Read and Build: Parks - May 2
Learn about architecture from a builder termite named Roberto. Drop in any time between 9am and 12pm to enjoy multiple readings of Nina Laden's "Roberto, The Insect Architect” and make your own animal habitat.
Programs & Events at CAC
At the Chicago Architecture Center, our programs and events help you think differently about the places we live, work and play. Get behind-the-scenes access to the city's architectural treasures. Practice your design skills while you play with your family. Participate in expert-led discussions about the latest urban design issues. With these offerings and so many more to choose from, we guarantee there’s something inspiring and fun for you at the CAC.
Program Archive
Programs by Format
Programs by Audience
Teen Open Studio - April 26
Are you a CPS student looking for some feedback and guidance on your project for the 2018 Newhouse Architecture + Design Competition? Join us in the ArcelorMittal Design Studio on Thursdays from 5—7pm, Feb. 1 through May 10 (closed Feb. 15 & March 29)…
Daytime Talk: The Next Century of Burnham’s Forest Preserves
The Forest Preserves of Cook County's Next Century Conservation Plan lays the groundwork for bringing 30,000 acres—nearly half its total area—back to ecological health and adding 21,000 new acres. Get an update from General Superintendent Arnold Randall…
Guest Lecture: Ancient Prairies and Fragmented Landscapes
The great swath of prairies from Canada to Texas has inspired and guided the photography of Terry Evans for 40 years. During this talk organized by MAS Context, Terry will show photos of ancient prairie, fracking sites and Chicago's environmental pollution…
Invitation Only: Appetite for Design at Quiote
Join us for an optional walking tour with a CAF Docent, followed by dinner and a presentation at Quiote—one of Time Out Chicago's Best New Restaurants of 2017. This is a CAF donor exclusive event.
Teen Open Studio - April 19
Are you a CPS student looking for some feedback and guidance on your project for the 2018 Newhouse Architecture + Design Competition? Join us in the ArcelorMittal Design Studio on Thursdays from 5—7pm, Feb. 1 through May 10 (closed Feb. 15 & March 29)…
Architect Talk: Making Old Cities New with WilkinsonEyre
What can Chicago learn from adaptive reuse projects in other parts of the world? Hear Dominc Bettison, director of London-based WilkinsonEyre, explain how his firm has ingeniously reinvented neglected spaces in aging cities.
LEGO® Build Workshop: Harold Washington Library
The beauty is in the details! We’ll visit Harold Washington Library to examine its details and decode symbols that reference Chicago’s history. Then, we’ll make the building come alive as a LEGO® creation in our Design Studio.
Design Dialogues: Lakeshore East at 15
Architect Adrian Smith filed the Lakeshore East master plan in 2002. Fifteen years later, it’s worth pausing to look back at how this wholly new neighborhood has evolved. Join Adrian and others with deep ties to Lakeshore East as they reflect on its…
Teen Open Studio - April 12
Are you a CPS student looking for some feedback and guidance on your project for the 2018 Newhouse Architecture + Design Competition? Join us in the ArcelorMittal Design Studio on Thursdays from 5—7pm, Feb. 1 through May 10 (closed Feb. 15 & March 29)…
Teen Open Studio - April 5
Are you a CPS student looking for some feedback and guidance on your project for the 2018 Newhouse Architecture + Design Competition? Join us in the ArcelorMittal Design Studio on Thursdays from 5—7pm, Feb. 1 through May 10 (closed Feb. 15 & March 29)…
Daytime Talk: Renovating Mies' McCormick House
The McCormick House is one of only three residences designed and built by Mies van der Rohe in the United States. Moved to the Elmhurst Art Museum in 1994, the home is now undergoing a renovation that will restore much of its original feel.
Teen Open Studio - March 22
Are you a CPS student looking for some feedback and guidance on your project for the 2018 Newhouse Architecture + Design Competition? Join us in the ArcelorMittal Design Studio on Thursdays from 5—7pm, Feb. 1 through May 10 (closed Feb. 15 & March 29)…
LEGO® Build Workshop: Found City
Explore how cities are designed, from the people on the sidewalks to the buildings reaching tall! In this unique workshop we will think about urban planning, neighborhoods and big cities as we work together to build our own Found City.
Teen Open Studio - March 15
Are you a CPS student looking for some feedback and guidance on your project for the 2018 Newhouse Architecture + Design Competition? Join us in the ArcelorMittal Design Studio on Thursdays from 5—7pm, Feb. 1 through May 10 (closed Feb. 15 & March 29)…