Dear Members, Patrons and Friends,
Welcome to a new season of events at the Chicago Architectural Club. As Richard Blender and I take over as incoming co-presidents, we would first like to recognize the efforts of Robert Benson and Brian Vitale in their work over the past two years. Under their leadership the club has developed an interactive website and identity, established new collaborative relationships around the city, and further defined the mission statement of the club.
Our goals and programs for the coming year reinforce the mission of the club, attempting to foster and promote dialog within the architectural community on pertinent issues involving the built environment. To this end we have established a theme for the year in an attempt to develop the notion of an ongoing conversation that connects events, programs and competitions.
We will be focusing the year on the theme of Landscape Urbanism, a topic that considers landscape in the context of contemporary urban development and public works. Of particular interest as a field for exploration and discussion is the point at which landscape, infrastructure, and architecture meet. The overlaps and intersections between these disciplines is an extremely fertile ground for architectural invention and speculation, and we intend to focus events on these opportunities. The City of Chicago will serve as a backdrop for both conversation and intervention.
We introduce the topic on September 27th at I-Space. Charles Waldheim and Bob Bruegmann will present Landscape Urbanism and Waterfront Infrastructure, respectively. The teaching and research of Charles Waldheim focuses on landscape and contemporary urbanism and he is an internationally renowned expert on parks development and revitalization. Charles is Associate Dean of the Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design and director of the Masters of Landscape Architecture program at the University of Toronto. Bob Bruegmann, historian and critic of the built environment, is Professor of Art History, Architecture and Urban Planning at the University of Illinois at Chicago and the author of numerous books, most recently Sprawl: A Compact History in 2005. Both Bob and Charles are extremely engaging speakers, and there promises to be a lively discussion.
Our first event of the year will be on Wednesday, September 20th at the Chicago Architectural Foundation, 224 South Michigan Avenue, at 5:30. The 2006 Burnham Prize winner will be announced and an exhibition - Learning from North Lawndale, Defining the Urban Neighborhood in the 21st Century - will be on display at the Atrium Gallery. The winner will represent the Chicago Architectural Club as a Fellow to the American Academy in Rome, Italy.
Additional events for the year will include the 2006/07 Chicago Prize Competition, the Emerging Visions competition recognizing young talent, and a new concept for the annual Member Show, which will be an essential component this year in the Journal, which we plan to publish again.
The plan for the year is ambitious, and we look for the support of our Board of Directors and the club members at large to make the year a success. Critical to all of this is financial support. We have embarked on a campaign to solicit Patron support from a number of the prominent architectural firms of Chicago that have been supporters of the club in the past. So far, we are off to a great start. We also look to our members to be active in the club by joining and attending events. If you receive this email, are in the field of design, and have supported the club in the past, you are eligible for membership. Please see the attached form for additional information.
Again, we are excited to be leading the club this year, and look forward to an ambitious and exciting year. Feel free to contact us with thoughts, comments, or questions.
Michael Wilkinson, AIA
michael.wilkinson@chicagoarchitecturalclub.org
Richard Blender, AIA