Chicago Architecture Center

Chicago Architecture Center hosted a fun-filled and inspiring Girls Build! Day this past weekend. It was an electric event filled with young people, their families/caregivers, and more than a dozen partner organizations each offering a unique activity. There were also custom walking tours with CAC Education Guides and Docents, focused on the historical impact of women in architecture and the built environment. We were honored to have The American Institute of Architects (AIA) president Kimberly Dowdell deliver the keynote. Kimberly talked about growing up in Detroit and how she would dream about revitalizing downtown's decaying buildings—what inspired her to be an architect. She also emphasized the importance of mentors and how those relationships led her to seek leadership roles in the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA) and AIA. Her advice to all the young people in attendance: employ the '4 Cs' in life and career: curiosity, creativity, courage, and consistency. CAC offers a variety of Girls Build! programs throughout the year. To be the first to know when new programs are added, sign up for our email list! https://lnkd.in/gWFyehNf #STEAM #STEM #GirlsBuild! #DesignEducation 📸: Nick Robins

This Saturday, August 24, we will host our annual Girls Build! Day. The festival will be packed with hands-on activities, inspiring walking tours, and a keynote speech by Kimberly Dowdell, the first Black woman to serve as President of the American Institute of Architects (AIA). Catch the recent FOX32 Chicago interview with Girls Build! alumni turned instructor, Alanni Williams and CAC Vice President of Learning Angela Esposito, MAT as they highlight the impact of the program. https://lnkd.in/g9H_XWNk This event is designed for young girls aged 11-17 interested in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, architecture, and math). Don't miss this incredible opportunity to learn, create, and connect with professionals in the field. Register now for free and secure your spot at  https://lnkd.in/gEZS-zBX

ICYMI: Multiple options for Cabrini-Green redevelopment have been aired by architect-master planner SCB and the Chicago Housing Authority. Up to 4,000 housing units are proposed, mixing market-rate with subsidized units and replacement public housing across 43 vacant acres. There are modest differences in site massing and density between the three alternate strategies, and some do more to preserve the 1940s Francis Cabrini Rowhomes (the only buildings spared the wrecking ball). They all preserve Strangers Home Missionary Baptist Church. For the most part, each plan concentrates larger buildings along avenues and blends old and new in terms of both buildings and streetscape. After a period of community feedback, the refined concepts will undergo a feasibility analysis. Final reports will be submitted this fall. It's encouraging to finally see real momentum for redevelopment! #CabriniGreen #development #preservation #AffordableHousing https://lnkd.in/ghgthS5e

With the Wild Mile expanding along the river near Goose Island, CAC's Ian Spula visited to chat about the project's innovative design and ecological and quality-of-life impacts with Block Club Chicago NFP reporter Patrick Filbin. Urban Rivers executive director Nick Wesley took part as well, leading a tour of the thriving habitat that has taken hold. The Wild Mile features prominently in our Loop As Lab exhibition exploring how to reshape downtowns as more resilient, people-centered places to live and work. The exhibition is on view through January 6, 2025. The Wild Mile represents exciting new thinking around green infrastructure that betters our city. It is a sight to behold this time of year. Experience it for yourself! Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) #WildMile #Rewild #LoopAsLab #LivableCities #DowntownChicago Link to article: https://lnkd.in/ga9GpADw 📸 : Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago

Ellen Shubart, a docent and exhibit host since 2006, leads a diverse range of tours, including the River Cruise, Loop as Lab, Chinatown, and many more. After retiring in 2005, Ellen found her passion in sharing Chicago’s rich architecture and history on tours, which she had previously enjoyed as a participant. An author of five books on Chicago, Ellen values sharing her knowledge with tour-goers, and the connections she makes with participants and fellow volunteers enrich every experience. Thank you, Ellen, for your many contributions to the Chicago Architecture Center. Check out one of Ellen's tours: 🛥️ River Cruise: https://bit.ly/3MYSUdO 🏙️ Loop as Lab: https://bit.ly/4dKSFxw 🐲 Chinatown: https://bit.ly/3YPRTek

With all eyes on Chicago during the DNC, CAC’s Eleanor Esser Gorski penned a letter to the editor highlighting local investments and initiatives that are paying dividends for South and West side neighborhoods.   Here's hoping this face of Chicago comes through during this week's convention coverage, and that convention-goers get a chance to get out and explore the "city of neighborhoods" in all its dynamism and diversity.   #DNC #Chicago #architecture #neighborhoods #CommunityDevelopment https://lnkd.in/gqqmMNGV

In the spirit of democracy and making your voice heard, stop by the Chicago Architecture Center during DNC week for a pair of civic-minded activities: First, check out our "Loop As Lab" exhibition investigating people-centered approaches to reshaping downtown for the post-pandemic era. By looking at responsive design, planning, and policy initiatives, we ask how the Loop and other American downtowns can inject new vitality and livability into their historic business districts. Visitors are invited to engage with an array of interactives and complete an anonymous survey on how you'd most like to see downtown evolve. Survey responses will be shared with the Chicago Department of Planning and Development to help inform future decision-making. And second, take an expert Docent-led walking tour highlighting Chicago's rich legacy of downtown planning and the buildings, parks, and infrastructure that came as a result. This tour was designed to complement Loop As Lab and is being offered on Saturday, August 17 and Wednesday, August 21. Get your tour tickets here: https://lnkd.in/gvy2EHkr Or purchase general admission to the Center to view our exhibitions: https://lnkd.in/gsWrGSyQ #DNC #Chicago #LoopAsLab #Democracy #CityPlanning #Architecture

Friday marked the conclusion of 2024 summer camps at CAC in partnership with Mobile Makers-- another successful season and tons of fun! Roughly 100 local youth received a hands-on introduction to architecture and design, learning how design shapes the built environment and tackling real world issues though drawing and model making. The camps were stationed at CAC, at Mobile Makers Chicago in Humboldt Park, and at University of Illinois Chicago and the Jane Addams Hull-House Museum. Two of the four were affiliated with our popular GirlsBuild! program. Thanks to generous support, we were able to offer all 2024 camp programs at no cost for families, as we strive to represent the diversity of Chicago through everything we do. To make a donation to support free design education for youth: https://lnkd.in/gEYWBK9Z #DesignEducation #STEAM #STEM #Chicago #GirlsBuild!

The Chicago Architecture Center congratulates Edward Keegan on becoming the new Chicago Tribune architecture critic, and applauds Blair Kamin for making the restoration of this important post possible by way of grant. Our two major dailies now make room for criticism, with Lee Bey doing an admirable job at Chicago Sun-Times. The City of Architecture deserves the most rigorous and prominent criticism... a healthy ecosystem that also includes freelance critics/journalists like Anjulie Rao and Zach Mortice. In Sunday's column, Ed takes a fascinating look at the mostly-forgotten history of "orphaned" twin towers in Chicago. He argues this track record and the prospect of an extended "interim" period between construction of 400 Lake Shore's two towers is reason enough to rethink planning processes with an eye toward bettering our cityscape. We're excited to see criticism evolving in Chicago, and functioning as a check on design and planning. #ArchitecturalCriticism #Architecture #Planning #400LakeShore Link to article (paywalled): https://lnkd.in/gG5kKCdY

Born and raised in Chicagoland, Priscilla (Pris) Mims has been a dedicated CAC member for over 35 years. Her love for Chicago’s iconic skyscrapers sparked her interest in CAC’s tours, and she became a docent in 2000. Over the years, she’s encouraged hundreds of visitors to look at their neighborhoods with new eyes, understanding that good architecture and design are important to cities across the globe. A continuing avid tour taker and generous donor, we are grateful for Pris’ passion. Be sure to check out one of her favorite tours – the Aqua, St. Regis Chicago and Lakeshore East: https://lnkd.in/gKMMnMiW