ARCH 432 - FALL 2025
Thick + Thin
Thick + Thin studio, examines the roll of mass or lack thereof in the design and organization of an architecture. From massive masonry work of ancient structures to thin frames of skyscrapers, architecture continually works with and navigates thick and thin. The presences of a building is defined through programatic intersections, that are defined by thicknesses that range from material to spatial conditions. Envelops, partitions, frames, floors exist in different scales of mass responding to needs ranging from technical requirements (structure, energy performance) to organizational logics and definitions of permeability. From the massive walls of the Monadnock building to the light steel skeletons of the Chicago frame, the history of construction in Chicago embodies thick and thin through many of its buildings. With this in mind, the studio asks how can the articulation of built mass respond to the representation of history, culture, place and people for the creation of a hub for collective activity and community? The projects interrogate the thickening or thinning of architecture as a strategy to define aesthetics, programming, atmosphers and spaces, in response to the needs of a multifaceted architecture. Located along the Chicago river, the projects define a building for a variety of activities including, exhibitions, workshops, performance, culinary experience, community events, etc. while exploring strategies of thickness and thinness in architecture.