LATENT DESIGN

Up In The Air
Back in 2016, we received a call from our UVA peers Jeana Ripple + Barbara Brown Wilson with the exciting news that they won a Bloomberg Philanthropies competition for an artistic intervention with for . Supporting good design doesn't mean we always have to be the author of it. Working on Arthouse Gary, we learned how we can push ourselves and the firm to understand design through new roles as local AOR, PM, direct fabrication, and maybe an OSHA violation. Our team at the time of + fabricated this installation by hand as one of the first tenants of studio, which we also designed.

We then spent two weeks in Gary installing Light Lab's 2,000 dichoric lined plexiglass tubes one by one on scissor lifts 30' in the air, with semi trucks zooming by and the occassional bee attack because the dichroic film colors in the sun reminded them of flowers. I slept on the basement sofa of . We met the always cool and even , who I learned valuable lessons on how to politely get people to get sh** done on a deadline. And then we danced in the cold on the opening day in November and momentarily were able to forget about recent 2016 elections and focus on the community that was being built.

Under Construction
Chicago has a small selection of "nonconforming" lots which are a design and zoning challenge. This Pilsen lot has no alley, a negative lot grade, and two neighbors encroaching on the lot line. This two unit protoype, a continuation of our Architecture Center and Missing Middle competition design entry, features a duplex up owners unit and rental garden unit. Clad in a metallic burgundy standing seam siding, the building reflects the profile of the two unit workers cottage it replaces and carves away niche outdoor spaces for both units.

Client / GC: Eagle Capital Development
Team:

Good Doggos
The team from had a vision to turn a 500sf former beauty shop in West Loop into a the first self serve dog wash in Chicago. The inviting spa experience for your best fur friend was critical to the design as were the logistics of cleanable surfaces, easy operations, and plenty of room to have multiple dogs in a small space. Working with small businesses on a budget is a opportunity we embrace as a firm and learn new ways to be creative and nimble. Swipe to see the process from sketch to render to pile of concrete from the plumbing work.

Client:
GC: Urzua Remodeling
Team:
📷:

Restoring Freedom
Returning citizens face incredible challenges to maintaining a new path. Our work with transformed a 1,200sf former furniture store in Roseland into the first of its kind dedicated community-based law office for the organization. The goal of Freedom Defense Center of Roseland (FDCR) is not only to defend clients in court but to address the root causes of harm; housing instability, trauma, and unemployment, through collaboration with a dedicated team from trauma specialiss, arts coordinator, community navigators, and public defenders. The FDCR model aligns with national efforts to reimagine public defense as not only legal, but community-centered and healing-driven.

Design As Activism
Last fall and participated in curated summit, Design As Activism. Their panel wove stories of contemporary preservation efforts that center community narratives and hyper local history from the former Thompson Center to Environmental Food Justice. This gorgeous new book captures the conversations across multiple panels from that day.