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Chicago Frame

Michael Laufenberg
Chicago Frame

From the second-year undergraduate studio Chicago Frame, Fall 2020
Faculty: Barbara Materia

About the studio:

Between the Great Fire of 1871 and 1925, Chicago saw an unprecedented development and exploration of metal frame structures, resulting in a proliferation of buildings that influenced the evolution of modern architecture. This studio looked at the development of the Chicago Frame through the analysis of its most iconic historical examples and speculated about possible alternative uses, creative alterations, and improvements via the design of a new multistory building.

About the project:

This project introduces a sloped element to help differentiate programs and offers a ramp condition for circulation. The program for this project was influenced by the standard tall office building as analyzed by Louis Sullivan in “The Tall Office Building Artistically Considered.” Reinterpreting Sullivan’s criteria, the sloped elements help to communicate the shifts in program and form.