While Chicago makes strides toward the future to become a green city, what did green mean a century ago? In the early 20th century, architects and engineers took advantage of newer advances such as electric lighting, elevators, and high-strength steel, but still relied heavily on tried and true engineering, design, and planning principles - locally-sourced materials, balancing structural redundancy with efficiency, on-site or local power generation, naturally lit and ventilated spaces, and civic responsibility.
HOW IS THIS DIFFERENT FROM OTHER ARCHITECTURE TOURS? This 2-hour architectural walking tour, which spans from the late 19th century to the present day, lets visitors experience America’s greatest (and some of its lesser-known) buildings in their context. Facts, figures, and dates are fun, but this is not a test. You will not be quizzed. You WILL leave this tour with a greater appreciation for the fundamentals of what make our buildings relevant by experiencing how they are used, how they have been adapted over time, and how they once were and might be again in the future.
WHAT WILL I SEE? Buildings you will visit include: Carson Pirie Scott & Co. Chicago Cultural Center (former Chicago Public Central Library) Monadnock Building Railway Exchange (Santa Fe) Building Hotel Burnham (former Reliance Building) Don’t forget… we won’t ignore the present city while touching upon the past. Contemporary buildings and spaces visited will include: Art Institute Modern Art Wing and southwest garden Bank One building and plaza Daley Plaza Harold Washington Library Center U. S. Post Office - Loop Station (incl. Alexander Calder “Flamingo” sculpture) TOUR DETAILS Type: Walking Skill level: Moderate (stairs, brisk pace) Distance: 2 miles, approximate Suitable for: Ages 12 and up Duration: 2 hours Note: Ticket sales are final and nonrefundable
YOUR GUIDE Practicing architect Dave Hampton, principal of Hampton Avery Architects and a co-founder of Urban Habitat Chicago will lead this tour. His projects include the New Orleans Global Green Competition, the Bronzeville rehab, sustainable strategies for residences near Tokyo, living walls with Repkin Biosystems, the Red Line, Green Roof Initiative with the 48th Ward, and other high-performance, energy-efficient building retrofits. Dave has presented lectures on topics ranging from the work of pioneering structural engineers to building deconstruction at venues such as the Chicago Architecture Foundation, Chicago Department on the Environment, and the Chicago Center for Green Technology. Dave holds a B. Arch from the College of Architecture and Urban Studies at Virginia Tech, architectural licenses in Illinois and North Carolina, is a LEED Accredited Professional, a certified Passive House™ Consultant, and is a leader in advocating for building deconstruction and materials reuse as an alternative to demolition in Chicago.
