The inaugural Chicago Architecture Biennial, CAB for short, has officially invaded the city of Chicago. Each day from October through to early January 2016, architecture and design enthusiasts have the chance to engage in their favorite conversation on a global scale by attending events of all kinds – but seriously, all kinds (lectures and panels, workshops, film screenings, tours and even dance performances), all artfully curated to feature architects, designers and artists, both high-profile and lesser known, from around the nation and the world.
In the first article of an ongoing series of CAB coverage, officeinsight attended Up All Night with Architecture at the Chicago Cultural Center across from Millennium Park on Friday, October 30th.
Up All Night with Architecture featured a little splash of everything, with an “eve of Halloween” vibe, and all free to the public. Rounding out the intellectual delights of the evening were a Jenga tournament led by Jenga maven and connector Bob Webb; a screening of Candyman, the 1992 American horror film bridging architecture with “horror” written and directed by Bernard Rose; and a late night flashlight tour exploring secrets of the Chicago Cultural Center and beyond led by City Historian Tim Samuelson.
Kicking off the evening was an art and architecture-oriented PechaKucha Night event featuring Peter Exley, co-founder of the design firm Architecture Is Fun. For those unfamiliar, PechaKucha Nights are events that bring people together to see a series of “PechaKucha 20×20” presentations. PechaKucha 20×20 is a simple presentation format of 20 images that each show for 20 seconds, totaling 400 seconds. The images advance automatically, and the presenter talks along to the images.
The presentation format, devised by Astrid Klein and Mark Dytham of Klein Dytham architecture in 2003, aims to foster mastery of the art of the concise presentation, as a way to tailor the typically long-winded way architects (and creative people in many other fields) present their work. PechaKucha Nights are now hosted in cities all around the world and are open to anyone who wants to present something they’re passionate about. For more information on PechaKucha Nights, visit www.pechakucha.org.
PechaKucha nights typically happen in casual environments, often at bars. At the Chicago Cultural Center, attendees enjoyed complimentary Lagunitas beer, and the super relaxed PechaKucha party spirit prevailed even under the drippingly gorgeous Tiffany Dome.
The nine Pechakucha presenters at Up All Night with Architecture each addressed art and architecture, but from wildly divergent perspectives. The 400 second format translates into a perfect mashup of vague and specific; inspiration and reality; professional and personal. The following are highlight snippets from each of the nine presenters. Though not all of the presenters identify specifically with the A&D field, all are stakeholders in the work of architecture and design, and all are worth learning more about.
>Peter Exley, co-founder of design firm Architecture Is Fun.
Mr. Exley kicked off the event with a PechaKucha delving into his lifelong fascination with the patterns and geometries of wallpaper. Though quite specific, his presentation was the perfect example of the strength of the PechaKucha format – igniting interest from an audience on any topic, however specific. Mr. Exley’s youth in Northern England and a “modern aesthetic” upbringing spurred on by his architect father inspired him to explore how he could bring new patterns and geometries to the middle class.
“Instead of counting sheep, my mind was filled with wallpaper patterns as I sought sleep. These accessible tapestry designs explore the historical and social range of wallpaper. They are romantic renditions of our culture.”
>Lynn Becker, prominent architectural writer.
Mr. Becker delivered a magical composition of architecture through the ages, weaving the “beginning structures of the divine right of kings” and those “reflecting the hierarchy of society and the supply chain” into the later progression of increasing openness: “It was then no longer just about crime, war and protection.”
Next came architecture designed with “ruthless efficiency,” resulting in buildings stripped down to the barest form – warehouses soon to be run by robots. Computer generated forms followed, abolishing right angles, followed by the rise of architectural modelings based on food and other forms from the natural world. Now, we must content with the future of “unloading our consciousness into the big data world of the cloud!”
Of all the presentations that night, Mr. Becker’s was perhaps superior in its sweeping scope, satirically wacky humor and unusual historic inspiration. We highly suggest hunting around for this presentation online!
>Tracy Wile, director of community programs, Organizing For Action (OFA).
Ms. Wile began her PechaKucha by noting and defining the labels she uses to describe herself, culminating in the moniker BAFAA: Bad Ass Feminist Activist Architect. Her fun, punchy delivery lightly blanketed a presentation with much deeper significance, artfully punctuating the challenges female architects and designers face in the field today, and why. And while the topic certainly isn’t new, Ms. Wile’s stats make clear that there’s much ground to cover: Only two Pritzker Prize winners are women, and just 3 in 20 licensed AIA members are female.
>Grant Gibson, architect, CAMESgibson, Inc.
Mr. Gibson discussed several projects, both completed and planned for the future, as well as the principles he and his team centers their work around.
“The idea of being a sole practitioner with one area of focus is no longer true. We believe that pursuing projects in different genres is the way to succeed…We’re also exploring different ways to express the work; we’ve come to find in the field of architecture that those who don’t write are less often remembered.”
>Tom Burtonwood, artist, creative director, and educator at the School of Art Institute of Chicago; & Tim Samuelson, cultural historian, City of Chicago Department of Innovation & Technology.
Mr. Burtonwood and Mr. Samuelson presented a spirited PechaKucha in an “infomercial” format, attempting to “sell” audience members a box set of 3D printed architectural source books, titled “Twenty Something Sullivan.” The books aim to preserve the work of architect Louis H. Sullivan, and the presentation received a hearty amount of (joking) interest from the audience!
>Nora Ames, architect/designer at Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture.
Ms. Ames, a Chicago-based architect, suffered a brain bleed in her cerebellum a few years ago, resulting in major coordination and speech challenges. In working through rehab and moving from wheelchair to walker to cane assistance, her entire perspective of space, architecture and design was forever altered.
“When reality is exposed, a better understanding is achieved. My view towards architecture has changed since I’ve needed assistance. [In reference to her slide showing an office ceiling] Isn’t this boring? Ugly ceilings are now something I pay attention to.”
Details such as snags in sidewalk designs and handrails on both sides of stairways, to name a few, can elevate an architect’s work to succeed in more understated, but equally important ways. Ms. Ames noted the work and experiences of the blind architect Chris Downey and celebrated architect Michael Graves, who required his architect hires to spend a week in a wheelchair.
“We must design for accessibility and not just design for building codes.”
>Bob Faust, principal/design director of Faust, a cultural branding and communications studio.
“My goal was to make a memory through a message with materials. Then, I manifest these things, these inspired thoughts, into paying work.”
Mr. Faust discussed his “Full Moon Projects,” which are described on his website: “Just as a full moon inspires awe, provides peace and ignites actions over the course of a single evening, full moon projects are typographic installations at the intersection of art and design intended to do much the same. They install quickly under the light of every full moon, do their job and slowly get consumed, deteriorate and ultimately disappear.”
As an extension of the Full Moon Projects, he then presented a selection of his work, including projects for the “Nick Cave: Sojourn” exhibition at the Denver Art Museum and performance installations for Carrie Hanson of The Seldoms dance company. To learn more about Mr. Faust and his work, visit www.faustltd.com
>Felicia Davis, executive director, Public Building Commission (PBC) of Chicago.
Ms. Davis spoke about integrating every resident of every age into the fabric of Chicago’s 77 neighborhoods – through building projects that foster a heightened sense of community. In particular, she noted the PBC’s interest in police stations, of which many have been updated to appear more open and welcoming, but which still need to experience much bigger adjustments to fully integrate into the community.
>Larry Kearns, principal at Wheeler Kearns Architects
Before lightly touching on his many forays into invention via kickstarter – from superior pothole repair solutions to sanitary water transportation and the preservation of the ‘crunch’ in fast food fries – Mr. Kearns spent much of his PechaKucha discussing the design of cutting edge learning environments. His work on the design of Intrinsic Schools in Chicago tailors the school’s blended-learning approach too
“This is a new type of education environment designed to personalize learning, and to capitalize on the cognitive diversity of learning. There is a one in 450 million chance of you having the exact same talents as another person. Schools most be designed for students with different strengths and learning differences.”
To learn more about Mr. Kearns’ work, visit www.wkarch.com/person/larry-kearns
Following the conclusion of PechuaKucha Night was a “Designing with the Public” lecture by design visionary Bryan Bell, founder of Design Corps and co-founder of SEED (Social Economic Environmental Design Network).
Mr. Bell’s lecture is one part of a series of CAB events under the umbrella topic of “Designing the Social Good: From Blueprint to Building.”
Stay tuned for officeinsight’s comprehensive coverage of Mr. Bell’s lecture, along with other CAB “Designing the Social Good” events.
To attend a CAB event, check out the calendar on the Chicago Architecture Biennial website for full event information. Most events are free (amazing!), but some require a minimal charge of $10-12, and a few have a full ticket price of $35+.