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.
Experience a lecture, book signing and reception event featuring Chicago Tribune architecture critic and Pulitzer Prize-winner Blair Kamin, presented in partnership with the Harvard Club of Chicago.
In May, we'll hear a story about a gravity-defying sandwich, then build our own take-home towers, built layer by layer, the way Sammy does it. Drop in any time between 9am and 12pm to enjoy multiple readings of Lorraine Francis's "Sammy and the Skyscraper…
Teens ages 13—18 will explore a new theme each month and work with great architects, designers, engineers and mentors from the Chicago area! In our ArcelorMittal Design Studio, we'll offer hands-on, studio-based workshops, fun design challenges and…
Experience a lecture, book signing and reception event featuring architectural historian, curator and writer Abraham Thomas, presented in partnership with The Royal Oak Foundation.
Architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe is known for his simple designs and the phrase "less is more." Adults and children (grades 3 and up) are invited to join us from 12 to 3pm and discover the details on a site visit, do some outdoor sketches and recreate…
Join us for a celebration of CAF's 50th anniversary! Activities for all ages will take place throughout the historic Railway Exchange Building, home to CAF since 1992. This building-wide anniversary blowout will feature a brand new exhibition, plus talks…
With the upcoming completion of the main branch of the Riverwalk, the City’s long-held vision for our “second shoreline” is coming into focus. But high above the river banks, change is happening just as dramatically. Join us for a design review…
For 50 years, the Chicago Architecture Foundation (CAF) has welcomed the world to our great city and enriched Chicago's reputation as a foremost center of architectural innovation across the globe. On Friday, April 8, CAF will host Gala 2016 at the Hilton…
This month we'll learn about animal architecture from an insect builder, a termite named Roberto. Drop in any time between 9am and 12pm to make your take-home birdhouse and enjoy multiple readings of Nina Laden's "Roberto, The Insect Architect."
Teens ages 13—18 will explore a new theme each month and work with great architects, designers, engineers and mentors from the Chicago area! In our ArcelorMittal Design Studio, we'll offer hands-on, studio-based workshops, fun design challenges and…
Join us for a lecture and book signing event featuring Matthew Christopher's "Abandoned America" project, which captures the mesmerizing beauty and lost history of the derelict buildings dotting our country's landscape. In gorgeous photography, Christopher's…
In this two-part educational series (March 16 and 23), we'll explore the development of Chicago as a city of neighborhoods and the various types of home styles we have built. From parishes to zoning to annexation, hear how the fabric of Chicago was stitched…
Hear more about global designers pushing the boundaries between architecture and art. Presented in partnership with the Museum of Contemporary Art.
Drop in any time between 9am and 12pm for a morning of making and storytelling, with multiple readings of "Home" by Carson Ellis. Together we'll learn about different types of homes, then design and build your own dream home using studio materials.
Chicago is the birthplace of skyscrapers, but it's also known for its innovative bridges. In this LEGO® Build Workshop, we'll learn about three different types of bridges and how engineers built them strong enough to span the Chicago River. We'll also…
Nothing planned for your kids' day off from school? No problem. Let them play and discover with CAF's LEGO® Mindstorms 1.0! From 10am to 3:30pm, your kids can learn to program and design for LEGO® Mindstorms, the robotics construction kits that give…
We begin our 2016 Design Dialogues lecture series with a look at recent trends that are changing work and the workplace. How will we all commute to our next jobs? And to what place, real or virtual, will many of us be asked to travel? Join us for a discussion…
Join us for a morning of making and storytelling. Drop in any time between 9am and 12pm for activities and multiple readings of "Young Frank, Architect" by Frank Viva. We'll learn about different styles of design from old Frank and young Frank as we build…
Join Paul Durica—author, historian and producer of Pocket Guide to Hell—for a deeper read of this season’s One Book, One Chicago selection The Third Coast: When Chicago Built the American Dream. At each session, we’ll dive into Thomas Dyja’s…
Work with great architects, designers, engineers and mentors from the Chicago area! Our hands-on, studio-based workshops offer design challenges and real-life problem solving. Free to attend and open to all teens, Saturday Studio sessions let you explore…