“Between States” insider look with Nila R. Leiserowitz of Gensler
Gensler is one of 50 design teams featured in CAC’s latest exhibit, which challenged designers to identify a physical asset in the city that could benefit from a redesign and imagine a way to transition it “between states.”
Nila R. Leiserowitz is a regional managing principal at Gensler. In this role, she leads more than 400 professionals and oversees business development for four offices. She is part of numerous civic, community and industry organizations, including CAC’s board of trustees. For the “Between States” exhibit, Gensler proposed the “Bronzeville Getdown,” a lakefront megaproject that envisions a building that is part green space, part bridge and part business and arts incubator.
How is what you’re proposing for Bronzeville different from the many other existing and proposed efforts to revitalize the neighborhood?
There are many efforts underway to recognize the embedded potential in the Fourth Ward. Its location, diversity and history make it unique. Our goals focus on creating connections, removing barriers and creating opportunities. The design that our team—led by Randy Guillot—presented for “Between States” shows how we can achieve those goals through a new kind of landscape, infrastructure and building seamlessly woven together.
How will you preserve the neighborhood’s history while working on this project?
The team first took a step back to understand the history of this great neighborhood. They mapped 5,000 buildings within the Fourth Ward and analyzed them based on accessibility to key public amenities such as libraries, public schools and public transportation. Data from the Chicago Historic Resources Survey highlighted which sites also possessed architectural or historical significance to the local community. This revealed several high-opportunity sites within the Fourth Ward, and our site was ultimately selected based on the challenge and potential of its unique location.
Everyone in Chicago owns this land. It is public land, but used by no one. This proposed project’s “heart” is built atop a sliver of land between the neighborhood and the lakefront – a truly ‘between states’ property nearly invisible to the passerby. A re-purposed salt shed (considered one of the few historic structures east of Lakeshore Drive) anchor the project’s southern end – redefined as the main entry to the area.
What project have you enjoyed working on most in your career?
The Shirley Ryan AbilityLab is one of those projects that come once in a lifetime. To create a building and physical space that has such a profound impact on people is rewarding. The building is a 100% therapy building creating a “new ability” for everyone who goes back into community to live, work and play.
What is one project type you have not worked on yet, but would like to design?
My portfolio of work is diverse from corporate headquarters, healthcare to mixed-use projects. Recently, I have been exposed to airport design, which is fascinating. What intrigues me about airports, like my other project types, is the complexity of the building type and the importance of the creation of passenger experiences.
How can architects improve the way they work with residents on community-based projects?
To design a community-based project, you must gather critical information on the true nature of the project, which means understanding the “why” of the project. You gather information from a variety of engagements or tools such as observation, personal interviews from a diverse perspective and group meetings to then create alignment.
What is Chicago’s biggest built environment challenge?
Chicago, and all large cities, are constantly evolving and it is our challenge as designers, architects, urban planners, consultants and trusted advisors to anticipate what the future of our cities will need and want while respecting and preserving the legacy and history that has shaped where we are today.