ARTIST WORKSPACE & OFFICES​

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LOCATION

744 S DEARBORN STREET, CHICAGO, IL 60605​

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PROGRAM

MIX-USE OFFICE SPACE

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​​​​YEAR

2025

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LOCATED IN CHICAGO’S PRINTER’S ROW, THIS MIXED USE BUILDING COMBINES OFFICE SPACE WITH ARTIST STUDIOS AND PUBLIC GATHERING AREAS. THE PROJECT EXPLORES HOW ARCHITECTURE CAN MEDIATE BETWEEN EXPOSURE AND PRIVACY THROUGH STRUCTURE, CIRCULATION, AND FAÇADE SYSTEMS.

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THE BUILDING IS ORGANIZED AROUND TWO PRIMARY STRUCTURAL PARTY WALLS THAT FREE THE INTERIOR FLOOR PLATES AND ALLOW FLEXIBLE OCCUPATION ACROSS EACH LEVEL. BETWEEN THESE WALLS, A CENTRAL SOCIAL STAIR CONNECTS THE PUBLIC PROGRAMS BELOW WITH THE MORE PRIVATE WORKSPACES ABOVE, CREATING MOMENTS OF INTERACTION THROUGHOUT THE BUILDING.

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THE FAÇADE IS COMPOSED OF PERFORATED STEEL FINS THAT ROTATE AND SHIFT IN DENSITY ACROSS THE ELEVATION. THIS SYSTEM CONTROLS LIGHT, VISIBILITY, AND TRANSPARENCY WHILE ALLOWING THE BUILDING TO BE READ DIFFERENTLY FROM VARYING DISTANCES AND PERSPECTIVES WITHIN THE CITY.

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STUDIO SPACES ARE ARRANGED TO BALANCE OPENNESS AND SEPARATION, ALLOWING ARTISTS TO WORK INDEPENDENTLY WHILE REMAINING VISUALLY CONNECTED TO THE LARGER COLLECTIVE ENVIRONMENT. PUBLIC ZONES AT THE LOWER LEVELS EXTEND ACTIVITY TOWARD THE STREET AND ESTABLISH THE BUILDING AS BOTH WORKPLACE AND CULTURAL SPACE WITHIN PRINTER’S ROW.

 

THROUGH SHIFTING THRESHOLDS, GRADIENTS OF ENCLOSURE, AND CHANGING VISUAL RELATIONSHIPS, THE BUILDING FRAMES OCCUPATION AS AN EVOLVING EXPERIENCE BETWEEN THE CITY, THE COLLECTIVE, AND THE INDIVIDUAL.