Program Archive

December 13 and 15

Drake Hotel
Sally Sexton Kalmbach, author of The Jewel of the Gold Coast

Join us for an afternoon of style, featuring a tour of Drake Hotel history and design highlights of the hotel interior and a discussion of the development of the surrounding Gold Coast neighborhood in the 1920s. The tour will be led by Chicago historian Sally Sexton Kalmbach, author of The Jewel of the Gold Coast, and will be immediately followed by the Drake Hotel’s famous traditional afternoon tea in the Palm Court bedecked in holiday finery with live musical accompaniment. 

Bertrand Goldberg, Marina City, Perspective Sketch,1985
courtesy The Art Institute of Chicago

December 8

Behind-the-Scenes Tour And Luncheon: Bertrand Goldberg: Reflections, The Arts Club of Chicago

Bertrand Goldberg: Reflections is a rare glimpse into the “studio” of one of the most inventive and progressive architects of the 20th century. Unlike many architects, Goldberg did not keep a sketchbook. The exhibit, designed by architects John Vinci, FAIA and Geoffrey Goldberg, AIA, examines the sources of Goldberg’s vision by looking at his personal collection of art, artifacts and photographs and his friendships with artists and intellectuals.  Interspersed within the exhibit are examples of Goldberg’s designs for jewelry, furniture, fabrications and buildings. Geoffrey Goldberg, architect and son of Bertrand Goldberg, will lead a tour of the exhibit followed by a light lunch at the Arts Club of Chicago. 

Courtesy Mt Prospect Historical Society

November 16

Screening Event and Reception! Sneak Preview of Chicago’s Loop: A New Walking Tour – Film Screening and Discussion
Geoffrey Baer, host and writer, Dan Protess, producer

WTTW has just completed the latest in its series of popular Chicago architecture and history programs, Chicago’s Loop: A New Walking Tour.  Join long-time CAF docent and WTTW writer and host, Geoffrey Baer, as he explores the journey of the Loop from its humble beginnings to its rebirth as a global city center.  Geoffrey and producer, Dan Protess, will discuss what they discovered in their research, forgotten stories of the city, and surprising and unexpected history in the Loop.  The reception will be a chance for fans of Geoffrey Baer and WTTW to mingle and celebrate the airing of this new program.

November 12

The REGREEN Program: Eco-guidelines for renovations or improvements to your existing home
Lisa Elkins, 2 point perspective: architecture + interiors

Everyone is talking about the benefits of green building, but how does it relate to an existing home? Join architect Lisa Elkins as she gives an overview of the REGREEN program for eco-friendly home remodeling developed by the US Green Building Council and the American Society of Interior Designers.  Case studies will showcase interior and exterior examples of projects that utilized the REGREEN program.  Eco-design ideas will be discussed alongside best practices for achieving energy and water savings, selecting eco-materials and improving indoor air quality. There will be time for questions, and all participants will leave with a helpful list of best practices and local green resources.

courtesy of National Hellenic Museum

November 9

Behind-the-Scenes Tour: The National Hellenic Museum

Join Demetrios Stavrianos, architect and principal of RTKL, and Bethany Fleming, director of museum experience and curator for a behind the scenes tour of the new National Hellenic Museum – the only major museum in the United States dedicated to the complete history of Greek art and culture.  The new 40,000 square foot museum, more than ten years in the making, is wrapped in a clear glass façade on the first level.  The design features a dramatic east to west staircase constructed of materials from Greece and sky lit from above to symbolize the Greek immigrant experience of looking back and forth between the new and old country.  According to Stavrianos, the building site offered us “an opportunity to have three distinct faces of architecture, one that faces south, one that faces Halsted, which is the ceremonial street in Greektown, and one that faces toward the city.”  The new building boasts a 5,300 square foot multi-purpose space on the ground floor for high-profile exhibitions and a 3,600 square foot green roof terrace offering breathtaking views of the city. 

Bertrand Goldberg, North Kansas City Redevelopment Site Perspective, c. 1952.
Bertrand Goldberg Collection, the Art Institute of Chicago

November 8

Architecture: The Art and Science of Building Design
John Zils FAIA, SE, PE, Senior Structural Consultant. Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP

The design of buildings is a unique undertaking in that architectural design utilizes the art of visual design together with the science and technology of engineering to create habitable space for human beings to live, work or play. This presentation will review how the art and science of building design has evolved over the past 50 years and how each has influenced the other.  Further, we will explore how these technical advancements have created an atmosphere within the design community which has fostered creative design which was previously only a dream. Built and un-built building projects will be used to illustrate the evolution of these building designs.
Presented in partnership with: 

Andrew N. Rebori, De Leuw, Cather and Company, Harbour Airport, proposal for Chicago’s Lakefront, 1945.

View of Michigan Ave (then Pine Street) and Chicago Avenue several days after the fire
courtesy Chicago History Museum (ICHi-13918)

 

October 29

The Great Fire: Bus Tour and Performance

Commemorate the 140^th anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire with CAF and Lookingglass Theatre.  Learn more about the history and myths of The Great Fire of 1871 through the lens of architectural history.  This bus and walking tour begins at CAF with a slide presentation on the basic history and myths of the Fire, as well as a discussion of construction methods and building materials.  Next we travel by bus to a South Side neighborhood to view several pre-1870s structures as well as the site of the infamous O’Leary Family home.  On the city’s North Side, we will examine the Old Town neighborhood to compare and contrast its buildings and residents before and after the Fire.  We’ll stop at a few hidden gems along the way before ending the tour at the 1869 Water Tower and Pumping Station on Michigan Avenue. After lunch on your own, enjoy Lookingglass Theatre’s new production, The Great Fire. Performed in the historic pumping station on Michigan Avenue, the play explores the disaster of October 8, 1871 that redefined Chicago.  Written and directed by Ensemble Member John Musial, this spectacular, spiritual, highly physical and exquisitely emotional production revisits how in one night, the very rich, the very poor, and everyone in between were transformed forever.

Tour leader: Jen Masengarb, senior manager of educational research, Chicago Architecture Foundation

Performance: Lookingglass Theater

photo: Anne Evans

Bertrand Goldberg, Marina City, Perspective Sketch,1985
courtesy The Art Institute of Chicago

October 20

Behind-the-Scenes Tour: Bertrand Goldberg: Architecture of Invention

Join curator, Alison Fisher, for a guided tour of the Art Institute of Chicago’s Bertrand Goldberg: Architecture of Invention, the first comprehensive retrospective exhibition of the architect’s career. Featuring over 100 original architectural drawings and models as well as graphic and furniture designs, this seminal exhibition explores Goldberg’s 1930s futuristic designs to the iconic towers and hospital complexes of his mature career and his life-long dedication to architecture for urban environments. 

Oak Park Walgreens
photo: Padgett & Co.

Our Lady of Sorrows Basilica, one of the many sites that will provide special insider access to the public during the OHC 2011 weekend

October 15-16

openhousechicago 2011

Over the weekend of October 15-16, 2011, the Chicago Architecture Foundation is proud to present openhousechicago 2011 (OHC2011), a free public event that gets you behind-the-scenes of many of the city’s greatest spaces and places and illuminates areas that are normally open “by invitation only”.

Whether you are an architecture buff, history enthusiast, or cultural novice, OHC2011 is a unique event that’s fun for all ages, locals and visitors, suburbanites and city dwellers. Participating in OHC2011 is like getting a “backstage pass” to a wide range of Chicago’s most important and interesting buildings located in many different neighborhoods.  Key themes for OHC2011 community and sustainability—how places help sustain communities and how buildings demonstrate a commitment to energy efficiency and green technology.

For more information, visit www.openhousechicago.org >>

Inspiration Kitchens
courtesy Larry Kearns, Wheeler Kearns Architects

October 15 

Inspiration Kitchens
David Rosenthall, Executive Chef and Dan Wheeler, Principal, Wheeler Kearns Architects

Inspiration Kitchens provides food service training and job placement for Chicagoans in need.  The program operates social enterprise restaurants in East Garfield Park and Uptown.  Inspiration Kitchens is a program of Inspiration Corporation, a nonprofit organization that helps people who are affected by homelessness and poverty to improve their lives and increase self-sufficiency through the provision of social services, employment training and housing. 

Inspiration Kitchens – Garfield Park is located in a 1906 manufacturing building along the Green Line El tracks.  The 7,300 square foot facility, which opened to the public in spring 2011, houses an 80-seat neighborhood restaurant and culinary training facility.   Wheeler Kearns Architects worked with Inspiration Corporation to design an artful and green home (complete with solar panels and a garden) for Inspiration Kitchens – Garfield Park that also serves as a restaurant for the community, a food desert.  As principal Dan Wheeler has said, “Our best projects evolve from engaged clients who provide the design team with challenges of any and all kinds and are receptive to innovation,” Inspiration Kitchens – Garfield Park is a 2011 Regional winner of the Social Economic Environmental Design competition and Recipient of the 2011 Chicago Association of Realtors’ Good Neighbor Award.  Join the architect, Dan Wheeler and executive chef, David Rosenthall as they discuss how they came to design the space and how the program inspired the design.   Guests will enjoy a four-course dinner prepared by Chef Rosenthall.

For more information and a sample menu>>

courtesy University of Minnesota Press

House of Vivian Gauthier
photo: R. Langenbach

Visionary design for
Loyola redline stop
courtesy John Ronan

October 4

Design on the Edge Discussion with Chicago's Leading Visionary Architects

How can design forge connections between communities while driving economic growth and intensifying the culture of the city?  The seven architects chosen by Stanley Tigerman in the Chicago Architecture Foundation’s Design on the Edge exhibition have proposed visionary projects to strengthen connectivity and create urban vibrancy – reimagining Chicago’s neighborhoods in twenty-first century terms.  Incorporating an “L” station in each project, the architects embraced Chicago’s mass transit system as infrastructure that can be part of the solution for creating culturally and economically vital twenty-first century communities.  Reed Kroloff, Director of Cranbrook Academy of Art and Art Museum will lead a lively discussion with legendary architect Stanley Tigerman and some of Chicago’s most innovative design leaders as they consider the challenges inherent in some of Chicago’s most iconic neighborhoods as we explore livability, infrastructure, and design. 

Panelists include the architects Darryl Crosby, Sarah Dunn, Martin Felsen, Jeanne Gang, Patricia Saldaña Natke, John Ronan, Xavier Vendrell, Ross Wimer, and the project co-organizer Stanley Tigerman.

This panel discussion has been generously supported by The Irving Harris Foundation and Robert A. Wislow.

CAF gratefully acknowledges the support of Southwest Airlines.


 Photos from the event >>

courtesy Pappageorge Haymes Partners

Province

September 27
Province

Randy Zweiban, Province Executive Chef/Owner and Sara Hurand, Architect, Iris Design

At eco-friendly Province, Chef/Owner Randy Zweiban has created a dining experience that can be described as vibrant on all levels.  With lively colors inspired by Architect Luis Barragan and farm fresh American cuisine with Latin influences, restaurant critics have described Province as “inventive,” “flavorful” and just plain “fun.”  Zweiban ‘s goal was to create an urban escape and with a 16 ½ foot hot pink wall as the main focal point, diners will feel that they have been transported from Chicago to some other region or province.

Zweiban, former chef of Nacional 27, opened the Gold Level LEED certified Province in 2008.  Architect Sara Hurand of Iris Design was hired by Zweiban to build-out the raw space in a green West Loop office building that was already designated LEED gold.  Architect and Chef made design decisions in keeping with Zweiban’s environmentally conscious philosophy – the paint is all low-VOC, the materials are regenerated woods and leathers, and the dark flooring is made from sustainably harvested cork.  

Enjoy a five course meal paired with wines from the Latin regions that inspire Province’s fresh and inventive American cuisine in one of the greenest eateries in Chicago.   Architect and chef will discuss the philosophy behind the design of the restaurant and the menu.

For more information and a sample menu>>

St. Scholastica in Rogers Park
photo: Bastiaan Bouma

 photo: Mark Beane
courtesy Loyola University Chicago

courtesy John Ronan Architects

September 13

Behind-the-Scenes Tour: The Poetry Foundation

Join us for a tour of the Poetry Foundation, the new home for one of the nation's leading poetry centers, with architect, John Ronan. The new 22,000-square foot building features a garden space that was conceived by the architect as an urban sanctuary and a number of sustainable design strategies and energy-efficient systems. Ronan has said the design of the building and the strategic use of materials are intended to mirror the way in which people read poetry. "Just as good poetry doesn't always divulge all of its meanings on first reading, the new building will engage the public's curiosity and unfold in stages."

courtesy Tom Bassett-Dilley Architect, Ltd.

September 10

Building a Furnace-free House in Chicagoland
Tom Bassett-Dilley, Architect; Marko Spiegel, CTI; Mary Chris Jaklevic, Homeowner

Learn what it takes to build an ultra-efficient, furnace-free house on an urban lot.  Inspired by German passive houses, it was designed to dramatically reduced energy use with thick insulation and an airtight shell.  Members of the project team for the Jaklevic/Schuster home in Oak Park will explain how superinsulation, solar orientation, compactness, mechanical systems, lighting and appliance selection factor into the energy-efficient design.  Presenters will also reflect on lessons learned and how the sustainable landscape has changed one year after occupancy, especially during one of the coldest winters in recent history. 

Hotel Departement Hauts de Seine
courtesy Patrick Blanc

September 8

Vertical Gardens
Patrick Blanc

Vertical gardens, organic wallpaper, robe végétale… Intrigued? You should be! As a botanist, Patrick Blanc is at home in the jungle from Bali to the Amazon.  As a landscape artist, he has brought breathing walls and biodiversity to the grandest hotels, restaurants and stores of Le Tout-Paris and worked with French designer Jean-Paul Gaultier on the catwalk. But what Patrick Blanc is best known for is the “vertical garden”, an idea seeded in the heart of Paris on rue d’Alsace that spread to Jean Nouvel’s Quai Branly Museum before being exported all over the world.   Come and join us for the greening of the Alliance with Patrick Blanc!

This program is presented in partnership with the Alliance Francaise.

courtesy Charles Young, IDEA

August 21

Members-Only Photography Cruise

Calling all photographers! Don't miss this exclusive cruise designed for the architectural photographer in you. Photographer Dave Burk of Hedrich Blessing and CAF docent Susan Osborn will lead this early morning cruise with abbreviated commentary, photography tips, and continental breakfast. This intimate cruise aboard Chicago's First Lady will give you plenty of room to move about the upper deck and get that perfect shot!

July 16
Girl & the Goat

Girl & the Goat opened in Chicago’s West Loop neighborhood in July 2010, showcasing the culinary talents of executive chef and partner, and “Top Chef” season four-winner, Stephanie Izard. The interior of the restaurant by design firm 555 International is as much of a draw as the food itself.  With almost everything reclaimed or refurbished, the rustic side of Girl & the Goat is expressed through its chunky butcher-block tables and beautiful Ipe hardwood floors. Above the cobbled European oak bar, a series of vintage fireboxes reclaimed from turn-of-the century Chicago homes greets guests along with jar lights that hang over it–taking the idea of hearth as home to new heights.

Don’t miss this exciting opportunity to spend an afternoon with Chef Stephanie Izard and designer Karen Herold and experience the food and design that has made Girl & the Goat such a smashing success.  The restaurant will be closed for our intimate private party (capacity of 25), which will give us the opportunity to enjoy a family style, multi-course meal paired with wine recommended by the restaurant’s beverage director.  Stephanie and Karen will discuss the philosophy behind the restaurant’s food and design, and lead our group on a tour through the variety of spaces that comprise the 7,400 square foot restaurant.

For more information and a sample menu>>

Prentice Women's Hospital
courtesy Landmarks Illinois

June 21

Sixteen

Sixteen is the signature restaurant of the Trump International Hotel, with Chef Frank Brunacci at the helm.  At the sixteenth floor of Trump Tower, elevator doors open to a pair of wine rooms enclosed with floor to ceiling plate glass that frame the view to the top of the Tribune Tower.  The 30 foot-high main dining room is formed by a series of offset West African wood shells and a significant Swarovski chandelier center stage. The restaurant boasts three distinctive private dining rooms, each with focus on a special view; one toward the lake, a second upriver, and the third looking directly at the landmark Jeweler’s Building across the river.

Enjoy a four course meal with wine pairings as the architect and chef discuss the philosophy behind the design of the restaurant and the menu.

For more information and sample menu>>

Baha'i Temple, Wilmette
photo: Paul Slaughter

June 18

Behind-the-Scenes Tour: Baha’i Temple

The Baha’i House of Worship for the North American Continent, one of only seven Baha’i Temples in the world, is a Chicagoland architectural icon. The landmark structure, located in Wilmette, has a rich history and boasts a stunning exterior and interior design, with beautiful gardens and reflecting pools. Scott Conrad—architect of the comprehensive Baha’i Temple restoration and coming Baha'i National Visitor Center—leads members on a tour of the temple and grounds.  He will discuss the history of the complex, including the studio where architect Louis Bourgeois lived during Temple construction.

Joe and Rika Manseuto Library
courtesy Murphy/Jahn Architects

June 14

RE-USE IT OR LOSE IT: Prentice and Chicago's Modernist Architecture

Over the recent years Chicagoans in both the public and private sectors have been engaged with passionate dialogue regarding the worth – and fate – of buildings designed by master modernist architects.

Some say these buildings are worth saving and showcase our cultural heritage for generations to come. Reuse it!
Others say these buildings are ugly, outdated, and insignificant. Lose it!

Join leading voices from architecture, preservation, law, and history as they debate the future of Chicago's modernist buildings.

Join the debate>>

June 5

Behind-the-Scenes Tour: Frank Lloyd Wright’s Avery Coonley House

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Avery Coonley House complex (1907-12) is widely regarded as one of the architect’s finest Prairie residences.  One of the first examples in Wright's work of the zoned plan, the house boasts an elegant exterior with a geometric frieze of inlaid tiles and stucco with wood-trim. Owner Dean Eastman, who has received several awards for his meticulous restoration of the property, including an honorary membership to the American Institute of Architects, leads members on a tour of the residential complex. The tour culminates in a reception overlooking the extraordinary Jens Jensen landscape design, which built upon and incorporated Wright’s own plan.

Lincoln Park Zoo South Pond Pavilion photo: Beth Zacherle, Studio Gang Architects

May 21

Behind-the-Scenes Tour: Studio Gang’s South Pond Project

Architect Harry Soenksen leads members on a tour of the South Pond project at Lincoln Park Zoo. Studio Gang’s design transformed a dilapidated, 19th-century urban park pond fed by city tap water into a natural habitat and an exhibit on pond life for the zoo. A boardwalk made of recycled plastic milk bottles circumscribes the pond and passes through different educational zones describing animals, plants and habitats. A stunning pavilion integrated into the boardwalk sequence provides shelter for open-air classrooms on the site. Inspired by the tortoise shell, its laminated structure consists of prefabricated, bent-wood members and a series of interconnected fiberglass pods that give global curvature to the surface.

General John Logan Memorial,
Grant Park

Metropolitan Correctional Facility
(detail)

May 15

Bus Tour: The Legacy of Harry Weese

Professor Robert Bruegmann, author of The Architecture of Harry Weese, leads this one-time-only bus tour, which will highlight Weese’s buildings and examples of his preservation efforts in Chicago. The tour will focus on projects in Hyde Park, downtown Chicago, and the Old Town neighborhood, and will include special access to privately-owned, Weese-designed buildings in Chicago. Lunch is included.

May 14

Symposium: Harry Weese Reconsidered

This day-long symposium will consider the life and career of Harry Weese—one of the most talented architects ever to come out of Chicago.  Not only was Weese the creator of architectural masterworks, but he also played a key role in historic preservation, civic planning, and urban renewal. Former employees and clients, family members, historians, and critics will gather to share personal anecdotes and put Weese's legacy in historical context.

(left) Weese in front of the Barrington residence he designed as a weekend retreat for his family
credit: Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images

May 10

Secrets of the Stylists

Make your home look like it belongs in a magazine.

Chicago Home + Garden’s style mavens share their secrets for creating picture-perfect rooms during this illustrated discussion, which will highlight rooms they’ve styled. Hear their tips for making rooms pop—from arranging bookshelves and cocktail tables, to designing the perfect floral arrangements and unique centerpieces. Bring your questions so they can tell you how to put the finishing touches on your own rooms!

May 7

The Art of Arrangement: Getting More Out of Your Collection Through Placement in the Home

Natasha Spencer and Dann Witczak, Spencer-Witczak, Inc.

Home doesn’t feel like home until art and family photos are on the walls. Regardless of the prestige of one’s collection, in the end, what you acquire becomes testimony to your own interests and personality.  There are numerous design considerations in finding the best way to display art in the home. Our goal is to achieve balance in the art’s physical and emotional impact as you transition from one room to the next, allowing the structure of your home to ground the collection’s emotional resonance.

April 27

L2O

L2O restaurant, by Chicago-based Dirk Denison Architects, possesses a luxurious interior that successfully integrates clean, modern lines with a sense of historical elegance.   Winner of the 2010 AIA Chicago Award for Interior Design, the space features floor-to-ceiling Makassar Ebony columns and shimmering, stainless steel cable screens that define more intimate spaces within the main dining room. White leather chairs and caramel-hued settees beckon guests to unwind for the evening around ebony tabletops outfitted with stunning white onyx utensil rests.  The sleek design complements L2O’s cutting-edge, modern seafood cuisine, which recently received the coveted three-star rating from the Michelin Guide.  

Guests will enjoy an exclusive three-course menu with wine, while architect Dirk Denison discusses the intentions behind his celebrated interior design.

For more information and sample menu>>

Hegeler Carus Mansion

Chicago Botanic Garden,
Plant Conservation Science Center courtesy Michelle Litvin

April 12

Chicago Public Transit: On Track or Derailed

If you’ve been to Europe, Asia, or even Portland, Oregon, you might return home to Chicago and wonder about our public transportation system.  Is this really the best we can do? Why does improvement come so slowly?  Heck, why do the buses come so slowly?  
 
Some say public transit in Chicago is good enough.  On track!
Others say it’s as stuck as a broken-down bus.  Derailed!

Join leading voices from architecture, design, business and politics as they debate the future of Chicago's public transit.

Join the debate>>

1500 block of West Jackson Blvd.
photo: Jen Masengarb

April 9

What Style Is It and Why? Residential Architecture in Chicago

Jen Masengarb, Senior Manager of Educational Research, Chicago Architecture Foundation

Discover Chicago’s vernacular residential architecture–bungalows, raised ranches, 2-flats, American foursquares–in addition to more famous landmarks of Romanesque Revival, Queen Anne, and Italianate styles.  The lecture will also explore how and when the four big traditions of American residential architecture developed.  Learn how your home’s design is a reflection of both its time and location in the city.

Ultan Guilfoyle shooting with Frank Gehry at the Art Gallery of Ontario, 2010

April 7

Shooting Architecture: Seeing Buildings through Film
Ultan Guilfoyle, producer, director, writer

Filming architecture was once a matter of erecting a large-format camera on a tripod and waiting for the people to leave.  With the arrival of digital film and video, that process has disappeared and shooting architecture is something everyone can enjoy.  Award-winning producer, director, and writer Ultan Guilfoyle talks about being able to capture some of the world's great buildings on film.  His presentation will include a preview of his forthcoming film on the work of Renzo Piano and screenings of several short films on specific Frank Gehry buildings.

Working with the late director Sydney Pollack, Ultan Guilfoyle’s film Sketches of Frank Gehry was an Official Selection of the Cannes Film Festival.  His Eight Short Films on Frank Gehry opened in Hong Kong in 2009 and are currently being shown at an exhibition of Gehry’s work in Basel, Switzerland. Guilfoyle is currently in pre-production on a series of six films about women in architecture, to begin shooting in April 2011.

Presented in partnership with

The Architecture and Design Film Festival will take place in Chicago May 5-9.  For more information>>

April 5

How’d They Do That?!
Ron Klemencic, S.E. P.E., President, Magnusson Klemencic Associates

“Outrageous,” “wacky” and “wild” are words not typically associated with building design. Today’s architecture, however, often evokes these terms. While the general public may be asking the question, “Why?,” most structural engineers are contemplating, “How?”

Klemencic will present a fast-paced, visual tour through the structural design of some of the more interesting and challenging structures in the world today. The advances in design and construction technologies, materials, and communication capabilities that make these projects possible will be highlighted. 

You will come away from Klemencic’s presentation with a greater appreciation of the structural engineer’s contribution to today’s often unusual architecture.

Presented in partnership with

April 2

Stanley Tigerman and the Illinois Holocaust Museum

Open since 2009, the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center consists of a 65,000 square-foot, three-part building dedicated to Holocaust survivors. Tigerman's striking design combines two separate wings—one black, the other white-hinged together by an awe-inspiring Book of Remembrance.  As visitors move through the building, they experience a symbolic passage from darkness into light. The soft rounded edges and rooflines filled with natural light emphasize exhibits that represent the rescue and renewal of survivors of the Holocaust.  Other displays include children's clothes, photographs, and a hall of artwork, as well as 2,000 survivor testimonies, most of them from nearby residents. 

Please join us for a unique opportunity to hear architect Stanley Tigerman speak about the creation of the Illinois Holocaust Museum and then explore the facility at your own pace.

April 2

"Lead"-ing Go: Understanding Lead Safe Renovation

Dave Cook, FELDCO Windows, Siding and Doors

Are you considering interior or exterior renovation on a home constructed before 1978?  This workshop outlines recent EPA legislation that requires lead safe renovation practices on home improvement projects.  Learn from certified experts the importance of protecting your home and family from the dangers that lead-based paint presents. This workshop is great for homeowners considering contractors for their renovations, do-it-yourselfers, and the experienced home improvement professional.

Saturday, March 12

Outdoor Living: Creating a Garden Room

Andrea Green, owner, Gardens By Design

Now that spring is approaching, it’s time to plan for outdoor living. Your garden, deck or patio may lack the elements that make it comfortable and inviting. To get more use from your outdoor spaces, learn the basic steps to create a garden room using landscape materials that represent the elements of a room such as walls, windows and doors. The characteristics of the space, coupled with your style and physical and emotional preferences, will suggest how you can create a garden room that invites you outdoors and creates a space for a private retreat or a welcoming place to entertain.

You are welcome to bring a digital photo (either on a flash drive or disc) of your outdoor space.

March 10

The Language of Towns & Cities
Dhiru Thadani, architect and urban designer

Architect, urban designer, and author Dhiru Thadani will discuss and illustrate solutions found in the urban paradigm of the built environment to prescriptively solve several current global crises.  He will argue the need for a common design language, which is the subject of his book, The Language of Towns & Cities: A Visual Dictionary.

Presented in partnership with Congress for New Urbanism - Illinois Chapter

March 9

The Legacy at Millennium Park

Gary Klompmaker of Solomon Cordwell Buenz and Rich Hanson of Mesa Development lead CAF members on a tour of the 72-story Legacy at Millennium Park, an elegant condo tower that overlooks its namesake park.  The tower is oriented and sculpted for optimal views of the park and Lake Michigan, and sustainable elements are incorporated throughout. It also respects the existing urban fabric of smaller-scaled, landmarked buildings, and features restored historic facades deftly incorporated into the building's base.

March 1

Ruxbin

Vintage and salvaged compositions furnish every surface of the dining room of Ruxbin, whose design mantra is “refurbished, re-purposed, and reclaimed.”  Crafted by Davide Nanni of Alter Ego Form, the cozy, low-lit setting is rife with raw and industrial elements like frosted glass lifted from the DJ booth at recently-shuttered West Town club Sonotheque; durable orange crates once used to ship apple juice, now repurposed as wall panels; and seating options that make use of seat belts, old theater chairs, church pews and used leather jackets. The setting is fitting for Chef Edward Kim’s eclectic menu, which melds Asian, European, and American influences.

Enjoy a four-course meal with wine while Chef Kim and Nanni discuss the philosophy behind the menu and the restaurant's tricked-out interior design.

For more information and sample menu >>

The South Branch of the Chicago River near Roosevelt Road in 1910 

February 26

Curators’ Tour: The Lost Panoramas: Chicago and the Illinois Valley a Century Ago

Authors Richard Cahan and Michael Williams lead a gallery walk of the exhibition The Lost Panoramas: Chicago and the Illinois Valley a Century Ago, which presents plate images from the Chicago Water Reclamation District Archives taken between 1894 and 1928.  This remarkable show unveils a forgotten world of turn-of-the-century Chicago and Illinois landscapes. One of the highlights is a series of images that carefully document one of the great engineering feats of the twentieth century—the reversal of the Chicago River.

February 19

Creating a Functional and Efficient Workspace with Style

Julia Archer, owner, @WorkDesign—a retail store focused on good design for the home workspace

A home office should look as good as the rest of the rooms in the house. It needs to be comfortable, inviting and efficient—especially when a work space is used for creative pursuits. A work space needs to be designed with care for organizing all the necessary materials, tools, and equipment without compromising on good looks and personal style.

This workshop will outline the essentials, from selecting the right space to identifying the right office components and needs, so that you can create a home work space that is reflective of your work style—a space that inspires you.

January 22

Green Furniture - Redesign It!

Ashlie Langan, Covers Unlimited

This session considers the furniture industry’s impact on the environment and offers insight into more sustainable options: reusing, redesigning and reupholstering existing furniture. Langan, a design consultant at a local reupholster shop, will inspire you to take a look at that worn sofa or your grandmother’s dining chairs in a whole new light! She will discuss the process of reupholstering various furniture types and highlight available resources, from the most appropriate material options to the best vintage and resale shops. She will also touch on various foams available and which are the most environmentally friendly options.

Presented in partnership with the Chicago Center for Green Technology

January 12

Frank Fontana's Dirty Little Secrets of Design