On Saturday, October 19th, SOM’s Stereoform Slab will be open as a pop-up location for Open House Chicago. Stereoform Slab replicates and abstracts a single-story concrete bay found in high-rise construction to create a simple architectural expression. Removed from its typical context, the structure exemplifies how digital fabrication can be leveraged in the building industry. … Continued
In an effort to improve upon the carbon footprint of the ubiquitous flat plate, the Chicago office of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and Odense, Denmark-based formwork robotics firm Odico jumped straight to revolutionizing the form of the slab itself. They then demonstrated the potential of their innovation—Stereoform Slab—in a full-scale prototype. . . . The resulting 70-foot-long, 24-foot-wide, 14-foot-tall … Continued
In many communities, life sheltering in place isn’t changing any time soon as restrictions on gatherings grow more strict. With COVID-19 changing the way people live and get around, city planners in Chicago see the pandemic as an opportunity to rethink urban living. … What’s happening in the Park Manor neighborhood is exciting to Dawveed … Continued
Julie Michiels, Interior Design Associate Director and the leader of SOM’s interiors practice in Chicago, is a finalist for Interior Design Magazine’s 2020 Best of Year Awards program in the “Interior Designer” category. Julie is the interiors lead for the ongoing 800 Fulton project in Chicago’s West Loop, another finalist in this year’s Best of … Continued
In 1974 the architect Walter Netsch had designed his home in Chicago as a dynamic open-plan space on more than one level, governed by a complex geometry. An experiment that still holds good today. In its renovation of the house, in fact, the SOM firm has preserved the style and the internal relations perfectly, while … Continued
Renowned architectural firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, originator of many of the world’s tallest skyscrapers, has been working on an even more challenging design: a habitat for a future Moon Village. Their proposal has undergone rigorous examination by ESA experts at the Agency’s mission-evaluating Concurrent Design Facility. This review process flagged various issues but found … Continued
In May, Ingedia Sanchez succeeded Emilio Padilla to become the president of Arquitectos, a Chicago-based association of Latinx architects. Sanchez arrived in the role during a momentous month in United States history. The country had just endured its first surge in COVID-19 cases, and protests following the killing of George Floyd burst across the country … Continued
800 Fulton, a mixed-use creative office space currently under construction in Chicago’s West Loop neighborhood, is a finalist for Interior Design Magazine’s 2020 Best of Year Awards program in the “On the Boards: Commercial” category. This year’s virtual Best of Year Awards ceremony will be hosted by editor-in-chief Cindy Allen during Best of Design 2020, … Continued
On Thursday, November 26th, Associate Director Mina Hasman will join other sustainability experts at the Net-Zero Delivery Guidance Launch, hosted by UK Green Building Council. The event will provide strategic insights for how net-zero buildings can be delivered successfully. Hasman will present on the challenges and solutions designers face in delivering sustainable, low-carbon, and net-zero … Continued
The Waldorf Astoria New York, which closed for redevelopment in March, received approval to move forward on the owner’s plan to restore much of the iconic hotel’s interior and exterior to its 1930s art deco origins. New York City’s Landmarks Preservation Commission gave the OK to alter marquees, entrances, storefronts and porte cocheres so that … Continued