talented young architect who realized that the lifestyle of an architect did not match what he wanted for his life really altered my perspective. No matter how I choose to balance work with my life, the most important thing is to recognize that I am happy with my decision. Every move has advantages and disadvantages, so keeping an open mind and knowing when to change environments is the best outlook on life to have. I came into the semester thinking that I would fit best with firms that are purely architectural, but from the interactions and lectures I have had with different professionals and firms in Chicago, my view has completely changed. I had the generalization in mind of a large, interdisciplinary firm being like a giant factory without a soul, but seeing different projects in CannonDesign, Perkins+Will, and SOM, I now think that the interdisciplinary work is amazing. The finished products that are a result from a collaboration between different professions are much stronger than many projects I seen done by only architects. While I have enjoyed getting an up-close view of architecture at a small scale with a very controlled design process, I really look forward to trying to get involved with an interdisciplinary firm after school where I can interact with people from many different backgrounds.

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“HOW DID I GET HERE” Randy Guillot, Design Principal at CannonDesign

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BUILD MEANINGFUL RELATIONSHIPS THROUGH HARD WORK Surround yourself with people who are better than you Integrity + Character > Talent COMMUNICATION IS EVERYTHING You are only as good as how well you convince people Be available and excited HAVE BROAD INFLUENCES AND MENTORS Embrace how you do certain things differently Difficult for shy people SURRENDER TO YOUR TIME MANAGEMENT DEMON Different leaders happen at different times Pinpoint your idea early YOUR CLIENT IS YOUR DESIGN PARTNER Do not just be reliable The two meanings to “partner” LISTEN Take things into your own account Trust your instincts DO NOT EXPECT THE OUTCOME, SET YOURSELF UP FOR DISCOVERY Hard to do with the time constraints in the business world Make it a priority no matter what PROMOTE YOUR STRENGTHS Make your passions your skills You have to be your biggest cheerleader BE GENEROUS AND BE COURAGEOUS Take ownership and responsibility Do not hide things THERE IS ALWAYS MORE THAN ONE ANSWER Do not worry about looking for the perfect solution We thrive in the grey

RANDY GUILLOT Hearing Randy’s perspective on how he became a successful professional was very refreshing to hear after feeling pretty drained from the past few radical conjecture projects. The past several semesters at Tech have been so full of technical focus that I felt like I lost the ability to make spontaneous design decisions. In the short amount of time I have been in Chicago, I have seen that although the profession is very technical, finding creative design solutions is just as important. It is very encouraging to see, but I also want to make sure I can position myself in the world to be able to engage that realm in the profession. The way Randy said that being a successful professional is not a personality type but an outlook was a great statement that I have never pieced together for myself. I am a strong advocate of having a good outlook in life, but I never specifically thought about carrying that into the workplace. Instead I have anxiously worried about having the “correct” personality for an office. From both my past internship and my first few weeks in Chicago, I have let go of my anxiousness in the first week or so, and have had great and meaningful interactions that I would say are a result of a shared outlook on the profession, not an underlying dogma. A lot of the topics Randy discussed in his talk are very basic, but are also very pertinent to Chicago Studio since a semester is a short amount of time to make a good, lasting impression on several important professionals. Although I consider myself rather shy, I do realize that it is necessary to take advantage of all that is around me so I can set myself up to have broad influences and mentors that I can carry into my fifth year and my career. Something I really want to gain out of this semester is finding a mentor that I can look up to in this profession. I want a mentor who I can see myself being down the road, who has a similar set of personal values and carries them into his/her professional life. So far, I have found great people to work with, but I am really missing someone that carries their personal values into their job. I feel a little lost with where I want to go in architecture, a feeling that I know is perfectly normal, but it would be nice to be able to share my concerns at different checkpoints with a consistent individuals. With the number of professionals involved with the Chicago Studio, I hope to find a mentor I can remain in contact with after the closing of the semester. Randy’s topic of knowing one’s strong suits struck a strong chord with me. From working by myself on studio projects in Cowgill Hall, it has been difficult to realize what my strengths and weaknesses are. From the group work this semester I hope to recognize and develop my skills over the course of the semester while also recognizing my weaknesses so I can consider them a strength at the end of the semester. I am sure this is a common question in the interview process at most architecture firms, and I want to have a firm answer that I can fully believe in and prove through my work without question. I value being humble, but I am realizing more-andmore that if I don’t communicate what I am good at no one will know. A statement said during the questions and discussion portion that now echoes in my head is, “You have to be your strongest cheerleader,” and I plan on reminding myself that throughout the highs and lows of the rest of the semester and my future career.

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CONTRACTS Drew Ranieri, Principal at SCB In this professional practice lecture, Drew broke down the basics of how and why contracts are necessary in the practice of architecture. The structure of a contract can be broken down to the scope, schedule, and work product. In architecture it is key to maintain a good reputation, and contracts help protect an architectâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reputation while allowing all parties to recognize and record expectations and responsibilities. The necessity of contracts in dealing with contractors, clients, and consultants makes one wonder why anyone would bother to get tangled in such a complicated business with architects. However, with building projects, a client is dealing with a lot of money. It is an investment, thus they might as well make it worthwhile and get the most bang for their buck by hiring an architect and going through the contract process. The basic project phases are Programming/Concept Construction, Schematic Design, Design Development, Construction Documents, and Construction Administration. The rule of thumb in the pricing of a project is one third for the first three phases, second third for construction documents, and the last third for construction administration. However, lately there has been more blurring between project phases leading many project prices to be divided between 50% design(including construction documents) and 50% construction. In most cases, the most money is lost in the Schematic Design phase, however it is also common to lose a lot in Concept Construction. It varies greatly from project-to-project, which is why contracts are very necessary for architects. For the first few phases of a project, it is important for an architect to see whether they should get paid hourly or with a fixed rate. If a client is new to dealing with architects, it is usually good for an architect to get paid hourly to a certain numbers of hour before it becomes a fixed price. This helps both the architect and client get a good idea of how much the project is costing. Scheduling should be a reasonable discussion between the client and architect. Other projects come into an architecture firm all the time, and it is very plausible for things to work out unfavorably. An architecture should always avoid the circumstance of a project getting put on hold. The architect gets hurt the most in this situation because it is likely that an architecture fee will raise over time, thus the firm will lose money while the project is on hold. For Construction Documentation, the way the work is produced varies greatly due to a number of circumstances. Many firms today use Revit, but depending whether consultants use Revit, it may or may not be worthwhile. As technology becomes more sophisticated for producing drawings and models for building projects, firms are becoming more vulnerable to different liabilities. The more that is available, there is more pressure for a firm to figure out everything about a building before it is built. Clearly defining expectations and possible miscommunications in a contract are becoming more pertinent than ever before.

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DREW RANIERI Coming to this lecture, I already had a basic understanding of the different phases of a project, but I did not realize that construction takes up roughly 50% of the entire cost of a project. From studio, it is easy to assume that most of the money, work, and time in a project gets put into the design of a project, but that is simply not true in the architecture profession. Because money can be easily lost throughout the schematic design phase of a project, I can imagine the phase being put on a tight timeline in many offices. From previous office experience, I remember seeing the partners and designers of my previous firm going into a conference room for several hours to hash out design charettes. Usually by the end of one or two weeks, an entire school is designed and ready to be put into Revit. From the surface this makes architecture seem very mundane since the rest of the 2-3 years of a project will be the rest of the project phases, but design is carried out throughout many of the other project phases, just often in different ways than is commonly perceived. All of the complex variables that have to be considered in organizing a project makes me wonder how I will ever fully understand it and find my role in it, but I trust that getting involved in different projects through my IDP internship period will help a lot. Contracts and logistics definitely comes across as a double edged sword in the architecture profession. It is nice to think that everyone will get along in a project, but protective measures are necessary to protect parties involved in these expensive projects where a lot of money is on the line. By designating responsibilities, most problems should be able to reflect back on the contract to determine how to resolve and pay for conflicts that arise through the project process. Something I was very unaware of before this lecture, is how technology has affected the responsibilities and expectations of the architect. I have always been told that Revit and AutoCAD have been great for the profession because it is easy to figure everything out or that it is terrible by my professors because hand drawing is becoming extinct. Drew brought up the most relevant point of all saying that yes, we can figure out a lot with BIM software, but because of that, architects are now pressured to use all their time to figure everything out with more liability on their head. I remember seeing old drawing documents, where things are drawn out rather simply, and the contractor has the responsibility of figuring out how to build most connections. Now, drawing documents are huge with several volumes being required for a building. Every joint, seal, and detail is included in documents when before they were considered to be implied. While architecture firms are embracing the Revit movement, I believe that firms need to recognize the consequences of accepting and utilizing such smart software. As project become more fast-paced and there is a growing demand in showing every component of a building, architecture has a risk of losing its soul in the world. Up to this point I have been blinded by Revit, drawing up whatever I am told, but now I fully question all the time I have spent doing hundreds of tiny, generic details. While I am not sure what the solution to this growing problem is, I believe the solution lies somewhere in outlining contracts for projects. While drafting contracts seem very undesirable, I think architects should make sure that the respect for the profession stays intact, so we do not become technical drafting monkeys. As we become smarter, contractors should not become dumber. Figuring out how to best represent a building is a skill practiced in architecture school, and needs to be carried into the budgeted and logistical profession of architecture.

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INTEGRATION Brian Lee, Design Partner at SOM Brian spoke about SOMâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s motivations and ideals as a very competitive firm in the global market of architecture. Through project examples such as the DePaul Theater School, the new Chicago Chinatown Branch Library, and the Airforce Academy, Brian explained how SOM strives for an architecture that integrates site with program, and architecture with engineering. Although SOM is known for their big tower projects, even their small scale projects are shaped by the same principles. To be successful in architecture it is important to achieve more than just what your client is asking with a building, and a lot of that comes from humanizing the experience of a building. Every project is different, shaped by a unique design problem and site. SOM takes the greatest engineers and architects in the world to come to a firm where both disciplines share a common motivation.

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BRIAN LEE In architecture school, it is easy to develop a sense of supremacy towards architecture, especially in its relationship towards other disciplines. It is somewhat understandable, since people who teach architecture would strongly believe in what they are teaching. Despite me being skeptical of that mentality and believing architecture cannot save the world no matter how much we try, I did develop a premature opinion that architecture firms that only focused on architecture would be better than multidisciplinary firms because their values wouldn’t be compromised by other disciplines. After less than a month into the semester, my opinions have changed drastically, mostly by observing the interactions within the different firms, but also from Brian Lee’s presentation. Great design comes from imposing limitations, and the way firms function is no different. An architecture firm that only works within their own parameters lacks the complexity that can be achieved through multidisciplinary design. The interaction between architects and engineers if often not spoken of under the best lighting, usually because each work in their own firm with a reputation and agenda to protect. Brian Lee talking about how SOM collects the best architects and engineers together under one roof to create great design solutions sounds much more collaborative and harmonious. Disciplines that usually would not always have the same opinion are more likely to produce great designs when they have the same motivation in one firm. The interaction is also much better because physical communication and proximity is more likely. Otherwise, communication would be by email, phone, or planned meetings. There is a certain level of casualty of interaction by crossing the office to another desk, and that idea is very desirable to me now. I strongly value open-mindedness, but I let myself be blinded by school because I tried to believe in everything I’m told without question. The projects that the different firms in Chicago Studio have shown us are beautifully articulate, addressing a multitude of scales and issues because they collaborated with several people outside of their profession. I want to be a part of that sense of thinking and outlook on the design profession. The great projects SOM have developed makes me want to join a multidisciplinary firm, but even if life does not take me down that path, I want to take the broader view of collaborative projects that I have seen in Chicago with me wherever I go. The only thing that I am still skeptical of after this presentation is how SOM balances this integrated design process with a “humanized experience,” a point Brian Lee brought up several times. No matter what, there is only a limited amount of time that can get put into the design of a building before it has to get drawn up and constructed. Every firm has its own, unique balancing act of ideals in its deliverance of projects. While I do think integrated design is very impressive, I have seen so much of it occur at the larger scale that I have a hard time seeing human-scale innovation from that thinking. It is most likely something that just was not brought up in the presentation of the different projects, but it is a curiosity I have for future reference.

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“NO ONE SEES THE POSTMAN” Natasha Krol, Engagement Manager at McKinsey & Company Natasha did her undergraduate in neuroscience, studied architecture in graduate school, and is currently working for McKinsey & Company where she is a doctor for businesses and organizations. With her wide range of education and experience, Natasha has a unique perspective on the design profession and its impact on the world. She started off her lecture with an exercise, asking everyone to go document a nearby block by any method of choice. When everyone came back, it turned out most people used drawing documentation as a method. Natasha challenged everyone in the room to go out and engage the world more in the future. There is a certain fear in talking to people in the architecture profession, with everyone trying to solve problems with only a pen and paper. In school, architecture students are taught to learn by doing, and the same goes for the profession. Talk to people, and engage. Spending too much time in one’s head limits the result. Question the obvious rather than looking for the unnoticeable. Everyone does something uniquely, find it, engage it, and advertise the specialty to the world. The world is now embracing design thinking, and there is a lot out there beyond architecture.

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NATASHA KROL It was really helpful to get some perspective on how to utilize an architecture skill set outside the field of architecture. Society tends to have this idea that you should do whatever is named on your degree. Natasha obviously proves this conception wrong by being a consultant at McKinsey & Company. I have heard of a lot of architects that go into business or engineering, but the way Natasha uses design thinking to help solve more worldly problems is very inspiring. So many things that architects and designers think are common sense seem very abstract ideas in the real world, especially business and government in particular. What I got the most out of this presentation was how Natasha advocated for questioning the obvious and having no preconceived notions. I loved the story she took from Scofidio about a postman who was a murderer because the storyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lesson is a common occurrence in design. As architects, it is easy to assume things and stay in our head about curiosities. However, it is very important to engage the world and make observations based on personal experiences, something Natasha has learned from working at McKinsey. I know I fall under the category as someone who stays in her head too much, but I also love engaging with different people. I just need to take a more proactive step in bringing those two things together to become a better designer. I am hoping to take this concept into my thesis year because I feel like a lot of students design themselves into corners because they do not question themselves enough times during their design process. I got really excited when Natasha started talking about personal mapping. This might be an influence from her undergraduate education and her graduate thesis, but she suggested mapping oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mind and thoughts on a regular basis with a way to see how it changes. This has been something I have also been interested in because I feel like I always lose a sense of the things I have liked and thought about in the past. I love to make lists and jot things down, but my primary way of personal mapping today is through Tumblr. The main reason why I have a tumblr is to keep track of what I am drawn to over time as a reference device. I have had the tumblr since high school, and it amazes me how much I have changed when I go through my archive history. I consider my tumblr to be more of an enjoyment than a serious tool to get results, so I am currently considering a way to map my thesis using Tumblr. It would be a great way to share ideas while also keeping track of my progress. The final point Natasha had about having values and a personal story reminded me a lot of Randyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lecture. We are the sum of our experiences, inside and outside of architecture. I know that I personally pride myself in my passions outside of architecture that still carry the same thinking I have in studio. Art, Tae Kwon Do, piano, and dancing, I believe in taking what I know about design out into the world to help other people and organizations, and I think that is why Natasha is such a great mentor for me. She values design thinking in a multitude of disciplines, and I am finding out that I value the same.

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MAS STUDIO / MAS CONTEXT Iker Gil, Director of Mas Studio and Chief Editor of Mas Context Iker Gil runs his own firm as well as a publication that looks at provoking thoughts in the field of architecture and design. A question Iker often asks himself is, “What are the assets of a city that have not been fully taken advantage of?” Cities can change a lot in a short amount of time, a lesson learned from Bilbao and the Guggenheim Museum. A lot of Iker’s local projects involve analyzing an existing system, and coming up with a design to activate inactive zones. This has included neighborhood alleys, the Pedway system, and Southside parks. Temporarily activating inactive spaces, makes people realize the spaces can be something more than what has always been there. In this way, a designer isn’t just complaining that something in the city is bad or not working, he is instead coming up with better solutions as suggestions. One of the most interesting studies Iker did was on Marina City. Marina City has been around for 80 years, but a lot of people don’t know what goes on inside despite it having 900 units and such a diverse community. Iker presented himself the challenge of representing Marina City architecturally through the means of photography. He did not only photograph the building spaces, he photographed who lived in them surrounded by their belongings. In this way, he provided a medium to understand architecture that was not architectural. Mas Context was a result of Iker’s interest in what’s out there, writing, and previous success and interest in publishing. He first published Shanghai Transforming, and then got into the idea of self-publishing. He prints a hundred copies, and publishes the entire publication online for free. The toughest part for Iker has been getting feedback. Online feedback is difficult because it’s hard to reach out and understand where the feedback is coming from, so he has started having get-togethers in different parts of the city. This has provoked people to go beyond their home neighborhoods into different parts of the city, and allow a mingling of people with common interests.

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IKER GIL The way Iker talked about looking for assets of a city that are not used to their full potential reminded me of Natasha Krol’s presentation about questioning the obvious. Although I would consider what Iker does as less than obvious, they are based on existing conditions that are often public knowledge. Iker’s ambitious, local intervention projects make me want to play with the existing conditions in my hometown in Chesapeake, Virginia. I agree with Iker’s statement that it’s easy to complain and it will get nothing done, and mostly because I know I am victim of it. Discovering an issue is one thing, but coming up with a way to better it is much more respectable and can turn into something great. A lot of Iker’s projects were meant to be temporary projects, testing the water to see if they actually provided solutions to inactive spaces. Because of the high level of success, many of his designs have had extended stay or have become permanent. His projects are not expensive, they are innovative based on a limited budget, which I believe is much more beautiful than a glamorous project solving the same issue. Since coming to Chicago, I have been fascinated by Marina City. Initially, it was because it is very iconic looking amongst the various modern-influenced glass boxes in Chicago, but later because I heard how diverse the living community is, and how it is like a vertical trailer park. Its mystery is very appealing, and seeing how Iker turned that intrigue into an art exhibit is amazing. Too many times I see very mediocre architecture exhibits in art museums because they fail to use a vernacular that those outside of architecture can comprehend. The way that Iker used portrait photography and limited writing to communicate the spatial qualities of the building was very beautiful and inspiring. Because of my dichotomy of interest in things architectural and not architectural, I hope I can bring something like this exhibit into my thesis. I have seen beautiful theses that have turned their idea into an object or installation that by their existence are not purely architectural, however next to the thesis, the object shines. It is an idea to play around with a lot until thesis year. Iker’s Mas Context publications are very beautiful. Lately, I have been very critical of architects and firms that only advertise their own work and beliefs using the wide range of outreach in social media and press without spreading other interesting ideas. Opinion columns on Dezeen have shown disdain of the narcissistic use of social media by architects such as Bjarke Ingels, and I am 100% in agreement. So it was great to see that Iker not only has a publication that talks about what other people are doing, but is also free online. From getting involved with promotions and social media for my dance crew and the Chicago Studio I have become very interested in the various media of outreach like publications, but from hearing how Iker got started, I understand that a lot of it has to do with good timing and supporters. The internet is huge, so without a key supporters that can contribute and spread the word of its existence , it would be hard to start off with a high quality publication to spring off of for future endeavors.

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QUALITY CONTROL Geoff Walters, Director of Quality at CannonDesign Geoff Walters is what many would call a Technical partner at CannonDesign. He focuses on quality control for all the different projects. If the profession were a university, he would consider himself a major in technical with a minor in design. In his talk, Geoff talked about the balance of the 3-legged stool: design, technical, and project management, and the importance of engaging small and worldly issues from the beginning of the design process. One the primary issues Geoff addressed was the necessity to have deep and early engagements with the client to address all issues. If anything is missing and not talked about, it will be a pain to go back later, and sometimes it is even too late to address those concerns. Figuring a lot of things out before designing gives the best results. One of the things that Geoff strives to do with CannonDesign is address building performance from the very beginning of the project. In the 1970â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and earlier, energy was so cheap that there was no need for building performance, but today buildings use 40% of the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s energy. Architecture 2030 is the regimented path to net zero. The year 2015 is a checkpoint with the goal of 70% less energy, so that means right now we should be designing those buildings so they can be finished in 2015. The reason why the goal is 70% and not 100% is because the rest of the 30% can be on site energy production. The world no longer has the luxury of designing purely by aesthetics. Building performance has to be included in the design process, so it is important to embrace it and explore the different opportunities that arise from the limitation. In designing for building performance there are two routes, the prescriptive path and energy modeling. Since architects usually do not want the prescriptive limitation of 30% glass on a building, it is usually best to follow the goal of net zero. Energy modeling lets you have a goal in mind, without the limitations of how you get there. With technology evolving so fast, code and published prescriptions are a few years behind. Recognize that low energy buildings do not cost more, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just about good design decisions. Major cities are creating laws, such as the Energy Disclosure Law, which requires buildings to make their energy use public knowledge. Developers and architects can no longer hide from the consequences of their design, so as young architects it is important to recognize that there is a lot to learn, and start doing something about it.

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GEOFF WALTERS The way I learned the basics about designing for building performance was through the prescriptive path taught in Environmental Building Systems at Virginia Tech. It often made my stomach tighten when I calculated to see I could only have 26% glass on the street-facing facade, or that my building could only be made out of brick and cmu to get the necessary thermal rating. So to say I was a bit wary coming to this lecture would be an understatement. Luckily, I thoroughly enjoyed Geoff’s lecture and left feeling much more informed and excited for the future of architecture. After taking the Environmental Building Systems class, I did not take what I learn into the early stages of my studio projects because I felt that every time I would have to go back to 26% glass. I would make sure my whole building wasn’t a greenhouse, but beyond that I didn’t take much into consideration. After hearing Geoff talk about Architecture 2030 and the path to net zero rather than green codes, I feel a million times better about designing for building performance. Because technology is changing so quickly with the high demand for sustainability, it makes sense that the codes for building performance are really behind and do not recognize changing building and material standards. Before this lecture I did not know that laws such as the Energy Disclosure Law were being put into place to help educate and publicize current environmental disasters. I have gotten tired of developments that are cheaply put together to maximize profits, so knowing that information is available for the public to see how expensive it is to live in a poorly built apartment is amazing. The more the public takes interest in being sustainable, the more the building sector and consultants outside of architecture will demand and catch up to meet the design necessity for building performance. From the post-lecture discussion, Andrew and Geoff said that if we don’t embrace designing with these environmental limitations in mind we are stupid, and I definitely agree. Like Geoff said, I recognize that I have little-to-no knowledge about building performance, but now I want to do all I can to become informed so I can help reduce the amount of energy buildings use in the nation. It is amazing to me how people took advantage of the cheap availability of resources and energy before the 1970’s. The world loves convenience and ignoring possible consequences, making the clean up dreadful. Sustainable design has come a long way, but I cannot wait to see where it goes in the next several years as it becomes cheaper, more efficient, and more aesthetically pleasing. Being part of a generation directly affected by previous generations’ of ignorance towards lack or resources, it was interesting to talk about what the next possible issue will be in the future. Is there something we are abusing now, that we will severely regret later? What Geoff suggested that I side strongly with is social sustainability. As land value prices and area densify, short cuts are being taken without much analysis into passing building code and meeting the bare minimum of a “liveable space.” Architecture impacts much more than the environment, it affects people’s lives and how they evolve as individuals. With the hint of this issue arising, my hope is that it gets addressed early enough so that it doesn’t become the next prominent architecture issue that we are racing to solve when it’s already too late.

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THE BUSINESS OF ARCHITECTURE Laura Fisher, FAIA Laura Fisher brought to the table a self-owning business perspective to the architecture profession. Laura started her career purely in architecture, working under Adrian Smith at SOM, but when she went back to school to get a MBA, she found a whole new world of opportunity. Right now, Laura is self-employed architect and businesswoman working with her connections that she has made over the years. With this talk, Laura shared some advice and lessons that she has learned from her collective experience over the years. 1. Make a career folder 2. Make real connections 3. Find opportunities through volunteering 4. Know the value of your services 5. Present yourself well 6. Get your license

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LAURA FISHER I have heard nothing but success stories from people with architecture undergraduate degrees that then pursued a MBA. Laura is definitely a success story, and it makes me think that there is something amazing about taking the practicalities of how our economy and businesses function with a really creative mind and outlook. While more and more architecture students I meet consider going to into business, I cannot see myself going down that path, but the advice that Laura gave the studio with this lecture was still very valuable. The way Laura taught herself to be self-employed sounds great, choosing her own clients and only relying on herself to get tasks done, but she was able to get to that point due to the connections she made before she became self-employed. Throughout Chicago Studio, I have met a lot of designers who have side businesses they love, but do not use it as their primary source of income, so it was nice to hear some perspective from Laura’s perspective. A lot of the advice she gave was quick-and-dirty things most people my age should already know, but the idea of a career folder is a great habit to adopt. Right now I do not have a lot of accomplishments and publications under my belt, but as I get older they will start to pile up, and a career folder is a great way to organize these things as they come up so I can quickly put a folio together later if I am applying for a position or award. Laura’s advice of finding opportunities through volunteering is also a great piece of advice to remember. Through different professional practice interviews I have met several individual who found job opportunities through people they met outside of their normal business hour jobs. This does not mean to sign up for volunteer positions purely for the sake of finding a job, rather by being around other people with similar interests, someone is very likely to have the same values as me, thus get along in a work environment. Within the network of the Chicago Studio I imagine that a lot of professionals have shifted around based on knowing each other through the program because it is very personable with a wide range of successful individuals. Although I like to involve myself in things outside of the architecture field after school hours, and I might continue that when I enter the work force, I like the idea of getting a position through someone I know personably. Then when I become an architect I would love to volunteer my services to help my church, my tae kwon do center, or dance studio if they need advice for renovations or expansion. On the topic of getting my license, I have heard several opinions on the matter, but Laura was very adamant about everyone entering the architecture profession to pursue getting their license. To her, not getting licensed is like, “Going to medical school then never sitting for the board exam.” I feel that is a bit extreme because I have met several respectable individuals who are great designers with an architecture education that never got licensed. Depending what a person does can determine how worthwhile being licensed is. For me, I am in a position right now where I plan on getting licensed because I want to get very involved with architecture and projects, but I know several colleagues who may never get licensed because it does not interest them. Getting licensed is a huge investment and commitment with money and time, so unless a person plans on using their license, I do not think they should be pushed towards the licensure process.

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RESTRUCTURING AMERICAN CITIES Peter Ellis, Founder of City Group at CannonDesign The City Group was formed by Peter Ellis for an Indian city project. In eastern Asia, a lot of city design starts with a blank slate, and Peter has been asking himself and his colleagues how to approach restructuring American cities that were designed in the 18th century and around the invention of the car. Peter says that one should learn from the developing world. Jaiprakash Gaur, a very humble man who became very rich, provides electricity to much of India. The country gave him real estate land as payment for building the Yamana expressway. Jaiprakash then went to Peter Ellis asking him to design a city with his land that he acquired from the government. Peter and the City Group tackled the idea of what they call the Urban Sponge. The City Group chose to tackle water drainage and public spaces with this project. The monsoon rain drains into aquifers to store the fresh water, and the city is oriented favorably to the sun and winds for the hot weather. The parks in this city have permeable soil and purposeful low spots so that the parks flood, but only for a little while until the water gets drained into the aquifers. Because the parks serve as the storm water system, there are very few pieces of infrastructure occurring below grade, a strategy that is cheap and desirable. The public bus system goes through the park so they are faster than any other traffic, thus more desirable, and the major neighborhoods are strategically placed between parks. Also, to ensure that traffic keeps moving in the city, there are several narrow roads in the city rather than wide roads spaced further apart. More narrow roads ensure that traffic keeps moving, while fewer and wider roads will always be congested. The city also has a decentralized utility network that supports the city. It is cheaper and saves energy because things donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to cross the entire city, something that occurs in American cities that completely baffles Peter Ellis. Looking back from this experience, Peter says that American cities should be restructured by transforming our infrastructure over time. Right now, Chicago has these huge tunnels that contain waste water and rain water. Only now is Chicago starting to capture storm water at grade, while also recognizing that the right plants placed in public spaces can also help clean the air. When will America recognize that they too can have a beautiful bike bioswale like Vancouver? Chicago should take vacant land and abandoned things and stitch them together to make an urban sponge. Philadelphia will eventually become the best and first urban sponge in the country. It is time to recognize that nature is the new city infrastructure. Right now 30% of the land in Chicago is dedicated to parking. It is a huge expense and waste. The parking should go away and turned into green spaces that get stitched together. The future cities need to take the urban and nature so they can live in harmony. In the area of transportation, Peter sees a future shift from mass transit to personal transit. In the 19th century, Chicago created the â&#x20AC;&#x153;L,â&#x20AC;? and it will probably stay forever because it is such a huge part of Chicago. The 20th century had the car, one of the worst mistakes ever to design a city around. In the 21st century Peter believes that it is all about the Zipcar and Uber concept. Although people push for the light rail, it is expensive and a bit unnecessary. The world is demanding responsive transit and self-driving cars seems like the best alternative for the future. 120

PETER ELLIS If there is a subject I have been most pleased in learning more about during my time in the Chicago Studio it is urban planning. There is little-to-no interaction with the subject in Blacksburg, which is a shame because it is through urban planning lectures like Peter Ellis’ that makes me want to learn more and get involved more with the subject in the profession. The problems with American cities are no secret, but figuring out how to improve them is a problem by itself. Peter’s argument of learning from developing countries had me skeptical in the beginning because the context is entirely different, but by the end of the lecture I was fully in agreement. While a lot of young architects are skeptical of the Chinese cities that pop up seemingly overnight, American cities that have steadily grown around the invention of the car are no better. We realized a while ago that resources are not unlimited, and we are killing the environment, but the ways American cities have reacted is little to none. The topics that the City Group tackled in an Indian city started from scratch are the same issues that face the entire world, thus are relevant to American cities. Every city uses energy, so designing around that variable provides a good foundation. The issue is that American cities are already built, and highways are not going to go away in a year. However, because American cities weren’t built in a day, renovations are a consistent necessity. So, Peter’s idea of renovating the correct way towards the movement of an “urban sponge” is very plausible in fifty years. The problem is, only Philadelphia is starting that initiative today. Political processes are understandably complicated, but when the issue is the environment and sustainability, with the opportunity to be self-reliant with lower cost, how can these ideas not be put into motion with an easy yes? Peter Ellis joked about having to find another filthy rich prince to further prove his ideas, but that shouldn’t be necessary because the United States does not have another option to pursue, and in my opinion cannot afford to procrastinate any longer. Creating American urban sponges is a great investment beyond the level of architecture and urban planning. While I do believe Peter Ellis’ ideas for designing cities are great, I wonder about the culture shock that is present in the newly designed Indian city for Jaiprakash Gaur. For a city designed from scratch for a culture that has been existing for centuries, why is this new city so wildly different from Indian culture? Western civilization has seen huge success from public spaces, but I cannot imagine a huge group of people suddenly grasping this western concept in a new city. That type of change seems like it would do better incrementally. I can only imagine the poor hanging out in the parks, becoming dirty, never getting cleaned, then being deemed undesirable by the citizens. I like to believe the city will work as planned, but it seems like a huge gamble that was taken on. I wonder what the city would have looked like if it embraced Indian culture more while still maintaining the sustainable features it currently has in the plan. I believe the city would still be a huge success. So, I am curious to keep up with the status of this city as it develops and people move here.

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BROADENING THE FIELD Adam Whipple Google has frowned upon the architecture degree in the past several years, coming up as one of the most unfavorable majors with little wiggle room. It has been very frustrating for architecture students and people in the profession to defend what they do, but as Adam said in the lecture, “If you don’t like what’s being talked about, change the conversation.” People with architecture degrees have done great things. They have been the people who came up with Pinterest, Wrk-shp, Isssstudio, and Don’t Shoe Me. Architecture is a field much bigger than what people traditionally associate it with. Adam, as a project manager, vouches that it is particularly easy for him to move around in different fields, because the role of project manager is always available somewhere. Architecture is a profession that has ethics, an interest in protecting the public welfare, and an interesting in improving the public domain. By that definition, one would think a background in architecture is very desirable. Businesses are starting to recognize the desirability of a design background, and are trying to teach business students certain design aspects in college courses. However, relying on a class or two for what architects spend five or more years on sounds very ineffective. So, it is everyone in the profession’s job to start realizing and advertising the wider scope of architecture. Be the Renaissance man because the world is recognizing the potential of design thinking.

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ADAM WHIPPLE Every week an article on my home page shows up saying “Most Undesirable Degrees,” and I always see architecture in the top three. It is very frustrating to me because I know the value and flexibility of the degree, but get little acknowledgment from outside peers and acquaintances. It is a topic that we don’t bring up a lot in Blacksburg, because we like to shake it off and believe in what we do. Adam believes in architecture too, but with his experience comes proof of the worthiness of having a degree in architecture which is very assuring. Adam’s lecture was pretty similar to Laura’s so I understand why they usually speak together at one lecture, but the main difference I see with Adam’s lecture was how we should see the architecture profession to be much broader than how people usually define it for us. Typically the field of architecture is divided into design, technical, and project management, but expanding from that, architecture can include building development, graphic design, product detailing, and more. I only heard about the concept of “Design Thinking” this semester from the series of professional practice lectures in the Chicago Studio, but I also did not know that business schools have been trying to tap into the world of design thinking by having a few classes integrated into their schools on the subject. That makes me laugh because I doubt any of it is worthwhile because it is impossible to grasp design thinking in a semester or two. It seems rather silly for the business school to try to come up with their own classes, rather than having their students take classes that are actually part of the different design majors. Although I believe in the value of an architecture degree, I do not understand how we are supposed to communicate its value to the rest of the world. During the Renaissance, it was commonly understood that architects have a well rounded skill set, so when did architecture lose its value of the Renaissance ideal and became a specialization? A lot of it reminds me of what Geoff talked about in his lecture about changing demands as technology evolves. My hope is that architecture goes back to being seen as a well-rounded education and career again. Education-wise I think it would be great to have a class or two in our major that is open to or integrated with business majors. Right now, I think the only design class that Tech allows integration is called Design Appreciation, but it does not provoke a lot of active thinking and is known for being an easy A. It would be really cool to have a profession practice type of class where business majors and design majors collaborate, or it can even be a school organization. Chicago Studio has taught me a lot about collaboration between different disciplines, and although its nice to learn about all the different options from real world experience, I don’t think it would hurt to hint to the possibilities in college.

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MAINTAINING VALUES John Syvertsen, Senior Principal at CannonDesign John Syvertsen, a man who was CEO at OWP/P and gladly gave it to someone else with a merger with CannonDesign, is a man who has maintained his values and love for architecture throughout his career, expressing it in every way he can. In this talk he stressed to the Chicago Studio that the values that emerge in people as young adults can be maintained throughout one’s career. John used to own a small practice while teaching on the side, but closed his firm to become a part of OWP/P, eventually becoming CEO. While he swore to himself he would only take the position for three years, he ended up doing it for nine years until the merger with CannonDesign. With the need of only one CEO with the merger, John gladly stepped down to just be another architect in CannonDesign. He was able to contribute to architecture again rather than just the business component, deciding to focus his efforts on environmental and social sustainability. The lack of design in Americans’ lives and how through it we can change and shape lives is a huge motivation for John. For examples he brought up San Francisco’s Public Architecture Organization and CannonDesign’s Brownsville University of Texas project. A great piece of advice that John gave in his talk was to begin projects with an act of pure generosity. It shows the client you really do care about their interest, and the client will respect you for it from the beginning into the design process. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Give service and support people Do it without cost being your primary concern You have got to take risks, there is no value if no risk is concerned Energy It is ok for the reward to be quiet and profound

With John’s Open Hand Studio, John wants CannonDesign to keep doing a bunch of projects with the public interest as the primary concern. A lot of times a very big project will make the news for its public service, but John takes the position that it’s better to do a bunch of small things and never stop, than stopping after one, big service project.

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JOHN SYVERTSEN I have huge amount of respect for people who do not immediately seek out the highest position of power, but take it because other people suggest him for it. I respect a man even more if they know when it is their time to give up their seat of power. It shows humbleness, and in architecture I find that hard to find at times. Andrew introduced John Syvertsen as the man he most looks up to in the profession for his success and values. From Johnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s talk, I can tell why Andrew looks up to him so much, he seems like an architect who has kept his optimism while still having a clear head for the business of architecture. A lot of times I wonder if I will have the same values and interests when I am at a mature point in my career. John says that his values have been pretty consistent throughout his career, and it will likely be the same for each of us. So from my current values and interest, if I were giving a talk to a bunch of college students, I would focus on values that can help young architects figure out what they value in themselves, something that I have been struggling with recently. One thing I would definitely advocate is looking outside of architecture for influence and inspiration. There are lots of interesting things to discover within the field of architecture, but getting involved in something that does not directly involve architecture is a great break and way to think about architecture differently. The skills I have learned and the people I have met outside of architecture have influenced me the most in many respects. I have seen lots of talent in architecture from people who really try to specialize, but the world is so big, and more much more interesting if you look farther than what is right in front of you. Another piece of advice that I would give to young architects is to start interacting with people early. In school it is so easy to hide at your desk and look for answers to design questions on Google, but I have definitely realized that most people in the world are there to help you. A brief phone call or meeting is much more useful and interesting than an article online, and it opens doors to a possible future relationship and connection. This is definitely something I have learned this semester, but I am glad I did because I think it will help me so much for my thesis project and early career. Finally, I would say not to chase things for glory. The best designs I have seen are from architects and designers who have pursued a career or project they are genuinely interested in. That act of generosity, something that John mentioned in his lecture, allows a project to blossom beautifully. Projects that are chosen to be strategic for a personal dogma have little interest. The same goes for people. People who try to become close friends with senior colleagues purely for the spotlight will not last long and lose interest. Those who are sincere have longevity at firms and in peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lives. At the beginning of this semester I knew I wanted to find professionals in high positions that maintained their values throughout their career. I agree with Andrew in recognizing that John Syvertsen is that kind of man, and I wish I was able to have more interactions with him than this lecture.

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PRINCIPLE #1: SUSTAINABILITY Heather Rosen Maru Padilla

The first principle of the book City Building: Nine Planning Principles for the 21st Century is sustainability. It is chosen to head the list because it is an overarching principle which impacts all the others. It is crucial for urban planners to consider the sustainability of a project throughout the entire design process. The principle of sustainability does not only refer to environmental factors, but includes social and economic issues. Sustainability is a holistic design approach. Sustainable urban planning can be broken down into two main efforts: conservation of the natural environment and smart city building. The natural environment needs to be carefully considered whenever designing a city. It is important to calculate the environmental carrying capacity of the land, manage the land use in an area, maintain clean air and water, conserve open natural space, and use local resources. The built environment must also be constructed in a smart way. Strategic plans include using energy efficient systems, making dense developments, implementing efficient infrastructure, and utilizing local building materials. Designing and building dense cities is a critical step towards achieving sustainability. Dense developments allow for maximum conservation of natural landscape and results in more livable spaces. In order to realize this condition, there needs to be cooperation and collaboration between regional and local governments. These groups working together can implement zoning and land use policies, inter-city transit infrastructure, economic sufficiency plans, and building code standards. Combining these elements will result in the planning of economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable cities.

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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.

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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.

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PRINCIPLE #4: OPEN SPACE Bryce Beckwith Adrienne Milner

The presence of open space within an urban environment is imperative for reasons pertaining to human health, natural habitats, and the quality of living environment. Open space should take into account the preexisting habitat and natural systems. When designing large open spaces surrounding wildlife, migration corridors should be preserved. The ground plane needs to remain porous to accommodate watersheds that often exist surrounding flood plains, rivers, and drainage corridors. The isolation of park spaces should distance habitat from human contact, creating various spaces of sensitivity to natural habitats. Recreation and urban landscape is an important type of open space for the health and quality of life within dense living conditions. Open space intended for recreational use and human activities should be programmed accordingly. The urban landscape should contain green spaces for environmental purposes that improve the quality of life such as cooling air, filtering polluted runoff, and absorbing carbon dioxide. Various scales of open spaces should be distributed within an urban fabric in accordance to easy accessibility. Lastly, open space is a crucial element of any built environment for the visual and spatial relief that it offers. Conserving man-made and natural landscape such as hills, rivers, parks, and skylight strengthens contextual characteristics. Views should be preserved, providing visual relief from the built environment, and highlighting landscaped contextual characteristics. Physical connection to these preserved views are important as it creates a release from cities and prevents the applicability of the island effect on the built environment.

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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.

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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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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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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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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 cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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 donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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 cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s potential, it is possible to create a sense of identity.

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ACCESSIBILITY FOR REDMOON THEATER As Redmoon Theater grows as a community entity for Pilsen, its accessibility will become more of an issue. Located along Cermak Road, a major truck and car route in the industrial corridor, it is not a safe area to bike or walk during the day and night. The current state of the sidewalks by Redmoon Theater is very wide, with staggering, small trees. If a green buffer is placed in place of the staggering trees, there is enough room for a bike plane and an 8 foot sidewalk. With Redmoon Theater being so close to Pilsen, it would be much more convenient to allow accessibility for walking and biking rather than cars, since many of the people that get involved with Redmoon are in a younger age group or do not have the economic resources to afford a car. The green buffer would also ensure the safety of the local citizens that attend Redmoonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s night events, and nightly truck drivers will not have to be as concerned for patrons of Redmoon Theater socializing too close to the busy road.

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