Jeanne Gang: Twenty-First Century Architecture

Did you know that urban towers are being built using inspiration from natural landscapes to obtain solar shading, reduce wind pressure, create natural ventilation, provide better views of the landscape for inhabitants and foster the organic development of relationships and community? Jeanne Gang is the founder of Studio Gang Architects (SGA), a Chicago-based group with an international practice. SGA collaborates internally and externally with a wide range of people from diverse communities tackling a variety of challenging modern architectural issues. Join Jeanne as she speaks about the experience of building homes made with re-used bricks and steel, the development of new methods of poring concrete and hanging stone structures and how integrating environmentally sound practices into structures can have a direct impact on current ecological challenges. Some of the concerns that SGA addresses in their unique approach to architectural design include the survival of migratory birds, biodiversity in urban settings, the halting of invasive species and cleaning water supplies while rejuvenating and developing urban landscapes and community. SGA projects range from low-tech to high-tech and include both the large and small scale.

This annual lecture honors Festival supporter Doris Conant in recognition of a generous gift to the Chicago Humanities Festival by the Conant Family Foundation.

This fall's Conant Lecture honors the memory of Howard Conant, Sr. This program is also generously underwritten in part by The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation.