Chicago Studio

Graduate students in our Master of Architecture programs may enroll in the Chicago Studio, a semester-long residential immersion in the Chicago architectural scene.

Program Introduction

Putting design and research excellence in service of the public good remains the School of Architecture’s firm commitment to our state. The most obvious and enduring example of this commitment: a Chicago skyline shaped by the talents of thousands of Illinois alumni who have built and practiced in firms large and small over the years.

Previous Chicago Studios have examined the area of the South Branch of the Chicago River known as Bubbly Creek; urban design and building design for the South Loop; housing in the pandemic and post-pandemic eras; and “serious play” museums and structures in different Chicago neighborhoods.

Architecture in Barcelona and Chicago (ABC Studio) Summer 2024

ABC Studio (Architecture in Barcelona and Chicago)

The ABC Studio (Architecture in Barcelona and Chicago) is a summer initiative that takes advantage of our resident studios in arguably two of the epicenters of architectural culture on either side of the Atlantic. Students spend the first part of the studio attending an intensive urban workshop in Barcelona, coordinated by Prof. Alejandro Lapunzina and ETSAV Director Pere Fuertes. The second part of the studio takes place at the Chicago Architecture Center, where the UrbanWorks team of Pat Saldaña-Natke, FAIA, Maria Pellot, FAIA, Ingedia González and Sofía Linares will facilitate a co-housing proposal in the city. The students will participate in several visits to sites in Barcelona and Chicago, and a series of curated and coordinated lectures will inform their design work.

albany park site plan drawing — Site plan fom the Spring 2022 studio “Serious Play”

Site plan fom the Spring 2022 studio “Serious Play”

cross sections with pink highlights — Charlotte Elo, Daeun Lee, and Amir Zarei, Spring 2022

Charlotte Elo, Daeun Lee, and Amir Zarei, Spring 2022

elevation rendering with pink play spaces — Charlotte Elo, Daeun Lee, and Amir Zarei, Spring 2022

Charlotte Elo, Daeun Lee, and Amir Zarei, Spring 2022

axon with yellow highlights — Sim Agci, Krishna Jayachandran, and Will Zhang, Spring 2022

Sim Agci, Krishna Jayachandran, and Will Zhang, Spring 2022

courtyard rendering — Frida Palacios and Jesus Sanchez, Spring 2022

Frida Palacios and Jesus Sanchez, Spring 2022

wood play installation — “Fabricating Play” seminar installation, Spring 2022

“Fabricating Play” seminar installation, Spring 2022

board with building design drawings — Yue Amber Shi and Shweta Krishnan, Fall 2020

Yue Amber Shi and Shweta Krishnan, Fall 2020

Loop it in, a chicago studio project board with drawings and diagrams — “Loop It In” by Carol Brobeck, Patricia McKissack, Himangshu Kedia, David Huang, Yun Huang, and Erika Johannesen, Fall 2017

“Loop It In” by Carol Brobeck, Patricia McKissack, Himangshu Kedia, David Huang, Yun Huang, and Erika Johannesen, Fall 2017

Loop it in, a chicago studio project board with rendered plan and perspectives — “Loop It In” by Carol Brobeck, Patricia McKissack, Himangshu Kedia, David Huang, Yun Huang, and Erika Johannesen, Fall 2017

“Loop It In” by Carol Brobeck, Patricia McKissack, Himangshu Kedia, David Huang, Yun Huang, and Erika Johannesen, Fall 2017

Rendered plan proposal for bubbly creek — “South Branch District” by Xiangyun Cao, Yuting Gao, Huaixuan Li, Andree Sahakian, Manman Shao, and Richa Singh, Fall 2017

“South Branch District” by Xiangyun Cao, Yuting Gao, Huaixuan Li, Andree Sahakian, Manman Shao, and Richa Singh, Fall 2017

Urban plan and rendered site plan of bubbly creek proposal — “Urban Palimpsest” by Osiel Guzman, Zhengge Jiang, Sebastian Clark Koth, Claudlene Saint Vil, Lei Wang, and Sijia Yang, Fall 2017

“Urban Palimpsest” by Osiel Guzman, Zhengge Jiang, Sebastian Clark Koth, Claudlene Saint Vil, Lei Wang, and Sijia Yang, Fall 2017

Board with section detail, section perspective, and plan diagrams — “ALGAE-ing the Future: An Urban Energy Lab” by Eva Temporal Duran, Marc Ponce, Yizhen Ding, Yoda Li, Litong Zheng, and Kalyani Agnihotri, Fall 2017

“ALGAE-ing the Future: An Urban Energy Lab” by Eva Temporal Duran, Marc Ponce, Yizhen Ding, Yoda Li, Litong Zheng, and Kalyani Agnihotri, Fall 2017

Board with aerial perspective diagram and renderings — “EDU-WALK: Bridging Work, Community and Environment” by Saloni Chawla, Dijia Chen, Sara Hadavi, David L. O’Donoghue, Shuyu Yin, and Ye Yuan, Fall 2017

“EDU-WALK: Bridging Work, Community and Environment” by Saloni Chawla, Dijia Chen, Sara Hadavi, David L. O’Donoghue, Shuyu Yin, and Ye Yuan, Fall 2017

Chicago Studio Student Work

Fall 2020 Chicago Studio

How do we understand and navigate the realm of housing in pandemic and post-pandemic eras? What cues in the built environment affect our ability to be and stay well in our residential environments? What if a housing environment is not conducive to generating well-being and equity among residents? This studio asks designers to consider how the architecture and space around housing structures impact a resident’s ability maintain wellness and high quality of life through a re:Vital Chicago Studio initiative.

Description

Fall 2019 Chicago Studio

This course develops an urban design strategy/proposal for areas which seek to harmonize with the existing structures of the city, anticipate the future needs of residents and visitors, and providing a new level of quality. The 2019 studio will work with the City of Chicago on properties identified as possible sites for a proposed casino. Our goal is to maximize the positive potential for the casino in the selected neighborhood.

Description

Fall 2019 Urban Morphology Seminar

Urban Design theory introduces seminal ideas and theoretical writings and connects them to social, political, economic, cultural and technical events and developments as they influenced architectural thought and built urban environments. This course will include readings, projects and field trips to facilitate discussions and allow for a holistic understanding of urban design in the Chicago context.

Students will create an interactive website which shall facilitate comparative analysis of Chicago neighborhoods, morphology and typology, using figure grounds, Nolli information, aerial photographs, zoning and land use diagrams.

Description

Fall 2019 Professional Practice Seminar

The course visits a variety of professional architecture offices to ascertain the ideals and methods used by Chicago architecture firms in their professional commitment to their clients and the general public. Students may have an individual mentor determined by participating firms, to assist the student with their immersion into the Chicago architecture community.

Description

Fall 2018 Chicago Studio

The Chicago Studio has been asked by the Chicago Department of Planning and Development (DPD) to explore principles and make observations on best practices for affordable housing. The studio will undertake 3 to 4 different studies on sites identified by the Chicago Housing Authority (CHA). The Chicago Housing Authority will discuss their sites and share their goals for the identified sites.

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