CHICAGO STUDIO Lindsey Currey | Spring 2014
CONTENTS
Professional Practice | Lectures + Interviews
5
Studio | Design in the Urban Context
37
Internship| Cannon Design
97
Urban Mapping| McCormick Place Convention Center
104
The City | Impressions
127
PRO-PRACTICE Lectures + Interviews | Chicago, Illinois
LECTURES
RANDY GUILLOT
Design Principal + Regional Director | Cannon Design
ABSTRACT:
RESPONSE:
Randy Guillot framed his lecture as a series of opinions and advice he has developed and learned in his twenty-four years of practice. He noted that in our lecture series, each design firm represented will differ greatly; however, in each workplace, it is important to build meaningful relationships and to work with a certain kind of rigor. He argued that if you are creative, innovative, hardworking and you attach yourself to talented people, you will go far in the profession. In architecture, he argued, communication is at the core at what we do. He stated, “We don’t build things, we represent things- which is communication,” Whether the architect is trying to win over a client or communicate clearly to the construction team via the construction documents, he has to convince people of how good the work is through connecting with the client and representing the work clearly. Guillot believes that the architect should surround himself with people who know more than he and should aim to gather a broad set of mentors and influences. To be a valuable worker, one must not only do what they are told, but go above and beyond, pulling in their own creativity and discoveries in the process; all while managing time and keeping the processes linear so that it benefits the business in the end. In all of this, the worker must promote his own strengths and be his biggest cheerleader, so to speak. Repeatedly in the lecture, Guillot charged, “Listen, be generous and be courageous,” he insisted that these qualities helps one to develop authentic connections.
Randy Guillot made several suggestions over the course of his lecture on how to succeed in our architectural careers. Two themes were the most salient: promote yourself, and pursue authentic connections with great thinkers around you. These themes drove most of the lecture and proved to be the largest challenge to me as an emerging professional. Over my career as a student, I have rigorously worked on the other aspects of the lecture. I have achieved a decent system of managing my time, working hard, listening to professors and believing in my work. However, in the academic environment, my placement within the university is secure and my graduation highly likely; the external incentive to promote my own work and to nurture connections with professors and other bright students is practically non-existent. Pursuing architecture on a purely academic level is highly celebrated. If a student does not happen to realize the value of these two goals and pursue them on their own gumption, they could graduate and only know the difference years into their career. Guillot’s lecture came at a perfect point in the semester and my architectural studies. It made me realize that I have not been challenged to practice these habits thus far in my architectural career. My hard work and discipline has been enough to earn helpful and positive reviews in pin-ups. But there is far more to the practice and to an intellectual Architecture than this. Now that I have been challenged, I can begin to put my work in front of the highly intelligent and successful architects around me throughout each project. Through this, I will receive more individual feedback when I need it most. I can hone the skills neces-
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sary to be my work’s greatest advocate. I will continue to pursue connections with bright professors when I return to Blacksburg. I am positive that I will gain much more from my education by pursuing these two goals.
DREW RANIERI
Associate Principal | Solomon Cordwell Buenz
ABSTRACT: In Drew Ranieri’s lecture, he clearly described to us the elements and importance of an architect/ client contract. A contract will specifically include aspects about money, schedule, roles and responsibility, risk, scope, expectation, and work product. In respect to money and costs, Ranieri believes as a principle that hiring architects helps the client get more for their money. In residential work, this is most evident as it doesn’t require an architect. The true contrast between work with and without an architect can seen in full. Architects can plan out and unify a project so that the costs can be calculated and discussed up front. This reduces tack-ons and surprises later in a project. Architects, if doing their job correctly can help developers figure out how to save time on their schedules. A standard schedule includes Programmatic Planning, Schematic Design, Design Development, Construction Documents, and Construction Administration. Before work begins, while forming the contract, the architect has to estimate how long each element will take. Typically and historically, one-third of the time and fee goes to Schematic Design and Design Development. Onethird of the time will go to Construction Documentation and one-third of the time will go to Construction Administration. However, these lines are blurred now because of advances in architectural software. A firm can use modeling software to create and change elements of the building quickly and easily, minimizing time needed in the earlier design phases. These days, Construction Documentation takes most of the time and fee. A good contract spells out responsibilities. It is best to accurately
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specify as much as possible as it will cover you later if something goes wrong in the built work. For example, if there is a leak in a roof and the architect is brought into question legally, he or she would not be liable if the roof detailing was not constructed as specified. However, they may be found liable if the drawing for that detail is incorrect or missing. In a non-typical contract, when the owner, architect, and contractor are not three separate and distinct entities, distinctions between the roles of each party become blurred. This is dangerous for the architect, as it is unclear what they are liable for.
construction documents to be made at simultaneously, this process will undoubtedly necessitate change. Will there be a point where the Construction Documentation phase is completely replaced by BIM? This lecture must be the first of many discussions throughout an architecture student’s career at school. I would like to further understand how designs can be changed during the construction phase and how accuracy within Construction Administration is typically assured.
RESPONSE: Drew Ranieri clearly articulated aspects of an architectural contract. The profession of architecture is dense with complexity and details; the definition of each of the phases of design, and roles of everyone involved can seem illusive. Ranieri began to put together some pieces of the puzzle; however, the true breadth of the material is so vast that this lecture is only be the beginning. What history is behind the formation of all of these parts? As Ranieri began to ask, how will technology force these methods and standards to change? In addition, the phases of design, as described by Renieri, prescribe a particular process that is limited. It is a legal generalization of what works for many architects and clients. However, it may not be the strongest process for all designers or the best method for clients. In fact, this process may artificially limit the truly creative and innovative architect. Furthermore, as new design technology begins to allow design and
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BRIAN LEE
Partner | Skidmore Owings & Merrill
ABSTRACT: This lecture showcased countless slides showing Skidmore Owings and Merrill’s impressive collection of work. Through these works, Brian Lee explained the firm’s approach to architecture. Overall, SOM sets out to innovate new systems so that they stay on the edge of their field, always pushing design especially in regards to engineering and technology. However, Lee and other principals at the firm drive the designs to return to human scale. To accomplish this, they bring natural light into spaces, provide tactile materials and link the buildings back to their landscape. He integrates and connects his work into the patterns of context as well. This could manifest in local material choices, or orientation toward a particular view. However, holds to the belief that cheaper architecture doesn’t have to look or behave like what everyone else is doing. The firm also uses principles found in nature to influence the form, structure and overall design of buildings. In one unbuilt project they referenced the form of a blade of grass. Here on a narrow site, they would be able to provide views for the apartments and incorporate mechanical systems into the heart of the building. In another building, SOM referenced the structure of a tree. The hotel had a structural core and cantilevered its rooms off of that center. Brian Lee stressed that the innovative features of their buildings greatly serve the people who use the buildings. When asked what advice Lee would give to a group of fourth year architecture students, he suggested that they try non-traditional methods of practice in order to get designs where they need to be. He suggested working in a non-
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traditional practice and told us that we had a lot to offer. [Historically, Brian Lee’s answer to that question is to do everything you can to be an interesting person. What do you bring to the creative world? Pursue excellence in something for yourself.]
RESPONSE: The shear breadth of impres-
sive, and recent work that Brian Lee shared was almost enough to convince me of whatever he had to share. This, case and point, is evidence of Lee’s ideal that you have to not only come up with good ideas, but also convince people of them. Done correctly, this is not a matter of good salesmanship, but simply transparency between a phenomenal idea and the audience. This advice means that the presenter essentially is removed and the work speaks for itself. The work that Brian Lee shared did speak for itself. SOM’s expressive structures and forms were fresh and exciting. Their processes seemed rational and straightforward, but ground breaking at the same time. Their graphic representation of their graphics was also strong and supported their ideas well. Lee quietly offered his wisdom with every project that he presented. However, some of it felt slightly off to me. At one point a slide boasted that the architect should “humanize the experience,” as if this was some process to paste onto a building after most of the design decisions had been made. I hope this isn’t the case. Buildings in nature should be relatable on the human scale, as they are built primarily for humans.
DAVID WILTS
Associate Principal | ARUP
RESPONSE: ABSTRACT: Starting out as a musician with David Wilts should be aper-
dreams of touring as a rock band, David Wilts had an ear for the perfect tune. In his early twenties, he began to mix music for several other bands and eventually pursued sound studio work with Sony instead of a life on the road. During this time, he finished his degree in Philosophy and learned more about building systems. Currently, he is pursuing the truly smart building, where all systems work together to create a delightful experience for each user group. When every system talks to every system in the building, when they all share data, the building can predict what temperature it needs, what blinds need to be opened, what lights and conference calling systems should be turned on at what time, and predict per each user group, what the needs will be over time. In hospitality, a client’s room could be cooled and ready in the same condition, despite whatever city they are in. Incorporating the systems together could reduce labor costs as buildings are constructed. The AV, lighting, and security services could be installed by one programmer, instead of multiple trades. The services half the conduit and reduce the amount of labor required to install. Wilts sees the largest hurdle to smart buildings to be a lack of communication between design, owner and construction teams. The designer knows the technology’s potential in a client’s life, but doesn’t know how to get there. The engineer knows how to get there, but not how to apply it. Wilts is currently developing methods in which new building technology could be integrated into design and construction specifications in order to overcome these hurdles.
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manent addition to the Chicago Studio lecture series. Though not strictly a designer architecturally, he blurs the lines between engineering and architecture in this lecture. When one aims to deliver truly delightful experiences to users of a building, you start to question how different that is from the aims of a traditional architect. Everything in Wilts lecture is technologically possible, at least within the next few years. However, the applications of his work, begins to challenge design thinking in yet another dimension. In a few years, could we begin to see projects more commonly that have a Programming section to the Construction Document sets? Could product designers, work to make these interfaces more beautiful and easy to use? Wilts only tapped the surface of the potential of integrated systems, but as an architect about to begin a career full time in this ever progressive world, I am extremely grateful to at least be exposed to the beginnings of some of these possibilities. Now, I know to keep an eye out for the evolution of these concepts and to be open to them, when they arise in full force. From another, more traditional design prospective, his aims are refreshing. In reference to Brian Lee’s lecture, where “humanizing the experience” seemed like an add on, here it seems more so. Wilts’ aims are not just for “people” as if “people” all need and want the same thing for a delightful experience, but for each people group. He realizes the absolute importance in understanding each groups needs, from the CFO to the new hire, from the consierge to the window washer. In considering these groups needs, not only do you have the
opportunity to solve problems, but to consider whole new design variables that ripple into the entirety of the project.
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GEOFF WALTERS
Principal | Cannon Design
RESPONSE: ABSTRACT: In university, the emerging ar chitect only scratches the surface of Geoff Walters is the Director of There is a lot to learn. The pro-
Quality in the Chicago office of Cannon Design. Each of the major Cannon Design offices have one and several technical developers report to him. Walters finds that architecture is a three legged stool made up of aspects that are technical, design, and business. Where the design, tends to be what we learn in school, the theory and aesthetics, the technical elements of architecture come down to design process, performance issues, details, drawing, and delivery. He finds that a well designed, resolved idea means that you know as much as possible about the project. Discussions with the client on these issues must be driven by the architect as early as possible, or they will come up later, causing more issues and a great rippling effect. Geoff Walters gets most excited when talking about building energy performance. This is not an add on to a building’s concept late in the project. Energy efficiency needs to push the design. There needs to be energy modeling on all projects to understand the relationships within the design. Studies predict that the downfall of civilization will come with an increased income inequality and finite resources. Therefore, solutions must be integrated, not tacked on. Clients do have legal and financial incentives to reduce energy and its the architect’s responsibility to present all information necessary to the client. Architectural design really only works if leadership creates a team of incredibly intelligent and qualified people who can collaborate and pool all of their resources to influence the design.
“A Well designed, resolved idea means you know as much as possible,”
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fession is changing at such a remarkable rate, that the amount that we have to know to become an effective architect is alarming. In addition to the Vitruvian list of topics to know (medicine, geometry, sociology etc), the emerging architect must be able at this point of time must be able to grasp how documentation has occurred over time and where it is moving now. The new professional must know how to communicate with people on the site actually building the projects, and grasp the emerging BIM technology. In a few years, the way of communicating in the field may completely change. It may be that we pass a detailed model to construction workers to replicate full scale in the field. This idea is fairly ancient after all. Egyptian ruins have produced miniature buildings, similar in appearance to models. Archeologists believe that it was these models, not drawings that aided in the construction of buildings. That is what this technology lends itself to in this current age. As for now, architectural communication straddles two worlds. Drawings, paper, and written details and the world of complete technology. An emerging architect, for now, has to have a clear grasp of both of these fields. In addition to technology, an architect must develop a deep understanding and intuition of materials and the systems that go into creating these materials, their structural capabilities and durability. An architect had to know these to some extent before, but now, threats on the environment, necessitates this as a primary mode of thinking, not an additive whim. Materials and systems have a large effect on the energy performance of the built work.
knowledge they are required to know. But how does an architect set out to design before they know everything? If we are still learning rapidly as 60 year old professionals, how do we even begin to work now, when we see clear gaps in our understanding? Geoff would argue that we have no choice but to work in groups of highly capable people. Only a collective will be able to begin to address the complexities at hand. We have no choice but to ask questions all of the time, to develop strong connections with our resources and to have mentors always at hand.
LAURA FISCHER
Managing Director | IPM Consulting Ltd.
ABSTRACT:
RESPONSE: ceed was through pulling connections Laura Fischer has a broad range of liLaura Fischer has molded her between events, and skilled people in censes to her name and participates in many boards. She recommends students do the same. Getting her license early on, qualified her for many of the alternative endeavors she pursued. Her board participation often provided the next job or contact for work. In school, Fischer interned at SOM. She was the only woman in the office. In the three years after her undergraduate degree at Virginia Tech, Fischer continued to work at an architecture firm, while taking night classes for an MBA, and earning her architectural license. Fischer advises that it is easiest to get your license right after school. After this time, she moved into corporate real estate and managing architectural projects for a bank. This paid for her MBA. From this experience, she learned how to put together large scale projects. For McDonald’s, she learned how to manage several other types of projects. After this point, she contracted to Hyatt for five years. She eventually began to get contracts and managerial and organizational jobs through a variety of connections that she had made over the years. Currently, she works on these contracted jobs as her primary income. In doing so, she created her own business. Now she keeps her own books and does her own marketing to get new work. Fischer insists that there are many routes besides private practice in architecture firms. The skills learned in architecture school and in the profession can be used on a wide scale. She recommends volunteering to broaden ones skill set and leadership abilities. This will set you apart to potential employers.
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career into something unique. Depending primarily on connections and positive feedback to get work, she provides a variety of service to her clients. Few people can put a title to her occupation, but she tends to take any challenge and either solve it herself, or find the best team with that unique skill set to figure it out. Often she finds these teams outside the realm of their typical scope of work. Over the span of Fischer’s life, she has developed skill sets and relationships. Sooner or later, these skills come full circle. She takes specific knowledge from her past experiences, and figures out how to apply them to her particular job. She has volunteered on several boards, from the council of her building to church group, dealing with several people and projects. Every project that she shared with us has some sort of connection back to one of these things that she was previously involved with. She claims that the more that you are involved, the more you will have to draw on and the more people will trust you to solve their problems. However, this is only part of it. Laura Fischer is able to draw idea connections and interpersonal connections across years of experience. This requires a unique kind of intellectual and emotional intelligence that should not be discounted. Perhaps she honed this skill set by participating in all of these groups. Perhaps she gained this through years of having to make something work. Through working as the only female in an office, graduating in a tough economic time, and earning an MBA, her architectural license and working full time, she learned how to swim in a sink or swim environment. One way that she learned how to suc-
her life. I wouldn’t enjoy doing what Fischer does. It is too far removed from creating and producing beautiful things to be fulfilling for me. However, I do have an incredible amount of respect for this woman and how she has paved her own way, and created her own business.
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IKER GIL
Director | MAS Studio
ABSTRACT: Iker Gil grew up in Bilbao, Spain. Its heavy industrial period, flooding of 1983, Foster Train and construction of the Guggenheim all marked significant eras of the city over the span of his young life. From an early age, he understood how much you can change a city in a short period of time and that everyone has something to offer. Iker Gil is dedicated to only doing projects that he is interested in doing, whether that be architectural design or an intellectual pursuit for his books. One of his favorite early projects was simple in construct. A series of temporary wooden boxes, provided an opportunity for flowers and benches in small temporary parks. When the project was deployed on an empty lot of a city, it changed the perception of and gave ownership to its neighbors. It inspired the desire for a more permanent park in the area. Later, his projects became more about publications and influence. As a competition entry, he mapped Chicago’s Pedway system. The proposal was intensive and vast, but used more so to start a conversation, than to propose a realistic built architecture. He holds to the mentality that it is better to propose something for the city, than to sit back and criticize the leader’s lack of interest and action. His next focus was on Marina City. He wanted to explore through photographs and interviews, how it’s inhabitants have cared for the building over time. Now, the community is extremely diverse. The work was more than a study of a building, but the concept of layers over time. He published this study on newsprint and has exhibited this work several times. Most recently, Gil has worked
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on a series of 20 issues that each provide a comprehensive view of a single topic. It is a platform for a collaborative between types of design. This work is free online.
RESPONSE: Iker Gil loves to learn. This drives his entire work and goal set. Gil and several partners have collaborated to produce publications that research topics in depth in a-typical ways. The issues include works such as interviews, music lyrics, info graphs, projects, and personal and analytical essays. Gil chooses these topics based off what interests him and works hard to get the best thinkers from around the globe on the subject to participate in these works. Beyond the physical presence of the printed books, the value of this work is largely intangible and difficult to trace and name. That is the nature of ideas. To understand Gil’s work, you have to encounter his books in depth. There is obvious richness to the graphic quality and strength to the imagery collected by the collaborators, but what you can’t see is the highly selected and edited nature of the works, the connection between them much less the effect of the cohesive piece. I thrive on the production of tangible products. Ideas and information as a product are interesting, but largely unsatisfying to me. I can respect Gil’s work, but I don’t think that I can appreciate it entirely. To me it exists in a place that is difficult for me to apply.
NATASHA KROL
Engagement Manager | McKinsey & Company
ABSTRACT: Natasha Krol is okay with ambiguity and the opportunity to create her own constraints. She is obsessed with the idea of a personal story. After a string of a variety degrees, and a stint of nannying, she began working at McKinsey, as a “Doctor for businesses”. Or more accurately now, “facilitating people and businesses in solving their own problems”. She is invited into the heart of businesses, and even governments to sit down, not as McKinsey and client, but as two people working together to solve problems. In order to solve these problems, she has developed several techniques to get to the heart of businesses. Often, to find the root of problems, she will find the angriest person in the room and just listen. She finds that these people tend to have the most insight and passion for bettering their environment. They end up helping the most in creating big changes in the companies. She also finds existing nodes of influential people within each workplace. It is through these informal systems of hierarchy, that she can make the biggest difference. Here, her influence to one or a few people can translate into influence over many. She has found that it is more important to know how to influence people than to have the big idea to solve the problems. To do that, she needs to earn trust and develop relationships with each of her clients. I. In order to do so, she is dedicated to showing empathy, giving time, and listening… only listening. After sharing her story, Krol challenged we students to gain a greater understanding of our stories. She asked questions: What do we have to offer? How do you have impact? What energizes you? How do you approach the world? What are you best at? Diagram your life.
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What do you think of yourself in the world? What do you design out of it? In the end, she insisted that we design our own life or someone will tell you how to do it in some other way .
RESPONSE: Natasha Krol’s lecture was ut-
terly inspiring. Arguably, all she did was share her story and urge us to do the same. Up until roughly, well this semester, I thought spending too much time on myself, and appearance would be vain. And that the vanity would lead to me becoming an inauthentic shell of myself, impotent in any real life challenge. Through several events and lectures, this one being the most succinct, this view has begun to shift. Forgetting questions of the morality of dwelling on myself, it is just too practical to know yourself, and how to present yourself, and know what you offer the world to avoid diving in. Since this lecture, I have kept a note pad in which I collect my thoughts of the world and myself as I see it at the time. These topics range in a variety of depths and specificity. But slowly, as I keep this note pad by my side, I am seeing patterns. Hopefully, as time passes, I will be able to gain a better sense of who I am and what I have to offer the world. In addition to that intense, life altering interpretation of the lecture, I am also incredibly interested in Krol’s career pattern and present work. One could say that she changes interests frequently and one path largely isn’t related to the next. She studied Neuroscience in her under-grad, Architecture for her graduate program and now works with an advising company. She has worked
through each of these phases with the greatest passion and intensity. She is clearly brilliant both in her intellect and ability to connect with other people. Her entire career at the moment hinges on her ability to connect with and value people. Perhaps her whole message could be summarized as such: value and see the potential in yourself and others. This sounds generic and utopian; however, Natasha Krol has proven that this is essential to thriving in the world today.
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PETER ELLIS
Principal | Cannon Design
ABSTRACT: be consistently in use. The cars would Peter Ellis has spent the later never have to be parked in the city. And
portion of his career improving cities. In India, Ellis and his team designed a new ground up city for Mr. Gaur, one of the wealthiest men in the country. Gaur grew up in a poor village in India, and through a series of events, came to sell damn energy from the Himalayas. This nearly endless cash flow allowed Gaur to dream of a better India, or at least a better city in India. The city’s design is centered around a “Downtown Sponge”, a series of parks that collect and distribute monsoon rain and organize the city. A Bus rapid transit system uses the park area as a network of thoroughfares to connect the new city. The park system brings nature to the city without a suburban sprawl. The city is laid out to orient favorably to the sun and wind patterns. The utilities are decentralized and distributed so that water does not have to be pumped far. Ellis sought to bring this mentality back to the United States to empower cities at home to handle climate change and other adversities. By weaving a series of green parks in vacant lots around the city, rainwater can be filtered and captured on grade to replenish aquifers. Slowly over 50 years, as streets are redone, they can be done “right.” If every fourth street is green, then American Cities too can have an urban sponge. To open up more places for green parks, Ellis believes in a method to rid the city of parked cars. As driverless car technology progresses, it provides much more than freed up time on a morning commute, it offers the opportunity for companies like Uber and Zip-Car to develop programs that could deliver a car to a customer automatically. The number of cars could be optimized as each would
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fewer cars would be necessary.
RESPONSE: Peter Ellis’ design in India
seems to have a few gaping flaws. With all of the greens pace in the center of the city, wouldn’t the density necessary for a bustling downtown be destroyed? How would the city dream to maintain a vibrant street scape? Who would pay to take care of these parks? If there is a significant negative view of public spaces in the culture, how would the parks stay clean, crime free and enjoyable? How would the city prevent squatters who would eventually legally own the land? As the new city is constructed, I question its future effectiveness. I am disappointed that the city is still centered around a type of transportation that is as removable and temporary as a bus system. If the city did not have this extensive park system, I am convinced that it could be a more vibrant community and achieve these alleged gains by another means. That being said, Ellis’ proposals for American cities are more exciting. I am still hesitant to believe that every vacant lot and parking lot should be turned into a park. With current densities in cities, these lots may stay as vacant and bare as they are now. While they may be nicer to look at if they were green, they wouldn’t add to the vibrancy or commerce of the city. However, these lots could be used for a variety of programs in addition to a system of parks that could benefit the city in many aspects. Due to the car’s nature of depreciating values, maintenance liability, a
tendency to burn an insatiable amount of fuel, and a commute that is wasteful of time, I would love to not own another car in my life. With technology’s endless progression, the driverless car is inevitable. In combination with companies like Uber and Zip-Car. Owning one’s own car in a city would become a truly antiquated prospect. However, the suburban and royal life-style may change in a completely different way. As conveniences outside of a city are always a drive away, the focus of a driverless system may be more towards delivery and bringing a community’s assets to you rather than moving thousands of people around at the same time.
JOHN SYVERTSTEN
Senior Principal | Cannon Design
ABSTRACT: John Syvertson spent most of
his early career in small boutique firms and teaching at UIC Minneapolis. He considers himself at this age to be pretty foolhearty as he said yes to everything. Eventually, he moved to OWP&P where he became president and CEO for ten years. During that time the firm grew from 145 to 300 people. When they merged with Cannon Design, he made a point to get out of the CEO role and get back into design work. Syversten has a huge appetite for social impact in design. That’s why he tends to gravitate towards young professionals, as they tend to share this passion. At the root of this desire, he wants to connect as many people as possible to services that will improve their lives. That’s why he got into Open Hands Studio. Syversten wants to branch out to other firms and businesses in order to bring the conversation about social change back into the design world. Ideally, the work would be on the mind and work of every individual in the firm, not just a separate group. In fact, if Open Hands Studio is still around as a smalle group in 15 years, he would consider it a failure. These ideas and passions need to be on everyone’s mind. When the urban planning team began researching sites in Texas for University of Texas in Brownsville, the team latched on to the idea of keeping the school in its current area in stead of moving it to a more rural location. The area was poor, unhealthy, and right on the nation’s border, if the school stayed their, it could have a positive impact on the community. For an audience that wasn’t typically very socially proactive, this was a tough idea to sell. However, they eventually decided to stay in Brownsville and they invited Syver-
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sten’s team to create the master plan. John Syversten believes that if you begin a relationship with an act of generosity, it will go far. That was his mindset with Brownsville, Texas. They really got to know the town and they jumped into how the school served the community. Syversten believes that this attitude should run deep in how coorporations should function as well. Each busniess should have a certain amount of social responsibility. If someone can build up their community, then that will build up the context for your business. Then, there is profit everywhere (if you calculate it differently). Social responsibility should be a personal goal for every CEO. The reward is energizing, quiet, and profound. You are a part of increasing human dignity and joy. Culture advances bit by bit when hundereds of businesses make moves like this. Business can add to the dignity of people. John Syversten also touched on his love of reading and journaling. He for many years, has read one book a month. Because of that, he has absorbed a tremendous amount of information and influence over his career. From a biography of John Adams, he learned the importance of keeping a journal in order to self reflect and build upon thought patterns.
sume responsibility for these aspirations. However, when I get to that point in my career, I hope to be as passionate and driven towards something as important as social change. As John has, I hope to share about that passion with decades of experience acting it out. By the twilight of my career, I hope to have tried more career paths than just architecture. If I wind up back into architecture, I hope to have made public spaces that allow people to dive into the depths of their minds and offer a sesnse of peace and rest. I hope to speak from experience about the benefis of reading and journaling, and over coming fears on a regular basis. I want to have ventured out of the western world. I want to speak to running my own firm and using it as a platform to care for people.
RESPONSE:
Syversten’s passion and energy is inspiring and his tenacity pushes the bar high. I appreciate his thoughts on social responsibility within corporations and I am curious to see ways in which other CEO’s could be pursuaded to as-
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INTERVIEWS
GEOFF WALTERS
Principal| Cannon Design
I’m interested in your experience in art. You spent your first year at school in art?
I spent my first year at Virginia Tech as an art major and then I switched to architecture. It was better for me. But I still love art. You know, I had a position out of school, where I ended up in a place where I had a very different world view from the owner of the firm, and I got let go there. As I recovered from that, I took some time off and went through a period then when I did a lot of art. And since then, it has been hard to find the time. It requires a real commitment. But frankly, I’m getting closer to retirement, where hopefully I will have the time and space. Once your professional pursuits and family life take up your time, there isn’t much left over for artistic pursuits. But family life is extremely important. It’s good for that to take precedent over art. A little sidebar: The ethos of studio commitment that pervades architecture school, frequently extends into professional life with respect to expectations. Part of that is a function of the business model- there is a certain amount of overtime that is just needed to make projects work. But, plenty of people take that too far. Both in terms of office culture and expectations and just individuals who just think that they aren’t a real professional unless they devote their entire life to it. I say that you can have a wonderful professional life and keep that in balance with your personal life.
Your personal life feeds back into your professional life.
Yes, and into your emotional and mental health and how effective you are as a professional. That is something that you have to find your own balance
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with. But the consequence of that, is that its hard to find time for the time to support other passions. You go through a period where your artistic expression is primarily through your professional life. Even though I have gone down this very technical path, I continue to participate in design critiques. And there is an absolute connection between the technical expression and the purely aesthetic expression. They are so intertwined that it all has to be resolved together. The challenge is that you need to know a lot and have the right people in on the discussion. There needs to be a collaborative design process. You need to bring the right people into that process. The right interpersonal skills to make that fun are uncommon. Collaboration is what design is about in the professional world. Or at least what it needs to be about in the professional world. People need to have the skills to handle group dynamics. One of the ways to be successful in the profession is to have to the ability to understand peoples strengths and weaknesses and to be able to leverage that. Leadership also needs a detailed understanding of critical path. They really need to know how to make what decisions at what time and what people need to be brought on at certain points.
Do you have any other tips for a good work-life balance?
A significant part of that comes down to the firm you are in. There was a relatively healthy view of that at OWP&P and significantly here at Cannon. That’s a good starting point. Beyond that, it needs to be a personal priority. There will be points in your career where there will be project deadlines and 60+ hour weeks. But I always try to make them for a defined periods of time, its not a way of life. Part of the way you manage that
is having a realistic understanding of what you’re capable of doing in a period of time. And when you are not in control of your workload, knowing when to ask for help and when demands are unreasonable. It gets complicated, but has to be a personal perspective and priority. I absolutely love what I do. But I love not doing it. You have to be conscious of it.
What do you want to do in the future with your career?
Its surprising to me that I am as close I am to the retirement side of life. However, I can’t imagine totally disconnecting from the profession. It is so much a part of my life, but it will be interesting to find a different way to be the profession. I am not retiring at 65, I know that much. My wife got multiple degrees and didn’t get into the working world until she was 29. We didn’t have a family until she was 42 and I was 43. Now, our son is heading toward college as we are heading toward retirement. Those are two big things to save for. Yeah, we didn’t time that one in the best way.
What principles and ethics do you bring to the table?
Huh. That’s a good question. Well, mainly they are very personal and specific to my life journey. Simple things like...I am particularly aware of and sensitive of human interactions and feelings. My own personal values are very connected to that. I grew up very involved in church, and I always loved science. As a part of my own personal evolution, I spent a lot of time thinking deeply about religion and at a fairly young age, I became an atheist. So, as a young teen, I would stand up in church and read scripture, and think about the words that I was saying. I don’t think you need a religion to be a moral hu-
man being. My lack of religiosity, informs a lot of how I see science and human relations as not being reformed by something outside that tells you how you need to interact with the world. I see it as an absolute human imperative to be aware of how we need to live on this planet with our fellow human beings and how we need to deal with this planet and respect the planet to support ourselves as well as other humans. That is very connected to how I make decisions with how I treat other people and projects. I have a continual pursuit of knowledge and information and decision making. My constant questioning of accepted perspectives and conventional wisdom. To the degree I have time, I try to make my own decisions and find my own perspectives. Life long pursuit of knowledge and personal growth. I’m still evolving.
Chicago Studio
21
CHIP VONWEISE
Principal | von Weise Associates
Tell me about your Liberal Arts background.
I went to Amhurst College. They had an art program. I did Fine Arts, which was a combination of Studio Art and History of Art with a European Studies minor.
That sounds like a great baseline for architecture.
Yeah, it sounds really wise, but it was completely unintentional. I had no idea what I wanted to do.. It had no bearing on a plan towards architecture. In addition to that I spent most of my summers in high school, college and after college building houses. Carpentry. I worked my way up from laborer to finish carpenter. I was putting together stairs and handrails.
No one hears about what you should have done with your architecture education until you are three years in…
There are lots of ways of doing it. Its more cost effective to go into architecture under grad. After my liberal arts under graduate degree, I spent three and half years getting my masters. And it was intense. They expect a thesis to add something to architecture. And here in our practice, we are still working with some of the ideas that I explored in my thesis.
Do they expect you to get published?
People who want to teach often end up writing essays or publishing ideas that they explore in their thesis. It would be in publications like “Perspecta” About two-thirds of our class went on teaching.
So how did you transition from
Professional Practice
liberal arts to architecture? What drove you?
I had a internal conflict on what I wanted to do with my life after school. What I was going to do that would pay to live. So I went into advertising out of school. I thought that would be creative and fun and of course I got stuck on the wrong side of that. My parents died when I was in college, so I didn’t have a whole lot of supervision trying to figure out what I wanted to do for a career. So, I got into advertising and thought that was cool, but probably not what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I fished around. I applied for a PHD programs in art history. Thinking that I could be an Art Curator or Gallery owner. I got into a couple places, went on a few tours, and got a full scholarship from North Western. After touring there, I realized that environment wasn’t what I wanted. Around that time, I built an apartment in Bucktown with a cousin of mine who is an architect in town. After doing that for a bit, I figured that’s what I wanted to do. So I applied and got in. The first year was really scary. It was weird, I had no idea what they were doing and they knew a lot more than me. But by third year I kind of hit my stride and started to figure out what I was doing.
So you tried a lot of things and scratched a few things off your list….
Yeah. Before I went into advertising, I applied for a few positions while I was in school, I spent a year- well I got a contingency offer from a firm. They wanted me to spend six months doing some other things before I went into advertising. So I drove the country with a buddy of mine, built some houses, interviewed in New York and a few places here [Chicago] and realized that I want-
ed to move here.
That sounds pretty wise to go out and see a few things before you get started… Well in retrospect it does, but at the time, I was worried that I didn’t have a job. So to answer your question, it was completely serendipitous that I wound up in architecture.
You just stumbled into it?
Well, it was by a process of figuring out what I enjoyed and what I was interested in. What helped me get to architecture was advertising. There were certain things that I liked about it and that are very similar to architecture. Advertising has a creative product which is paid for by a client. My job in advertising was not to come up with the clever idea or the cool scene in a commercial, my job was to work with the client and figure out what they needed and wanted and what we needed to do to achieve it. That was really interesting intellectually. Ironically, what I didn’t like was the execution side because it was essentially about who was clever-er or who is in touch with the current trends. Who can mimic something that is hip and cool, adapt it, and use it towards commercial advantage. You would go through this whole intellectual process and get something that was selling soap or beer. Whatever.
And the ad campaigns only last so long.
Yes. Its all about what you do for me today. I’ve seen some really smart people just get completely worn out. People would come up with big ideas and get hot. They would come up with three ideas and then not do anything
else. I wanted something with a little more substance. Its not to say that advertising isn’t important. It plays a huge part in our economy. I just didn’t think that the substance had any sole.
It definitely wasn’t for you.
A lot of people got jaded and cynical by the time they were 35 or 40. And I looked at people who were that age and realized that that’s not what I wanted. People were retiring at 45. You had a short shelf life.
How long did you work, before you started your own firm?
The spring of graduate school, I designed two houses, one of which was built. So essentially, I started my practice while I was in school. I built the one house, and the other one didn’t get built for budget reasons. But the first was a ground up house for my brother-in-law in Ohio. As that was finishing up construction, I applied for jobs up here in Chicago and started working at Booth Hanson. and after a few years, I left and started my own firm. I did three internships in grad school. The first was a midsized firm that did a lot of health care. I did a few interiors. The second summer, I did some construction documents. My third summer, I worked for a small firm, Peter Forbes Associates. They did small weekend houses in Main and high end retail. There were 5 or 6 people in the office. That’s where I knew what kind of practice I wanted to have. When I started with Hanson, they had been big, 40-50 people, but when I started with them, they had 15 because it was right after a recession in the mid 90’s. When I left 3 years later, they were back up to 40 or 50. In the three years, I went from being a lowly intern, to running one of the largest proj-
Chicago Studio
ects in the firm. That project came with me when I left. The client wanted me to finish their project. So I billed Booth Hanson hourly to manage the job. The reason I did that was to both maintain a good relationship with the firm and our new practice didn’t have the insurance at the time to do that big of a job. I left with two partners and we did a couple of residential projects, moonlighting. Ink on Mylar. The first few projects paid for a computers and that enabled to get a few more big jobs. Which at that point the two of us left Booth Hanson, and John Ronan, our other partner left his firm. So then we became VonWeise, Peeche, & Ronan. The first three projects were all my clients. John started bringing his own work. He was teaching full time at IIT. He only wanted to do projects that he wanted to do. He felt that the other work watered it down. We went our separate ways and he’s stayed true to that. He only does what he wants to do and if the client doesn’t want that, than the client goes somewhere else. Its a completely different take on architecture. When I was at Booth Hanson, Jeane Gang worked there as well. and she left about the same time that I left. There were a lot of great architects in the era that I worked there. It was the wild west. A lot of us realized what it took to have a small firm. I knew nothing about running a large firm. I realized that when VonWeise was bought by a firm in Denver, Colorado. We grew from 7 to 30 in under two years. It became a managerial role. I delegated all of the design out. And that’s not what I wanted to do. I could have made more money doing that in advertising doing that.
Now that you have transitioned
back into a smaller office, doing what you want to do, what is your work life balance?
Jeane Gang and I started our firms at the same time. She did a couple things differently. She has made her firm her life. Architecture is everything to her and she is immensely talented. But I’ve had a balance. I was married in grad school. We had our first kid when I graduated. We had our third kid while John Ronan and I started our firm. I had a mortgage and he had a loft apartment kind of. We were in a different place. But Jeane and her husband Mark went out and started their own firm, and their firm was based out of their loft in Bucktown. They bumped along like that for a while and had a few really good breaks. She never had kids and concentrated solely on her practice. I’ve had a balance and there have been some trade off’s along the way. At one point, I wanted to teach, but I knew there was no way that I could teach, have a practice and a family at the same time. I know some people have done that. But I wanted to be in my kids’ life. That’s why I’m with Chicago Studio. I get to have some influence in the students’ lives, but Andrew does all of the real teaching.
It sounds like there were a few years when architecture had to take a higher priority than you would have liked.
When we started the firm, it had to. When John, Matt and I split up, I had to bump the architecture up again and hire a few people. When I left the merger, I had to take people with me and hire more people again. Every time I went back out on my own, I had to figure things out again. That requires a lot of time. There have been transitions.
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But I have been able to coach all of my kids little league baseball teams, and my daughter’s middle school basketball team. I’ve been able to do some of that stuff that architects just don’t get to do.
Do you have any advice in that respect?
Well its a lot easier when you own your own firm. When I walk out the door, no one is telling me I can’t. My job is to make sure that our clients are happy and as long as I am doing that, bringing work in, I’m doing my job. But starting your firm isn’t for everybody. As people, we all have to figure out what we are good at, what we are passionate about and how that all fits together. The only parts of the firm that I am trying to step away from are the technical drawing and construction aspects of the firm. In a few years, I want all of the technical drawings to be reviewed by John and I want to be responsible for looking at it from a design standpoint. I love the design component of it. While I like the construction components to it, its probably not as good of a use of my time. The firm would be limited if I have to be involved in the CD’s and the CA. I’ve learned a little bit by watching Larry Booth do it. And at first, I thought that it wasn’t what I wanted to do, that I wanted my hands on all parts of it. But with the CA side is a big time commitment. You have to stay up to date on all of the materials and construction techniques. It would be harmful to the firm if I did that.
Where do you see Von Weise in 10 years?
In 10 years, I would like to be marginally bigger than we are now. In 15 years, I would like to be in a position where we have a couple of junior part-
ners. One taking John’s role and taking over the technical stuff. And another taking over the design work, so that I can focus only of the stuff that I want to do. I want to allow the firm to continue when I retire or whenever architects retire. We would like to do some institutional work. That size would be perfect for us. We aren’t really interested in the bigger stuff. That stuff is more concerned with image and budget. They are developer driven projects. A lot of it doesn’t get built. That doesn’t interest me. 75% of the stuff we design doesn’t get built. We would like to do more single family homes, corporate work, base building commercial work, school and institutional work. The intellectual component in the programming side of schools is interesting. Its a different type of intellectual stimulation. And you feel like you are contributing something…. to offset the 12,000 SF house with the indoor swimming pool in Geneva, where there is intellectual rigor, but you are clearly not making the world a better place. You’re making their life more fulfilling. They are building it for their grand kids. I like those kind of stories.
What benefits does hand drafting have to your process?
You have to figure out where you want to fit in a practice. If you focus on skills like Revit, you are going to be more on the production side of the business. If you don’t want to be in the production side of business, you need to figure out the best way to express your architectural ideas in schematic design. For me that is best with a pencil or pen in my hand. And I don’t think that’s the only way to do it. To me that’s my thought process. Hand drawing does have some advantages. Its very hard to have a hand drawing and not have it have soul. It is very easy to have a drawing in the computer that has a lot of interesting ideas
but is visually dead. About 10-12 years ago, we committed to presenting all of our schematic designs to clients through a hand drawing because they responded so much better to it. There is an immediate emotional connection for the client that isn’t there in a 2D or rendered cad drawing. There is also the cult of the creative genius. It drives a lot of our pop culture. The public has an unusual inflated opinion of what we do. The client borrows from that cultural phenomenon when they see the hand drawings. It provides a richer sense of content to what’s on the page. I debated for a long time if that’s what we wanted to do, because I didn’t want to manipulate the client. I didn’t want it to be like advertising. But it does help you to get the right discussion of the project. If its drawn on the computer, the client gets caught up the coldness of the project. The design looks less intimidating, when there is a sign of human residue. School wants to draw a causal relationship between ideas, concept and form in architecture. That the idea has to come first. If the idea doesn’t come first, then its a Band-Aid and you are rationalizing the form, intellectually bankrupt. I think that’s a bunch of hogwash. How we came to the process of how we present to the clients was circular, not linear. It evolved over time, as most good designs do in the real world. The residue of the initial idea is always there, but the process of making it is messy and circular and that’s life. Its richer than this myth. Its perfectly valid to just make.
BRIAN BASSET
Senior Project Designer | Cannon Design
Why did you become an architect?
Well, I ask my self that every day. Well, beyond the usual “being creative and liking math in high school” answer... I realize in hindsight that I enjoy seeing things at multiple scales. Architecture is pretty unique in that way. At one point in the project, you focus on the form as a whole, but you also look into different programmatic adjacencies and construction details. But, I really do love being creative. I still make things. I still play guitar. I am a big advocate for architects participating in things other than architecture. It shouldn’t become your whole life. Doing other activities brings perspective into group work. It keeps your thinking fresh.
Who evaluates your performance?
That’s a good question. Cannon Design has a really good system for that. We have annual written review by peers and I get reviewed by the principal I work closest with, Randy. Its a pretty good system. It challenges you to establish career goals and other long term goals.
What is your long term goal?
Well I kind of just reached a long term goal. I wanted to achieve a position that would help me get into design leadership. That is a unique place within architecture because I am still tied into each project in a pretty detailed way. I wouldn’t like to really get in a higher position in a firm like this, because I would be less involved with the architecture and more of a managing role, which isn’t for me. You know, Ideally I would love to establish my own practice, so I would say that is my new long term goal. I really liked the smaller firm that I worked for in Washington DC, I would like to have a practice pretty similar to that one. They
Chicago Studio
did a lot of different types of work.
What would you like to change about your job here?
I like working in health care. There are a lot of things that you can do with each project. But sill, I would like to vary building types more. Not just to work on a different type of project, but to have a holistic picture of innovation in the field.
What kind of building types are you interested in? I would like to work on schools. Maybe some urban planning. Again, I like seeing things at various scales.
What gives you job satisfaction?
I really like seeing the multiple scales coming together. When the detail and the whole are well thought out, I really like that. For example, Federal plaza. Meis VanDerRohe is known for his modern work. The big simple picture is important to him, but if you look closer at how some of the materials come together, its pretty great.
What advice do you have for this generation of architecture students?
Understand what is going on architecturally outside of the office. Beyond looking at Archdaily to warm up in the morning, listen to TED talks, go to AIA lectures, participate in Design competitions, take classes.
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MEREDITH MCBRIDE Interior Designer| HOK
How did you get into interior design?
I started out as an undecided major and then started down the track of architectural design. At my school, we had to chose between architecture and interior after the first year and I went with interior and I love it and I was lucky enough between timing and internships and things to end up with a job only about four months after I graduated. You know, in summers, I did some internships all related to the field, but I dabbled in different parts of the industry. I did more of a residential internship, one commercial, and one on the furniture side. So I tried to make it a broad range of experiences.
What were some of your favorite experiences from the internships?
They were all so different. The furniture one wasn’t as exciting to me, so that clarified that I wanted to do more architectural interiors. I did like the residential one too, it was just different. I didn’t know if I wanted to start in a smaller firm and go bigger in a career or start big and find my niche from there. I ended up working at HOK and I have been exposed to so much and learn so much and I have only been there under a year.
Have you had your hands on a lot of different types of projects?
Yeah, we focus a lot on office designs, a lot of corporate interiors. We do have the occasional out there project. I have also worked with the architecture side of HOK on a health care project, a hospital. It was nice to collaborate with them.
Professional Practice
So the interiors department brings And that was gratifying. It was like all of this hard work finally paid off. But it in most of their own projects? Yes. Definitely. We have our own people marketing and getting our name out there. Just for interiors even. If we can get a project that combines our architecture side too, even better. But we are kind of separate in that sense. The architecture side brings in different work, with different clients. Interiors brings in consistent clients- like Verizon is one our consistent accounts, we are always doing Verizon projects. But we do bring in the occasional really fun project, maybe a start up company wants a new space. It can be fun. There can be lots of variety. It was nice for me to weed out what I didn’t want to do by dong internships.
You graduated last December?
Yes, a year and a half ago. I had to stay an extra semester because I came in undecided and our program was pretty rigid, so I had to stay an extra semester. I loved it. I’m glad I made the switch now. It kind of helped with getting hired. There seems to be more projects now than if I had graduated in that spring.
What did you do between December and when HOK hired you in May?
I still needed to finalize my portfolio. I took a portfolio class during my last semester, but it wasn’t very polished. So I took about a month to work on that. After that, I did what we are doing. Coffee meetings, emailing, even the info email on different websites- the ones where you wonder if anyone actually reads them. If you get your resume out there, people all know each other, you just start meeting with people. So, then I got a response back from an online application to HOK and we had about three interviews before they gave me an offer.
was okay for me. A lot of my classmates had the same story. But, I don’t think I have any classmates that are still struggling to find anything. There was effort of course. It just like anything, it didn’t just fall into my lap.
I find that there is a ton of pressure to graduate and have a job two weeks later.
Some people are so on top of it that they are even interviewing during the semester. But I was so busy I couldn’t even think about it. I compartmentalized in stead of over lapping my time. If you can start interviewing the earlier the better I guess, but I think it was fine. As long as you’re fine not making money right off the bat. It was a good break as well.
Within Interior Design, what are some of your daily responsibilities?
Recently, I have been doing some test fitting, talking to the client, getting different options and plans. Right now we are in a schematic phase with a client which is really fun. Its like school. The inspiration phase. We work in Revit a lot. Daily. Photoshop. InDesign. We don’t really do any Autocad work at HOK recently. Unless work comes in that way and we convert it. But a lot of Revit. And that’s something that we touched on in school, but I really had to learn here at work. Even if you have a basic level of skill, that will put you ahead of the game. That’s where things are heading. I was prepared for that, but I had to hit the ground running when I got to work. So Revit, different programs, collaborating. Our studio is pretty fun. The people, the energy is good. Our hires recently have been good hires. We can loosen up
and have fun or get our heads down and work. I think when you are looking for a place to work, co-workers are important to consider. Then there is the less glamorous part of the projects, the CD sets. Which are not as fun, but it needs to get built and they need to get done. I haven’t done a whole lot of Construction Administration. But otherwise, I think I’ve touched on about everything. Its funny looking back on school. How much time we spent on Schematic Design. Of course because its the fun part, it teaches you how to be creative, but its crazy coming into the real world and realizing what a small percentage of time goes into that. Some schematics are finished in two weeks, where in school we fumbled around to get projects to that point over a whole semester.
When you do work on projects with Architects, when do you get involved in the process?
With the Hospital in Korea project, a lot of the building was already set. The site and concept was laid down. But we could still make big moves. Their phase came first, before ours. But our group was able to open up the atrium and lobby space. The project eventually got stalled and stopped. But we still have renderings and drawings to build your portfolio. Projects come and go. Its all part of the process.
What are the most interesting parts of interior design?
We have a lot of fun in our group. Of course schematic stuff is most fun. But out side of the actual work, There is a lot of fun social things. In the industry there is always something going on to connect the different firms. Like now I know interior designers at Gensler and Perkins + Will. That’s something I didn’t
Chicago Studio
expect. There is such a network of people. Even down to getting lunch or coffee with reps. There isn’t really any compartmentalizing the industry. Everyone knows a little of everything, so you can work together on a project.
Do you see yourself at HOK for a while?
Yeah. I mean the industry seems to turn over quite a bit. But they have a great thing going on and they seem invested in keeping me on. I do see myself at a little boutique firm down the road. I would love to do residential. I love starting in HOK. Its international. Like I never expected to work on a project in Korea. But I can narrow down what I want to do from here. Something more specific or smaller. My ideal firm would be more mid-sized. I would love to do restaurants. Little boutique firms seem to get more of those projects.
Do you have favorite materials or topics?
Right now, I’m really into sustainablity. I’m getting LEED certified. A lot of venders even now come into the office with materials that off-gas and aren’t that great for the environment. That industry will need to switch over soon. I know HOK and Gensler are leaders in the industry when it comes to sustainability. Soon, HOK will start not allow certain materials into our library that aren’t good for the environment. I’ve been learning a lot about that recently.
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RON HARRISON
Associate Vice President| Cannon Design
What got you interested in architecture in the first place?
Actually I decided by the time I was in eighth grade that I wanted to be an architect. I always loved looking at buildings, art, math, analytical thinking, and problem solving. My grandfather also encouraged me. He wanted to be an architect, but couldn’t because of the depression. He ended up building and doing odd jobs. I also liked drafting class. I liked the technical drawing, and problem solving. I came from middle class back ground. My mom was the first in my family to go to college. I worked for a firm in high school. They didn’t have the greatest design work, but I did learn how to do graphic layouts with lettering. I worked for them for a summer after high school and the a few residential firms, an interior firm. Things were a little slow when I graduated. So I worked at a small firm that worked a lot with high rise housing. They were pretty well known in Chicago at the time. I just listened to what was going on in the office. You want to listen to as much as you can in the office. Only plug in your headphones when you really need to really work. That firm merged with OWP&P and I ended up in education. When you are younger, they may try to place you where ever. Smaller firms that only do health care or housing may keep you in those fields for your whole life. A diverse firm would be a good experience for a younger architect. A small to mid-sized firm, you will be able to get more experience. In a larger firm, there is the tendency to get pigeonholed.
Have you gotten a chance to do multiple types of projects at OWP&P and Cannon?
As you get more senior, you want to get more focused on a project
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type. You get more specialized in it. Your name brings in more work. Your portfolio grows. And honestly, you get more interested in it. So I would recommend getting some experience in different types of work young. Move around. For me, its always been about the jobs, getting into the jobs. I’m a little less career focused. So, I didn’t move around a whole lot. I started in that small firm and got moved around as the various firms merged into Cannon Design. Now, If you want to be head of a department or something, you have to know your goals and work toward them. You do not have to know your goals just yet, but be aware. Check them every few years or so. There seems to be three tracks for architects to go on. Project Architects, Project Managers, Project Designers. I enjoyed Project Designing and being a Project Architect. I like working with clients and consultants to make sure the project is the most integrated and efficient as possible. Get registered, learn as much as you can. Apply to lots of firms. See what happens and make a choice. Our temptation is to go with some of the big name firms. Be aware of the sweatshops, where they wear people out. Be aware of more technical firms. It would be best to work with a small/ mid sized firm. You get involved with all aspects of the work.
How is the engineering department incorporated into the architectural projects here at Cannon Design?
We prefer to use our own engineers when we can. It is more practical. We can speak with them more easily. Exchange models with them more easily. We keep those fees and profits in house. However, they have their own projects that they go after. And sometimes we use other engineering firms
because they have a special expertise ( health care), regional knowledge or they know the clients better.
What aspects of working here gives you the most job satisfaction?
For me it is all about the projects. If I am working on a good project and I have some control or input over the project than I am happy. I mean everyone here is nice. Perhaps we could all push each other a little more. I have interviewed for a few jobs in my career and some people were just ass-holes to me. If you are going to be that way to me while I am interviewing, then… Maybe hang out by the door and see what people think of the firm.
What shifts have you seen in the profession in the past few years?
There are some great things with technology. We can build sooner. We can make changes easier and share information easier with consultants. But, I feel sorry for the younger architects. They spend half of their brainpower on the software, where they need to be spending 90% on the design. Everything is changing so fast, it’s important to stay current. But, I would rather spend brainpower on architecture than software.
TIM SWANSON
Urban Strategist | Cannon Design
How did you become an urban designer?
Wow. How did I become an Urban Designer? Well, I started in theoretical Physics. I decided that wasn’t quite for me so I went back to school for Macroeconomics and Sculpture. Then I did that whole starving artist thing in New York City. I had a friend tell me that I needed to end that lifestyle and look into architecture and urban design. A few years later, I started working at SOM with Peter Ellis. Eventually we left to form Peter Ellis New Cities.
So with the sculpture and economic background, I’m sure you had an eye for certain aesthetics and another perspective on how cities work.
Aesthetics are important to city design. Aesthetics often show when a group has made an internal change. In Brownsville, Texas, we worked with the city to produce these great changes, but there were some people who still wanted to use traditional Spanish Colonial architecture. That’s a huge problem, right? Is a community really ready to change if they aren’t willing to change their appearance?
How was working with Peter Ellis on the city in India?
Eh- It was amazing. It was a great project. But we missed a huge opportunity.
Oh yeah?
Yeah. In all honesty, that city was really only designed for a wealthy gated middle class. It did not address the reality of the majority of the people in India. Especially in the construction end. There is extremely low construction quality in India. Right. For example,
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if you hired someone to mow a lawn, and they did a really shitty job, than you would just fire the guy and hire someone else. However, the next guy is going to be just as bad and the problem is never solved. Why? Because you never gave the first man enough dignity to teach him how to do it right and get better. It would be so much better for everyone if you kept the first guy and taught him. But that’s not how India works. India could really benefit from things like trade schools to build up the labor force and invest in the community. We could have done a better job for the client by working to help him understand how to build up the community. Instead, we designed a nice new city with some really cool elements and called it a day. No Design and Policy need to interact.
other asphalt, but is porous so that water can filter through into the earth. This is super important in Texas. Not only has he done that first parking lot like in this way, but he has begun to make every new paved surface he builds with a similar permeable material.
So it sounds like what matters most to you in design is dignifying people, policy, and...
Yes. Place, Policy, and People. You have to have all three. And really, you just need to treat everyone with a certain amount of dignity. You need to be able to foster mutual respect and empathy for the people you are designing with and for. To do that you need to know how to listen to people, not just hear them.
How so?
Well take Pruit Igoe, the public housing project in St. Louis, Missouri. They only focused on design and the whole project ended horribly. Architecture is losing control of the building process because we decided that we are simply in charge of drawing pretty pictures. Instead, we should focus on a way to enhance and dignify the human experience and make beautiful buildings. We should be working with the client to help them understand why they should make certain changes in the design of their buildings. You need to be able to pull more people into your group to gather other resources. For example, one of our repeat clients in Brownsville needed a parking lot and he asked us how he should do it. We know this client very well, and knew that he was very open to new ideas and forward thinking. So we suggested that he not only build a parking lot, but one with a certain type of asphalt, that costs the same as any
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A DESIGNED CAREER
Interview Response | Personal Reflection
Through personal stories and directed guidance, each of the interviewed designers had a unique advice about beginning and pursuing a career. Most encountered significant failures, setbacks, or bore external adversities and still became some of the most successful design professionals in Chicago. Not one of these professionals got it “right” the first time, you could argue they don’t have it “right” now. Yet each passionately pursue their goals for the future. This paradox reveals how profoundly human these people are. Geoff Walters’ story resignated with me first. In the first architectural office he worked, he was laid off for ideological issues. He allowed that to affect him, but from the experience, he learned what he wanted out of an architectural firm and moved on. He continues to learn from that experience to this day. He has made his entire life about learning and fine tuning his views on the world.
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Chip VonWeise landed in multiple education and career paths before beginning his own firm. He used all of these experiences later to enrich his architectural career, but while he was in each circumstance, the future never looked so promising. During his undergraduate degree, his parent’s died. and he felt that he had little life and career guidance when he needed it most. However, he became self aware and self editing from this early age. He asked at every new degree and career if this was what he wanted to do and if not, what was lacking. Randy Guillot, spoke in his lecture to his shortcomings early in his career, but also how he used those experiences to learn about his strengths and redirect his career path. Tim Swanson pursued a number of degrees that are traditionally loosely related to his current career, but give him unique insight into each project he works on. What sets these people apart is, yes a little bit of luck, but also confidence, perseverance,
self-awareness, and resilience. These architects are joined by many other professionals. On my second to last day in Chicago, I read an article from Fast Company about famous entrepreneurs who overcame failure. Adrianna Huffington of Huffington Post was joined by ten others when she shared,
“Failure is not the opposite of success. Its a stepping stone of success… I strongly believe that we are not put on this earth just to accumulate victories and trophies, but rather to be whittled and & sandpapered down until what’s left is who we truly are.”
Change in a career path is not innately a failure by any means. However, it usually comes when one meets a personal dead end in a current set of aspirations. Limits are realized in one respect, but in another, the opportunity to realign desires, aspirations and quali-
fications. When you hit I limits in the first aim, my default reaction is a sense of failure and in these failures, a sense of fear that the next opportunity will not present itself. In April, Seth Godin wrote a short blog post titled,” How do I get rid of fear?”
“Alas this is the wrong question. No, the right question is, “How do I dance with fear?” Fear is not the enemy. Paralysis is the enemy.”
It is tempting to allow fear and failure to paralyze me. At times, it nearly does. But, this occurs when I give the more challenging times too much weight and too little consideration at the same time. An event that I may perceive to be failure now, while I am just beginning my career, is not a forecast for my life by any means. However, it is not something to be ignored. Just as all of these great professionals I spoke with did, I need to allow these impediments to inform my
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next set of goals and steps. And more than anything else, I need to keep moving with all of my strength and passion in the next direction that makes sense. That being said I need to design my career when I feel successful as well, really regardless of the circumstances. Meredith McBride made the point several times in our conversation that she intentionally used her internships and portfolio to explore different parts of the Interior Design industry. She chose to start working after graduation in a large firm, so that she could be exposed to many types of projects and figure out what she liked most from what she saw. Ron Harrison recommends that young professionals do just that early in their career: try a variety of firms and typologies before settling into one type of work environment. Geoff Walters insists that is important for a firm to actively support your growth and learning about the field. Natasha Krol ended her lecture by saying,
“Design your life, or someone else will tell you how to do it for you,”
To do this, I don’t need to know how everything will pan out, but I do need an attitude and resiliency to get to the next step. It can be perfectly beneficial to run through many types of aspirations and career goals in a career. It is far from a mark of utter doom, instead a chance to gain greater insight into what I want out of a career. Today, tomorrow, and twenty years from now, I will get to tell my own story. How did I become a “____?” I make the conscious commitment to share the elements that make me human, but also the parts where I stood up again, put my shoulders back, smiled and redirected my steps.
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RANDY GUILLOT: AIA CODE OF ETHICS
Design Principal + Regional Director | Cannon Design
CANON III Obligations to the Client
Members should serve their clients competently and in a professional manner, and should exercise unprejudiced and unbiased judgment when performing all professional services.
E.S. 3.1 Competence: Members should E.S. 3.2 Conflict of Interest: Members serve their clients in a timely and competent manner.
Rule 3.101 In performing professional services, Members shall take into account applicable laws and regulations. Members may rely on the advice of other qualified persons as to the intent and meaning of such regulations. Rule 3.102 Members shall undertake to perform professional services only when they, together with those whom they may engage as consultants, are qualified by education, training, or experience in the specific technical areas involved. Rule 3.103 Members shall not materially alter the scope or objectives of a project without the client’s consent.
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should avoid conflicts of interest in their professional practices and fully disclose all unavoidable conflicts as they arise. Rule 3.201 A member shall not render professional services if the Member’s professional judgment could be affected by responsibilities to another project or person, or by the Member’s own interests, unless all those who rely on the Member’s judgment consent after full disclosure. Rule 3.202 When acting by agreement of the parties as the independent interpreter of building contract documents and the judge of contract performance, Members shall render decisions impartially. E.S. 3.3 Candor and Truthfulness: Mem-
bers should be candid and truthful in their professional communications and keep their clients reasonably informed about the clients’ projects. Rule 3.301 Members shall not intentionally or recklessly mislead existing or prospective clients about the results that can be achieved through the use of the Members’ services nor shall the Members state that they can achieve results by means that violate applicable law or this Code. E.S. 3.4 Confidentiality: Members should safeguard the trust placed in
them by their clients. Rule 3.401 Members shall not knowingly disclose information that would adversely affect their client or that they have been asked to maintain in confidence, except as otherwise allowed or required by this Code or applicable law. [Randy skims over code of ethics]
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Randy Guillot, Principle and Regional director at Cannon Design was pretty sure he hadn’t read the AIA Code of Ethics and Professional conduct since he became a member. Having to skim over the various canons when we began our conversation, he noted that the rules ranged in their specificity. Although many of the points were generally about being a good person, he suggested that the ideas with the most meat are the ones that show up in the architectural contracts as well. Legally, it tends to be the contracts that matter. Contracts are only worth as much as the trust between the two parties involved. Therefore, at the end of the day, ethics really comes down to how two parties treat each other. As one could imagine, this means that ethics and decision making gets incredibly grey and complicated. This is why I selected Randy Guillot for this interview. He has an incredible amount of knowledge about the workings of the architectural profession. As principle, he stays up to date on contracts that the company signs, and often makes big decisions for the company regarding clients. After a few decades of working within large architectural firms, Guillot has seen it all and he is remarkably candid about his experiences and what he values. When asked specifically for examples of infringements on Canon III, when architects alter the scope of work on a client, he casually stated that it happens on a daily basis. The architect tends to always do more work than what the contract sets out. The issue comes when the question of fees and services gets brought up. Most of the time, when an architect pulls long hours for a project, it is more for due diligence than any hope of extra pay. Issues arise more typically on the client side. As a project
is being developed, a client can more easily visualize additional needs they see for the project. Often this means additional work and planning for the architect. Then, the architect is put in the awkward position of asking for more services for the work. At that point, not only does the contract and code of ethics demand it, but the architect’s business. Randy insisted that it happens all the time. He pointed out that there was no way of knowing everything that will happen in construction when you enter it. Both parties go into a project with the best intentions, but as the project goes on, the scope changes. A contract and a code of ethics are useful when you have to have a conversation about extra services. As an example of this predicament, Guillot told a story about a client that came up the week before. Cannon Design was terminated from a contract even though they went through the proper channels to ask for additional fees on a project. Their contract stated that their fees and services were based off a percentage of construction value. As the scope was raised by $30 million, the contract should have risen with that by 7% of the new costs. The client didn’t see how any value was added to the project, they disagreed with Cannon Design, and fired them. Even in a contract, either side can fire the other. That’s why it comes down to the people involved in the contract, what they understand, and the trust between the two. On this issue, I can see where the client is coming from, but they should have reviewed the contract more carefully before agreeing. Technically, Cannon Design was in the right for expecting a raise in their services. However, if they were not providing any additional services, it is questionable whether or not they really deserved
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the pay. An increased budget could have come from any number of reasons, outside of design. Why should they architect gain in this situation. It seems as though this method of calculating fees is flawed and in this situation, the client may have trusted Cannon Design to stand by the principle, not the technicality. This is indeed a case where it comes down to the people within the agreement. I do not think that the fault completely lies with the client here. It seems as though CD did not fully disclose the impact of the raise in budget thoroughly with the client. The discussion veered away from the specifics of the third Canon, towards specifics of client/ architect relations and the contract as the mediator. When circumstances, like an early termination to a project occurs, copyright issues arise and get messy. If the client is technically paying for design services and rights to those designs, who owns the design if a project stops mid way? Can they still execute the design? This is mostly handled on a case by case basis. Randy told another story where a previous client asked him to consult on a project that was already underway. The client was working with Rapheal Vignoli, the building was under construction and the client didn’t think that it was looking like the renderings. Randy agreed. The coloring on the facade was so different that it changed the entire perception of the building. Randy asked what they had approved of on their visual mock up and realized that they hadn’t done one. When they asked him to fix it, he gave them some ideas and sketches. The client loved the new ideas and asked Cannon Design to take over the job. Guillot had to refuse the client, even though they had a ton of work, because the client was contractually bound to figure
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out the issues with the current architect or terminate the project with them first. At that point Randy would have been happy to step in. However, before then, Randy asked that the sketches not be used for anything other than discussion points with Vignoli. If Cannon Design were to take on the project, it would admittedly get complicated. From a strategic business point, it would be work with a client that could bring in much more original work. From a design and legal standpoint however, it would get messy and unclear who would own the design at the end of the day. This is a clear point in the profession where business takes precedence over design ownership. Taking on this project would not help Cannon Design’s portfolio, but open the doors for future projects with this client. As a principle in Randy’s position, you have to decide, beyond the legality and contractual issues, what projects are healthy to bring into a firm. With the code of ethics in hand, Randy Guillot skimmed over a few of the other rules. Interested in a rule regarding taking drawings, information, and data from a firm upon leaving a firm, he wanted to scale it up a bit. To Randy, these were all questions of scale, concerning specifics of what was at stake for each party involved. Guillot described how information storage has changed over the last few decades. It used to be that all of the documents of previous projects were locked away in a room, accessible to a few in the firm by key. Now everything they do is pretty transparent and somewhat accessible on the servers. The question becomes less about taking the data, as that is far too easy to do these days. The question becomes more about how, on your website or portfolio, you represent your involvement on a
project. Randy has seen several people leave Cannon Design to start their own firms. Most of the time, the clients and work that they did at Cannon Design or a previous office is all that they have to work from. Guillot is fine with people putting the work that they did at CD on their website, as long as they accurately represent their involvement in the project and give credit where it is due. However, this is not always the case. He has seen other architects make claim to projects that were not entirely their own. In these cases he just gives that architect a call. That normally works. If it doesn’t, then a cease and disist order normally does. Guillot rarely has fundamental, large scale disagreements with clients. By the tie that you enter a contract with a client, both parties have a pretty good sense of who the other is. However there are times when it does happen. Recently, they had an issue with a client when they came in with a pre-design study from another architect. The client had expected Cannon Design to be able to adopt that study and begin building upon it. However, this wasn’t clear when Cannon Design began the work. For due diligence sake, CD vetted the original study, re-doing portions of it for themselves. They had to own it and know it fully for themselves before they were able to take it and evolve it. They, as architects knew that they would take on liability for that portion of the study. It became apparent early in the project that the client was frustrated that CD was not just accepting the data in the study. These discussions escalated and they didn’t want to pay us for the studies that we knew we had to do. Eventually, we decided to part ways. They paid us for the work that we had done and went on
to find a firm that did what they needed to do. Other disagreements that arise are over design excellence in the work. That’s a hard one because it doesn’t naturally come out early in the project. The architect normally has to initiate that question. Randy takes on that role in many cases. There is the type of client that doesn’t want to do new, innovative and integrated work. If there is a fundamental disagreement there, they rarely get worked out. They are with you through the projects unless the client and architect can sit down early in the project and figure out what the expectations are. When asked what personal ethics he brought to the table, Randy’s face lit up. He prides himself on the fact that he sees the inherent good in people. As a leader, he believes that people generally do the best that they can with the information they have at the given time. Guillot feels personal responsibility for providing the people who work with him the information needed to sauced. Randy gives people a tremendous amount of rope when he works with them, and with that, a tremendous amount of responsibility and trust. He goes on to say, “When I get burned from that, it hurts me because I feel like people take advantage of a good thing. So I get more than frustrated, its hurtful. Because people take advantage of responsibility that they are given. So what happens is that they don’t get that chance again. I don’t give people a lot of chances. People have to be professionals, they have to be courageous and generous. If you fuck me on that, then I’m not interested. You have to work really hard to get back into the pool of people that I care about in the firm. So it comes down to valuing trust. If you violate my trust than its a problem. And
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I wish you the best. “ I agree with Randy Guillot’s views on the role of a Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct. It is important to stand by some of those principles, but it comes secondary to the contract and how the client and architect treat and trust each other. Most of the issues covered by this canon seem to already be covered by the architectural contracts and a general sense of respect for the client. However, the this canon serves as an example of how to treat the client should disputes over contracts arise.
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S CALUMET AVE
S PRAIRIE AVE
S INDIANA AVE
S MICHIGAN AVE
S WABASH AVE
E CULLERTON ST
E CULLERTON ST
NORTHERLY ISLAND E 21ST ST
E 21ST ST
E 21ST ST OFFICES BAR
PUBLIC INDOOR PARK
OFFICES
OFFICES OFFICES
RETAIL
CAFE
THEATER
DEPAUL STADIUM
S CALUMET AVE
OFFICES
S PRAIRIE AVE
PARK
RESIDENTIAL + PARKING
S INDIANA AVE
S WABASH AVE
OFFICES OFFICES OFFICES
S MICHIGAN AVE
OFFICES
JEWELRY
ART GALLERY
RESIDENTIAL
MCCORMICK NORTH
BUS STOP
LOCAL BUSINESS
STUDIO RESTAURANTS AND SHOPS
BRIDGE
HOTEL RETAIL
AUTO BODY
CERMAK RD
PUBLIC INDOOR PARK
HISTORICAL DATA
DATA
MECHANICAL
CERMAK RD
CLEANERS
RESTAURANT
AT&T
BUSINESS
RESTAURANT
MEDCENTER
OFFICES
OFFICES
OFFICES
OFFICES
BAR
RECEPTION SPACE
RESTAURANT
RESTAURANT
RESTAURANT
OFFICES
RESTAURANT
BOUTIQUE CLOTHING STORE
OFFICES GYM
BAR
OUTDOOR MARKET
PATH AND PROGRAM
OUTDOOR MARKET
Design in the Urban Context | Chicago, Illinois E 23RD ST
OFFICES
ART GALLERY STUDIO + SCHOOL
MCCORMICK WEST
MOTOR SERVICES
OFFICES BAR
MUSIC STORE
RESTAURANT OFFICES RESTAURANT RESTAURANT
MOTOR SERVICES
S INDIANA AVE
WELLNESS CENTER
TRAINING CENTER
ANTIQUE STORE
ART STORE MUSIC STORE
OFFICES MOTOR ROW HISTORY MUSEUM
S MICHIGAN AVE
S WABASH AVE
RESIDENTIAL CONDOS + APARTMENTS
CONDOS ABOVE OFFICES
RESTAURANT
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PARKING + VACANT ABOVE
DAY CARE
MUSIC STUDIO
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MCCORMICK EAST
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HAIR STYLIST
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HOTEL + PARKING
HOTEL RETAIL
CLEANERS
SPA
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CONJECTURE 1 Chinatown Island | Michigan Lake
A NEIGHBORHOOD EDITED OVER TIME
Selected Photographs | Chinatown, Chicago, Illinois
Conjecture 1
STUDY: Chinatown, rich in its own history and icons, seems unaltered at its heart over the past 50 years. However, before the 1960’s the neighborhood’s physical presence was transplanted, severed, grafted, and regrown. Physical barriers to adjacent, nameless, almost lifeless parts of the near south side of Chicago, aided Chinatown in its search for an identity.
JOURNAL: Growing up in suburban, central Maryland instilled in me a thirst for historical richness. In my hometown, there is a single “Historic” main street where two hundred year old stone buildings are cherished in pristine condition. Main Street is a attraction for antique shoppers and expensive restaurant goers alike. It is my home town’s claim to an identity. For miles beyond this historical site lie thousands of 2,000 sf single family homes on .25 acre lots, and a few strip malls, schools and libraries sprinkled in between. It could be anywhere on the east coast. While unearthing these photographs from series of blogs and internet searches, I found countless other photographs of similar vintage from other areas of the city. Each neighborhood has its stories. There are many neighborhoods. There are many more stories. History is ubiquitous in the city.
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PROCESS
Selected Sketchbook Pages | Chinatown, Chicago, Illinois
Conjecture 1
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A NEIGHBORHOOD EDITED OVER TIME Grafted maps | Chinatown, Chicago, Illinois
STUDY: In the not too distant future, Chinatown and its people are again ousted from their current physical location and grafted into the middle of Lake Michigan. What if its borders and distinctive urban grid of streets were removed, left with vacancies to fill, turning the community inside out as land values change? What if in the future, new roads and transport systems again scar the landscape of this neighborhood? What if history of this neighborhood projects its future?
JOURNAL: Still fascinated by the layers of stories that a city’s history forms, I allowed decades worth of maps and their graphics to lead me through this first conjecture. Their inherent ugliness when mashed and grafted together speaks to the messy scars that influence a neighborhood’s geography. The future would mean more scars from transportation lines. Certainly there would be some other outcomes from the isolation of Chinatown, but the scars are what held my attention and they would not let me go.
Conjecture 1
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CONJECTURE 2 Cermack Megablock | No Context
PROCESS
Selected Sketchbook Pages | Cermack Megablock
Conjecture 2
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A NEIGHBORHOOD EDITED OVER TIME Grafted maps | Chinatown, Chicago, Illinois
STUDY:
Splice. v. Join or connect (a rope or ropes) by interweaving the strands. The act of splicing takes two different segments of rope, puts them side by side, perhaps juxtaposing two opposing strands. Then, by a series of weaves and knots, the two segments become one. Left, is a smooth bump in the rope, marking where the two become one. By severing Cermack Road into segments and stitching them back together in a new order, old connections are altered and new adjacencies are created. A back alley of one street confronts a vast industrial yard that was once far down the street. When the slow growth of a neighborhood is dramatically altered, the new adjacencies offer exciting potential. A busy street with ethnic restaurants now gives greater access to a river. One enclave is thrust next to another.
Splicing, like grafting, is another
means of connecting and attaching two distinct members. With all of the identity and flavors of the individual, there is bound to be heated conflict when the two merge. However, one can benefit from, and sharpen the other in this marriage.
Conjecture 2
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CONJECTURE 3 Cartographer’s Studio| 1938 West Cermack Road, Chicago, Illinois
MAPPING
Touch | Cermack Road, Chicago, Illinois
STUDY: To design a studio for a Cartographer, who finds direction primarily through gloved hands and booted feet, we had to understand his methods more thoroughly. A test subject dawned gear to blind and deafen himself, as well as leather gloves, and thick winter boots. We took him to Cermack Road, where we followed him on his journey from McCormick Place Convention Center
through Chinatown, an industrial town and Pilsen. We paid careful attention to repeated way finding techniques of his hands and feet. He would learn each surface. On a smooth handrail, he would glide his hand loosely on its top. On a brick wall, he would rhythmically tap the rough masonry with his hands. Most of the time, he walked slowly, following his hands. When his hands did not offer any
ch lead you?
ppressed, insulated tactile sense have when you perceive a space?
Conjecture 3
information, he would search for changes with his feet, hands outstretched in front of him. The most curious moments occurred at points of change. The test subject would jolt to a stop,
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PROCESS
Textural Navigation | Pilsen, Chicago, Illinois
Conjecture 3
then start exploring to understand the change in context. This moment of exploration intrigued us. What if the Cartographer’s office was navigated entirely though changes of information encoded into the surfaces of the space?
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THE STUDIO: Our Cartographer, for whom the studio is designed is not deprived of any senses in his “normal life.” However, he has never seen his studio, nor heard the sounds of his tools at his work bench. Everyday, he walks outside from his upstairs apartment to his studio below. He enters his apartment by a long downward sloping ramp that separates himself gradually from the light and sound of outside. Before finally entering his studio, he puts on a head gear unit that blocks any remaining sense. As he gets
to work at his studio, he navigates the space through changing textures in the floor. Shelves of his tools and previous maps create a unique linear pattern in the space. As the Cartographer leaves his studio for a mapping exercise, he reenters the word through a secondary, more direct ramp, fully deprived of his senses.
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PLAN
Textural Navigation | Pilsen, Chicago, Illinois
Conjecture 3
SECTION
Textural Navigation | Pilsen, Chicago, Illinois
Conjecture 3
MCCORMICK PLACE Analysis + Intervention | 1938 West Cermack Road, Chicago, Illinois
EDGE MAPPING
Selected Diagrams | McCormick Place, Chicago, Illinois ANALYSIS: When the average conventioneer visits the largest convention center in the United States, they travel directly from one of two airports in the city by bus, train or taxi. They are dropped off into the heart of the center, possibly without ever stepping foot outside. Once inside the complex, there is hardly reason to leave. Each building provides all of the amenities: quick food, dine-in restaurants, coffee, mailing centers, even souvenir stores. With one hotel on the campus, and many more planned to be built, future attendees will not be bothered by needing to travel north to the city, much less the surrounding neighborhoods. Because McCormick Place is such a closed-looped, self- sustaining system, it has dried up its immediate context. Few businesses can survive near the temperamental beast. With large influxes and droughts of people on a week to week basis, the only businesses able to survive are ones inside. All of these amenities close when there isn’t a
McCormick Place
convention. The surrounding area is so deprived of business, that it is barren without the convention-goers. In order to stabilize this swing and use McCormick Place more completely as an asset to the city, convention attendees must be coaxed out of the campus, and into the neighborhoods around. In addition, locals need to be able to use the massive indoor, conditioned space, whether or
not there is a convention on site. Otherwise, this economic benefit may become more of a hidden battery pack to the city, instead of a true empowerment to it.
50 MILES SOUTH OF CHICAGO 50 MILES SOUTH OF CHICAGO
ADJACENT TO O’HARE ADJACENT TO O’HARE
DOWNTOWN DETROIT, MICHIGAN DOWNTOWN DETROIT, MICHIGAN
WEST-END OF 22ND STREET WEST-END OF 22ND STREET
Body text goes here. You can move this but keep a Body text goes here. You can move this but keep a standardized width of 3”. Height can change as needed. standardized width 3”.aligned Height left.” can change as needed. Use “justify with lastofline Do not hyphenate. Use “justify with last line aligned left.” Do not hyphenate.
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ANTI-CONTEXT ANTI-CONTEXT
EDGE EDGE CONDITIONS CONDITIONS
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McCormick Place
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McCormick Place
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McCormick Place
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STREET CONDITIONS
Selected Sections | McCormick Place, Chicago, Illinois
ANALYSIS: Each elevation of the Convention Center contrasts with the streetscape and surrounding building stock. At some points, its volume triples the height of surrounding buildings. At other points, large, clean entry awnings of the center are greeted by boarded up garages across the street. The building is only in harmony when compared to itself. At the heart of the complex, the scene is set for a corporate convention-goer romance film. From the core drop off loop, one can only see the gargantuan buildings. There isn’t a hint at any context beyond.
B E D C
A
ZO
EDGE CO
A
STEVENSON HIGHWAY
EDGE CONDITIONS
B
McCormick Place
C
MARTIN LUTHER KING DRIVE
EDGE CONDITIONS
D
INDIANA AVENUE
EDGE CONDITIONS
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UNDERSTANDING CONCEPT
Physical Models | McCormick Place, Chicago, Illinois
Program McCormick Place
MODELS: The found-object model allowed us to explore the intent of our project in a more abstract manner. Each type of remnant in the model is tied to the center block that is McCormick Place by thread. What if the conference center was the nucleus of the rapidly active nodes of culture? What if elements in the surrounding context had a conversation with similar elements inside?
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HUMAN SCALE SKETCHES
Selected Interventions | McCormick Place, Chicago, Illinois
PHOTO-SKETCH ANALYSIS:
Using a series of photographs to sketch directly into the site, we suggested a series of human scale interventions that would begin to physically stitch together important elements of the corridor. Large planes and lightly programmed constructs would alter one’s perception of the site. Brightly colored, materially and formally cohesive series of follies could tie the disparate parts of the site together. We used these sketches as a stepping stone to a
McCormick Place
larger scale design. These first iterations were a place to begin discussing the methods in which we were to achieve these ends. In of themselves, these designs were too small. Though they all referenced each other formally, their impact on the area as a whole was minimal. McCormick Place’s context required a completely new master plan. With larger scale interventions strung throughout.
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ONE MILE PLANNING
Selected Interventions | McCormick Place, Chicago, Illinois
MASTER PLAN: The new master plan is focused around a one mile path that connects the end of Cermack Road to Lake Michigan. This plan facilitates a series of interventions that are the connective tissues that the neighborhood requires. The city has several plans and designs in the works for the area, including a few new hotels, a sports arena, renovations to Motor Row and a new Green Line stop. We assume these to be the new realities for our site. In addition, we re-directed parts of Cermack road, allotted lots to new programs, and developed a bridge that would connect Lake Shore Park to Northerly Island and beyond. A series of human scaled interventions were deployed over the entire planned area in order to bring a cohesive element through the site. With these various scales of design, we gave clear and comfortable paths through the surrounding area and public spaces of the convention center for the visitor and the local alike.
BUS STOP RESIDENTIAL
RETAIL
200’
DATA CENTER
PARKING
HYATT HOTEL
MCCORMICK NORTH
MAIN ENTRANCE
MCCORMICK SOUTH
GRAND
400’ ROTATE
100’
HISTORICAL
ROTATE
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OUTDOOR MARKET
LOCAL BUSINESS DEPAUL STADIUM
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CAFE
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OFFICES OFFICES OFFICES
PUBLIC INDOOR PARK
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HISTORICAL DATA
BRIDGE
HOTEL RETAIL
AUTO BODY
ART GALLERY
RESIDENTIAL
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BUS STOP
LOCAL BUSINESS DATA
MECHANICAL
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CLEANERS RESTAURANT BUSINESS
RESTAURANT
MEDCENTER
BAR
RECEPTION SPACE
RESTAURANT
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CLEANERS
SPA
BAR HAIR STYLIST
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BOUTIQUE CLOTHING STORE
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CONDOS ABOVE OFFICES
ANTIQUE STORE ART STORE MUSIC STORE
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RESTAURANT OFFICES RESTAURANT RESTAURANT RESTAURANT
ART GALLERY STUDIO + SCHOOL
MOTOR SERVICES
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CERMACK ROAD PLAN AND INTERVENTIONS Before + After | McCormick Place, Chicago, Illinois
MEANINGFUL OPEN SPACE: From building face to building face, Cermack Road is currently 200 feet wide at the front of the West Building of the Convention Center. The road has a generous median with two to three lanes for traffic on either side. The convention center has a vast plaza on its northern side. The open space is vast and divided over the entire streetscape. In addition, there is absolutely no amenities available to the pedestrian for a three block stretch in this area. A plan for the area would accept new
McCormick Place
building stock proposed by the city. The road is redirected closer to McCormick Place’s West Building and the medians are removed, so that all open space is on the more sun-filled side of the street. A block of smaller businesses with a green roof are introduced. These new one story shops help mediate the scale of the buildings in volume. The forty foot wide store fronts give pedestrian rhythm to the block. These stores are located close to and visible from the convention center’s heart with the aim to pull the visitor
out of the complex into its surrounding context and closer to existing amenities and residents. A variety of local venders and workers are also employed close to the convention center.
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A GRAND ENTRY AND CONCOURSE: At the intersection of the North, South, and West Buildings of McCormick place, there is currently a large drop off loop with a sunken plaza. The area is 400 feet across and offers no program or reason to leave the series of surrounding buildings. During major convention events, the space can be barren and lacks a celebratory nature. In the new design, the drop off loop is removed from the central focus of the plaza. Instead, two large reflecting pools celebrate and exaggerate the
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grand entrances of the convention center. A series of open-air booths line the parameter of the plaza, offering space for farmers markets. The once barren plaza bustles with life and local goods. The Grand Concourse spans over a quarter of a mile. It connects four stories of the North, South and Lake Side Buildings of McCormick Place. This major artery of the convention center offers multiple food courts and dine-in restaurants. A series of large escalators and stairs connect the oversized corri-
dor. From the first floor, the ceiling soars nearly 90 feet above and is of cathedral proportions. It is impossible to understand your place within the space. A series of new human scale interventions attempt to give understanding to the size of the space.
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McCormick Place
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INDOOR PARKSPACE: Of all of the buildings of McCormick Place, the Lakeside Building is used least. The 300,000 square foot ballroom with large glazed walls sits barren most days. With its ample natural light, tall ceilings, and a space frame roof system, this building is ideal for an indoor garden park. Despite Chicago’s frigid winters, there are few conditioned public spaces available to the city in the colder months. With the addition of a platform park in the ball room, this space could be made available to the public when a convention is not running. When pro-
McCormick Place
grams are scheduled, they can easily work around the additional structure. Convention attendees can use the space as a refuge during the events.
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URBAN REFUGE
Burnham Harbor Bridge| McCormick Place, Chicago, Illinois
McCormick Place
QUIET: The entire intention of master planning McCormick Place’s neighborhood was to draw the visitor out and the local in and through. Most of the new plans and designs sought to bring the bustle and activity of the city to the site. However, this is not the only way to bring life to a city. Occasionally, an intentional stroke of solitude and quiet can bring energy to a city’s people. These moments must be few and well placed in order to be meaningful. The line between quiet and dead is thin. The design must be on point.
A BRIDGE: Though only 300 feet away, there is no physical connection to Northerly Island from McCormick Place. The city is currently developing plans with architect, Jeane Gang to make the Island into a nature reserve. There will be walking paths winding through the entire park. A foot bridge connecting the two would complete a loop in the Lake Shore Park Path and offer greater access to the renoChicago Studio
“Y” and “A” section bridges lend vated Northerly Island. Connecting themselves to obscuring and revealsystems of parks runs deep in Chi- ing views and other sensory information. Portions cut out of solid boundcago’s planning history. This bridge is an opportunity to cre- aries can give a rhythmic experience ate a transition between the conven- of light, sound, smell and view. The tion center to nature. Noise to seren- bridge can act as a compressive eleity. Visitors gain greater access to the ment, heightening the experience of city’s greatest assets and locals gain a the open nature park on Northerly rich type of quiet in their busy lives. Island. STUDY:
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URBAN REFUGE
Burnham Harbor Bridge| McCormick Place, Chicago, Illinois
McCormick Place
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INTERNSHIP Cannon Design | April- May 2014
HARPER COLLEGE STUDENT SERVICES
Schematic Diagrams + Sketching | McCormick Place, Chicago, Illinois
CHARRETTE: The first portion of the internship included participation in schematic design meetings with Cannon Design’s Secondary Education specialist. As the team developed a series of design concepts, I prepared diagrams and other visual aids for a client meeting.
Internship
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HARPER COLLEGE STUDENT SERVICES
Interior influence exterior| McCormick Place, Chicago, Illinois
VARIETY OF STUDY SPACES: In the latter portion of the internship, I gathered several interior precedents for a variety of interior spaces. For this student service building, it was crucial to have study and gathering spaces of all types. I used a hybrid of sketching and Revit to explore how these interior requirements could influence the exterior form of the building. One had to develop with the other.
Internship
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HARPER COLLEGE STUDENT SERVICES Site Model | McCormick Place, Chicago, Illinois
Internship
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URBAN MAPPING Radical Investigations | Chicago, Illinois
PRINCIPLE 1: SUSTAINABILITY Maru Padilla | Heather Rosen
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 achiev-
BUILDING A CITY
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ing 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.
Planned vs. Unplanned
Density vs. Sprawl
Guiding Populations
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Intercity Transit
Urban Infill
Energy Efficient Materials
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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 pedestrianfriendly area. In conclusion, considering the needs of pedestrians and transit requirements in design can lead to a more accessible city.
Multiple Modes of Transportation Urban Mapping
Small Blocks & Streets
SMALL BLOCKS AND STREET
EASE OF MOVEMENT
Concentrated Destinations
CONCENTRATED DESTINATION
EASE OF MOVEMENT
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Geometry & Scale 109 GEOMETRY & SCALE
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,
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simply creating an interesting and diverse building stock is not enough to keep people living and thriving in an area. Mixed use can be used as the umbrella strategy for diversifying the cultural elements which draw people to a place, allowing them to find their niche and stay there. In this case, mixed use means more than just variation in the amenities and program of a development. Instead, it incorporates a larger scale of thinking, including accessible transit and practical proximity between amenities. This concept of immediacy reduces the amount of sprawl, creating communities which are overall more viable for residents. It is also important to retain multiple levels of affordability within a mixed use development, thus maintaining economic diversity and
combatting social stratification. When all of these elements are brought together, in combination with other proven urban strategies, the result is a place which is rich in character as well as visual and intellectual interest.
Mixed-use to reduce urban sprawl
Conservatin of Historic Structures
+
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Optimizing adjacency between uses
VISUAL VARIETY
CONSERVATION
Multiple Voices in one environment
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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.
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.
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.
Programmed open spaces for human activities versus open spaces that accomadate industrial and infrastructural needs.
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QUNLI PARK, CHINA
NEW YORK, NEW YORK
PHOENIX, ARIZONA
TOP: Large open spaces for habitat and natrual systems such as water runoff and watersheds. MIDDLE: Different scales of open park spaces for recreation in proximity to living areas. BOTTOM: Dense living conditions surround open space creating islands that isolate wildlife. Chicago Studio
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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
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to form an urban consensus. However, allowances should be made for some variation, interest and relief. If desired, a height difference of up to two times can create a landmark building, but anything much above that will seem out of place and “freakish.” Likewise, over large parcel sizes break the continuity of the city.
“A building should be respectful of its surroundings and of its time.”
Beyond scale, designers are confronted with the temporal matter of style. In many ways, the built environment is a visual timeline of history. Every architect or planner of a new project has to ask themselves how much they want to reference and reflect the context, “respect [the] surroundings,” and how much do they want to deviate, in order to be “of [the] time?” How should
the character of the building sit in this timeline? These questions are answered primarily through decisions of material and detailing, color and historical preservation. Compatibility is about the broader sense of place; about both similarity and difference. Seeking to respect the existing character and qualities of a site, compatibility in design makes way for the values of today and the possibilities of the future.
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PRINCIPLE 6: INCENTIVES Patrick McMinn | John Sturniolo
Incentives for expanding or building a city generally focus on areas that have underused land, infrastructure or buildings, such as spaces that are in economic decline or brownfields. This development is commonly carried out by governmental or private organizations to facilitate further investment. The most common incentives are: tax reductions; subsidies for land costs; site assembly and preparation; new infrastructure for transportation and utilizes; health care, education, and public safety services; open space and landscape beautification; and additional density allowances. A growing, livable city is an attraction for talented individuals who in turn will accelerate the success and expansion of the city life and attractive spaces. This develop process is found, planned, and defined through master planning and infrastructure improvement. The master plan provides a strategic approach for attracting new investments, city growth and development, and a defined focus for the future of the city. The master plan is designed around development
quality, beautification, and value enhancement. Development Quality focuses on circulation, open spaces, and phases of building construction as a framework for potential investors. Landscape Beautification of streets, parks, and waterfronts are one of the main methods of attracting investments to a particular area. Value Enhancement consolidates existing land parcels and adds additional density to the plot which in turn adds further value to the property. The second direction for city development is through infrastructure improvements, which are done through access improvements and the creation of public facilities. By improving the infrastructure of a space to facilitate the ease of access into those areas, transit oriented development follows these constructs; malls, restaurants, hotels, and other like facilities being commonly found near a major access point such as a subway station. This can be accomplished through transit and street redesign, new bicycle paths, pedestrian walkways, parking, and
other access improvements. The creation of public facilities such as airports, convention center, ballparks, museums, performance halls, cultural and educational facilities all create new jobs and draw in visitors and economic revenue. These facilities can also add value and revenue to one another, such as a new convention center attracting new hotels which attracts new restaurants and entertainment venues.
SOCIAL CENTER
MAIN TRANSIT AXIS
SCHOOL RESIDENTIAL
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UNUSED DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS TRANSFERRED
HISTORIC BUILDING PRESERVED
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PRINCIPLE 7: ADAPTABILITY
Rachel Montague | Gregory Delfonzo
Adaptability, as framed by Kriken, is fo cused 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 com-
prehensive 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.
DIRECTION OF EXPANSION
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ADAPT
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PRINCIPLE SEVEN: ADAPTABILITY
General Practice
Optimal Practice
PLANNED EXPANSION
VACANT LOTS
COMPLETE CORE
INCOMPLETE NEIGHBORHOOD
DEVELOPMENTS DEVELOPMENTS
PERMANENT PERMANENT OPENOPEN SPACE SPACE
GENERAL PRACTICE GENERAL PRACTICE
OPTIMAL PRACTICE OPTIMAL PRACTICE
PARKPARK
SCALED CITY PLANNING SCALED CITY PLANNING
OPEN SPACE
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PRINCIPLE 8: DENSITY
Ethan Bingeman | Alec Yuzhbabenko
+ 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
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.
irreplaceable land, wastes energy and infrastructure, and causes millions of hours lost in commutes. Through transit oriented development, careful planning, and providing adequate amenities, these densities are sustainable, livable, and achievable.
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Establish Grid
Green Space
City Fabric
Infrastructure
Sensible Growth
Brownfield Sites
FINANCIAL DISTRICT
FINANCIAL DISTRICT
RESIDENTIAL
Financial Districts
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Establish Neighborhoods
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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 city’s uniqueness over the private interest that threaten it. However, the development of identity can be inhibited by conflicting interests, such as too many monumental icons that don’t respect their existing context. Establishing identity within a city
is difficult and can be faced with many challenges. Many of the issues are common among cities, such as environmental sameness, repetition of elements, places that are hard to comprehend, a sense of being lost, and a lack of natural features. By utilizing existing conditions and recognizing a city’s potential, it is possible to create a sense of identity.
Balance between generic and unique
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Issues: environmental sameness, repetition of elements, places that are hard to comprehend /sense of being lost, and lack of natural features
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COMPATABILITY + MCCORMICK PLACE
Principle 3 analysis | Cermack Road, Chicago, Illinois
McCormick Place Convention Center consists of four major buildings built over the last five decades. To facilitate some of the largest conventions in the United States, this complex demands millions of square feet of exhibit space. As a result, each building dwarfs the surrounding blocks. The west building alone spans the equivalent of five Chicago blocks. The next largest building in the area (a data center) spans one block. According to Principle 3, each of McCormick Place’s buildings alone is too large in volume for the area. As McCormick Place has grown, the ammenities in the blocks around the convention center have dissapeared. Its shear size and lack of consistant program have deemed the buildings incompatable with the urban context. In place of the vacant and demolished smaller buildings, the city has plans to develop more buildings of a similar volume and size to that of McCormick Place. Therefore, in the future, the
Urban Mapping
convention center will be quite cohesive and compatable with its surroundings. Materially, McCormick Place is relatively cohesive with its current environment. The vanilla colored concrete and glazed facades fit in with other glazed and masonry buildings in the blocks surrounding.
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THE CITY Impressions | Chicago, Illinois
The City
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