It’s been nearly three weeks since the Chicago Architecture Biennial kicked off on Oct. 3. Reviews have been generally positive, from the Chicago Tribune’s Blair Kamin calling it a “mixed bag” with a vaguely titled, though well executed, theme, to The Wall Street Journal’s Julie V. Lovine, writing that the inaugural event has “just the right proportion of earnest effort to razzle-dazzle.”
But as Lovine puts it, the event’s title, “The State of the Art of Architecture” is indeed fitting, as it “is a pulse-taking of contemporary architecture as it could be—creative responses that suggest solutions to some of the intractable, quotidian challenges of our times.”
One thing that stood out for BD+C was the experimentation with new building materials and methods, drafted by both established and up-and-coming talents in the architecture world as a response to today’s environment, societal behavior, and business demands. Here are some highlights:
1.Dried Leaves in “The S House” by Vo Trong Nghia Architects
The Vietnamese firm is well known for incorporating nature into its projects, weaving green space in and out of the built area such as seen in their multifamily residential project, and designs for FPT University’s administrative and classroom buildings.
To the Chicago Architecture Biennial, Vo Trong Nghia brings another sustainable concept, The S House, which aims to make easy to build affordable homes that can be sheathed in locally sourced, renewable material.
According to Dezeen, the design was first released in 2012 and has been refined ever since. Each home should cost around $1,000 and can provide relief in countries struck by natural disasters.
The frame is a galvanized steel structure where each components is 130 pounds or less, and can be erected in under three hours. The frame is then sheathed in dried leaves, as displayed at the Biennial, but any other material that is locally available can substitute. The house is one of four full-sized houses on display at the event’s main exhibition in the Chicago Cultural Center building.
2. Cross-Laminated Timber in “Chicago Horizon” by Ultramoderne
The Rhode Island-based architecture firm Ultramoderne was the winner of the biennial’s Chicago Pavilion competition.
Dezeen reports that the Chicago Horizon pavilion was built “using the largest lengths of timber that can be shipped across North America.”
The structure is constructed near the Museum Campus by Lake Michigan, offering views of the Chicago skyline from the south east. The entire structure was built using cross-laminated timber.
The design uses cues from legendary German architect who later made Chicago home, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe.
3. Wooden Pallets in Low-Cost House by Tatiana Bilbao
Using wooden pallets to create a rustic, industrial look in interior design has been gracing the pages of design websites for a while, but Mexican architect Tatiana Bilbao is giving the shipping tool a greater purpose.
The architect’s low-cost home design relies on the lightweight yet sufficiently sturdy pallets to establish rooms. They can be shifted around as the household grows or shifts needs.
4. Rocks and Strings in “Rock Print” by Gramazio Kohler and Skylar Tibbits
Towering over attendees in the Chicago Cultural Center is the Instagram-ready, three-legged structure designed by Gramazio Kohler Research of ETH Zürich and Skylar Tibbits of MIT’s Self-Assembly Lab.
According to Archdaily, the structure was created by robotic hands that laid down strings, and between the layers of strings, rocks were placed by hand. A video is the best way to explain this:
The tower of rocks isn’t just an artistic sculpture. As The Wall Street Journal’s architecture writer Julie V. Iovine puts it, “the process has untold potential for sustainable and economic construction using the cheapest materials imaginable.”
Related Stories
K-12 Schools | May 25, 2023
From net zero to net positive in K-12 schools
Perkins Eastman’s pursuit of healthy, net positive schools goes beyond environmental health; it targets all who work, teach, and learn inside them.
Contractors | May 24, 2023
The average U.S. contractor has 8.9 months worth of construction work in the pipeline, as of April 2023
Contractor backlogs climbed slightly in April, from a seven-month low the previous month, according to Associated Builders and Contractors.
Mass Timber | May 23, 2023
Luxury farm resort uses CLT framing and geothermal system to boost sustainability
Construction was recently completed on a 325-acre luxury farm resort in Franklin, Tenn., that is dedicated to agricultural innovation and sustainable, productive land use. With sustainability a key goal, The Inn and Spa at Southall was built with cross-laminated and heavy timber, and a geothermal variant refrigerant flow (VRF) heating and cooling system.
Architects | May 23, 2023
DEI initiatives at KAI Enterprises, with Michael Kennedy, Jr. and Gyasi Haynes
Michael Kennedy, Jr. and Gyasi Haynes of KAI Enterprises, St. Louis, describe their firm's effort to create a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion—and how their own experiences as black men in the design and construction industry shaped that initiative.
Multifamily Housing | May 23, 2023
One out of three office buildings in largest U.S. cities are suitable for residential conversion
Roughly one in three office buildings in the largest U.S. cities are well suited to be converted to multifamily residential properties, according to a study by global real estate firm Avison Young. Some 6,206 buildings across 10 U.S. cities present viable opportunities for conversion to residential use.
Architects | May 23, 2023
Ware Malcomb hires Francisco Perez-Azua as Director, Interior Architecture & Design, in its Miami office
Ware Malcomb hires Francisco Perez-Azua as Director, Interior Architecture & Design, in its Miami office.
K-12 Schools | May 22, 2023
The revival of single-building K-12 schools
Schools that combine grades PK through 12 are suddenly not so uncommon. Education sector experts explain why.
Architects | May 19, 2023
Snøhetta architects make a bid to unionize the firm's New York studio
Employees at the New York office of architecture firm Snøhetta have filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to unionize the studio. Snøhetta employees’ action marks the third time architects at a private-sector architecture studio in the U.S. took that step.
Healthcare Facilities | May 19, 2023
A new behavioral health facility in California targets net zero energy
Shortly before Mental Health Awareness Month in May, development and construction firm Skanska announced the topping out of California’s first behavioral health facility—and the largest in the nation—to target net zero energy. Located in Redwood City, San Mateo County, Calif., the 77,610-sf Cordilleras Health System Replacement Project is slated for completion in late 2024.
Government Buildings | May 18, 2023
GSA launches first biennial construction award program
Today, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) announced the new biennial GSA Construction Award program, which is seeking submissions this summer. The program was created to honor outstanding achievements in construction, with a focus on quality and craftsmanship, collaboration and team dynamics, sustainability, innovation, and technology. The first Construction Awards ceremony will take place in 2024.
