Address: 2011 N. Southport Ave, Chicago, IL

Height: 148' (9 Stories + Partial Basement)

Design goals included sustainable energy and water harvesting, passivity of air circulation and climate control, promotion of assembly line approach to farming, and creation of a community hub.

Software: Renderings completed in Revit and edited in Photoshop. Architectural documents made in Revit. Growing racks created in Rhinoceros. Logo and supplementary graphics made in Adobe Illustrator.

Undergraduate Capstone Design Project. Designed in collaboration with:
-Kathryn Eckhoff, Structural Engineer
-Julius Tucker, Construction Manager
-Emmanuella Fordjour, Geotechnical Engineer
-Jesse Vega-Perkins, Wastewater Consultant
-Lindsey Jones, Energy Consultant
-Hannah Brady, Hydrologist and Cistern Consultant
-Jake Schaefer, Hydrologist
-Haydn Ellis, Hydrologist
-Michael Hopkins, Parking Consultant
-Esteban Doyle, Traffic Engineer
-Esteban Mercado, Traffic Engineer
-Natalee Easthom, Envision Specialist

The Lincoln Leaf is part of a larger development including a data center and a brewery. The overall site is designed to attain Envision platinum status.

Located on the abandoned Finkl Steel industrial site in Chicago's Bucktown neighborhood, the Lincoln Leaf integrates the street edge and the river edge through the use of elegant architecture and lush parkland.

A forecourt and plaza in the front of the building invites the community to recreate in and around the building. The structural system of the building, an array of large trusses supported by a regular column grid, is put on display.

The Lincoln Leaf acts as a beacon to the future development on the east side of the river. A park increases the desirability of the area and invites visitors to the water's edge. Luxury medium-rise residences have been massed out behind the building. 

Bright Agrotech's unique ZipFarm growing racks interact with the building's unique structural system to provide farm workers with a unique working environment.

The cool purple glow from the Lincoln Leaf's horticultural lights gives the building a unique appearance in nighttime hours.

The layout of the farm is detailed in elevation view, ground floor plan view, and first farming floor plan view.

The roof of the Lincoln Leaf is tilted at 30˚ to the horizontal, the optimal angle for insolation in Chicago. Tracking panels are placed on the flat parts of the roof. Roof area is maximized through the use of a 30' overhang on the east and west sides of the building supported by the unique truss structural system.

The roof tilt aids the building in rainwater capture, enabling all the water to flow downwards into a drain and into a cistern. Water treatment facilities for this captured rainwater are located in the partial basement of the building.

In terminating floor slabs one bay away from their point of intersection with the roof, hot air is able to move upwards and outwards through the building.

Movement of heat is further promoted by terminating slabs 2' away from the building's east and west curtain walls. Hot air moves upwards through this gap and out the vent at the top of the building.

By placing openable curtain walls on the east and west facades of the building and aligning growing racks perpendicular to them, air is able to move across farm floors, promoting passive ventilation.

Farm floor plans are laid out to promote an assembly line approach to vertical farming. This enhances profitability and efficiency of the farm.

The Lincoln Leaf's use of aquaponics provides another line of profit for the farm, eliminates fertilizer costs, and guarantees that it uses its water as efficiently as possible.

The Lincoln Leaf's built-in tour route allows visitors to learn about the farm's growing process firsthand.

Two axonometric views, one looking towards the southwest (top) and one towards the northeast (bottom) reveal the general shape of the building and the site plan.

A park placed on the northeast corner of the site engages the surrounding neighborhood and provides a view to two of the building's facades. The park replaces what used to be a parking lot.

Visitors to the building are greeted with a four-story-high space topped with a skylight. The space is surrounded with offices, classrooms, computer labs, studios, and a cafe. A bamboo planting acts as a focal point, bringing life into the space. A single, continuous staircase provides access to all floors of the building.

Moving off the first floor, the space begins to feel even more airy and open.

A view looking back at the main entrance gives another sense of how large the atrium is. A green house, a unique component of the building, is fully visible to the public. The green house lets a huge amount of light into the atrium, enabling the space to be almost entirely passively lit during the day. This effect also heats the atrium in the winter through solar heat gain and cools the space during the summer by converting the space into a big solar chimney.

The green house's main crop is bamboo, a fast-growing grass which, once felled and processed, can be used as wood for making architectural models or pieces of furniture by Northwestern architecture students. The fact that bamboo is grown in a green house on the fourth floor of the building is constantly hinted at by the yellow bamboo wood finish in various places in the building, such as mullions and railings.

The green house has a 24'-high polycarbonate roof to allow the bamboo to grow to maturity. The roof is supported by open-web joists.

The library, lecture halls, and larger classrooms are placed in a separate wing attached to the south of the main atrium. In placing all classrooms on the first floor, the potential for congestion in the building's vertical transportation is minimized.

The library is partially lit by borrowing light from the atrium's skylight. Planters are provided outside the library's windows to make the space feel cleaner and more open.

The walk up to the library's front door feels like an outdoor space.

West-facing windows with vertical louvers provide the library with most of its natural light.

The seminar rooms, located off the main atrium on the first floor, feel airy and open. Light is provided by both the outside as well as the main atrium. Windows are north-facing, allowing glare to be of minimal concern.

West studios have west- and north-facing windows. Vertical louvers have been placed over west-facing windows and drafting tables have been turned to the east to avoid glare problems in the afternoon.

East studios have east- and north-facing windows. Drafting tables have been turned to the west to avoid glare problems in the morning.

The back of the building maintains the original building's overhead doors. Some of these doors are attached to industrial spaces, such as the wood shop, and can be used for loading purposes. Other doors are attached to creative spaces, such as the gallery, and can be used for recreational purposes. These doors let out to a grassy area that can be used for outdoor entertainment.

The building's daylight autonomy, or amount of time per week that the building's lighting needs are met by natural light alone, is shown for each floor. During the building's occupied hours, its library, offices, studios, seminar rooms, and circulation areas have nearly 100% daylight autonomy.

A 3D isometric view gives a general sense of the project.

The intervention area is displayed along with existing roads through the site. Note that most of the current development on the site is contaminated brownfield, dilapidated industry, and low-rise buildings with footprints hundreds of feet by hundreds of feet. Because of the unusability or highly-specialized nature of these spaces, it was determined early on that it would be wisest to demolish these buildings and start with a clean slate rather than trying to salvage existing development.

Major features of the site include the artificial slip on the southwest bank of the river, a river garden on the central east bank of the river, the community green axis on the northeast bank of the river, and the urban farm in the northeast corner of the site.

View looking north from the southern portion of the site just east of the river. The river garden's outlet back into the Chicago river can be seen on the right. An artificial slip surrounded by mixed-use buildings can be seen on the left.

View looking east toward the civic center in the central community district of the site just east of the river. Municipal buildings with first floor shops define the north and south edges of the axis. A giant drill bit, a relic of the Finkl Steel plant that once occupied the site, is moved from its present location at the corner of Kingsbury and Cortland to act as the focal point of the axis. A reflecting pool magnifies its presence and doubles as the surface of a giant stormwater retention pond beneath the site.

In order to discretize the site into a form that is both logical and easier to work with than a totally blank slate, certain roads were extended through the site to continue the street grid and improve circulation across the river. Note that the Southport extension ramps upward over the river, creating continuous space underneath it on both sides of the river.

The site is divided into six areas of distinct uses based off area, relative location, and preexisting conditions. A big-box commercial buffer separates the residential zone from the noise of North Ave. This residential zone is bordered to the north by a community district and to the west by a office / light industry zone. North of the industrial zone sits a heavy industrial zone reserved for critical users of the river that may have been displaced by this development. Across the river from the heavy industry zone and to the north of the community district lies a closed-loop urban farming complex and fish hatchery. Note that the existing Cortland Street bridge is turned into a pedestrian mall, acting as an extension of the 606 trail.

Individual building uses based on their respective zones are shown. Mixed-use buildings define the edges of major thoroughfares. A mix of housing options provides residences for people of all incomes. A mix of industry, office, and agricultural space within walking distance of the residential zone provides places of employment for people of all education levels and socioeconomic classes.

The urban farming complex, containing the businesses detailed, serves as the battery to this self-sufficient development. Historically, turning a profit has been a large issue for urban farms. By including multiple enterprises in one complex and enabling them to easily use each others' waste products, overhead costs are minimized and profits are maximized. The complex provides additional community benefits as well, from providing public amenities to cleaning surrounding air and water.

A zoomed-in view of the community district. Liberal placement of green podiums and park space allow for outdoor gathering spaces.

All buildings in this zone are for the assembly of people, be it for educational, industrial, commercial, or recreational purposes. A school occupies the northwest block, a post office the northeast, a civic center the southeast, a library and additional municipal building the southwest. Low- to medium-rise offices occupy the remainder of the block space.

A 3D isometric view gives a sense of relative building scale.

Note that the final shape of the site was not decided upon until after site analysis was performed. The site analysis is still valid, though the shape of the site is slightly off in these diagrams.

Transit access is within a 10-minute walk for much of the site and within a 15-minute walk for the entire site. However, these radii assume pedestrians can take a more-or-less straight path to the transit station, an assumption which is not necessarily true under existing conditions. Thus, construction of multiple cross-river connections for pedestrians is necessary.

Armitage, Southport, and Racine Avenues are presently underutilized thoroughfares when compared to surrounding roads. Extension of some or all of these streets across the Chicago River is a move to consider. Additionally, presently, to cross the river in the middle of the site, one must drive down Armitage, turn onto Ashland, and then turn onto Cortland, a confusing, inefficient, and unnecessary traffic pattern.

The surrounding neighborhoods are pedestrian- and bike-friendly. It makes sense to incorporate this into the development.

The site is bounded by medium and heavy producers of noise, such as Metra and El lines, I-90, and busy roads. Analysis of these sources shows that the southern portion of the site is the least noisy and best suited for residential zoning.

Many of the surrounding buildings are between 2 and 4 stories, with a few high-rises to the southeast. Few of these buildings will block sunlight or views from medium- and high-rise buildings in the site.

The best views of the Chicago skyline are looking toward the southeast from the site.

Site with context. The Bahá'í Temple is located across the street. A jetty was once located the complex extends out into the water; the shape of the building replaces this jetty.

As central prayer space of the complex, this space attempts to bring all design goals together. Just over 1000 2-foot-diameter stools concrete stools surround a hyperboloidal solar chimney. The 8-foot glass panels that support the hyperboloid can be opened to access the northern catalpa growing inside, a tree known for its fragrant flowers, attractive bark, and hardiness. English ivy and snake plants, vegetation known for its air cleaning effects, grow from a planter around the upper lip of the concrete wall. An elevated ring-shaped platform surrounds the stools, allowing the prayer leader to speak to the congregation from whatever direction they so choose. Note that this space is partially submerged in the earth. The base of the window (where it meets the planter lip) is ground level; everything below that level is underground.

82 6-foot-by-6-foot rooms line the exterior wing of the building that extends into Lake Michigan. These "cells of meditation" offer small spaces for individual prayer that are meant to isolate the visitor, leaving them completely alone with their thoughts. The brick pattern on the walls is meant to give the visitor a sense of being "thrown" forward into a heavenly realm, leaving the earthly plane behind. A wood bench, which can be folded up against the wall, provides seating, while a concrete slab protruding from the window's lower mullion offers a small amount of table space.

The hallway used to access the cells of meditation is left open to the outside. Visitors are able to hear and smell the presence of Lake Michigan all around them, despite the fact that they cannot see it. The hallway architecture is monolithic and simple yet elegant so as not to distract visitors from their spiritual experience. The same brick patterning from the cells of meditation is seen on these walls as well, again meant to give a sense of forward motion. Doors on the right side of the hallway lead to cells of meditation; doors on the left lead to offices and small conference rooms that look inward towards a pool.

All materials used in large quantities in this structure serve an environmental purpose. Concrete used to make the roof shell, foundation, and bearing walls all contain large amounts of toxic coal ash acting as a pozzolan. Concrete used to make all columns and diagrid members contains large amounts of toxic red mud, a byproduct of aluminum refinement, acting as a pozzolan. Wood used in floorboards comes exclusively from recycled sources and wood from trees located on the site.

A diagram breaking down the structure of the main sanctuary space is shown. A bearing wall supports a 128-member reinforced concrete diagrid tied together at the top by a tension ring. A 1-foot-thick parabolic concrete shell rests atop this diagrid and tension ring system. A 40-foot-diameter hole in the middle of the shell allows heat to escape the top of the solar chimney and sunlight to reach the northern catalpa tree at the bottom of the chimney. This hole is reinforced by a compression ring around its circumference.

Diagrid members are 1 foot in outer diameter and 6 inches in inner diameter. Piping is run through the inside of each diagrid member and down through the bearing wall below, allowing water from the roof to drain in a highly-controlled manner.

Elevations show relative vertical scale of each component of the complex as well as the shape of the roof of the structure. With the exception of the main sanctuary's roof, the entire roof is conoidic, allowing it to be constructed entirely by using straight sections.

All columns in the structure are reinforced concrete and are all 6, 12, or 18 inches in diameter. All bearing walls in the structure that use the concrete brick pattern shown are either 6, 8, or 15 feet long and can be prefabricated. The concrete shell is 1 foot thick and is composed of a 7" reinforced layer, a 3" insulating layer, and 2" unreinforced layer that acts only to hide the insulation and carries no load. This layer is tied back through the insulation to the reinforced layer.

Mission: A chapel was to be built on a 100' x 100' x 100' plot with views of water to the east. Being a rather areligious person, I wanted to look past the theological aspect that is often ascribed to chapels and really distill the concept of a chapel down to a simple essence.

Many people turn to religion and spirituality in times of hardship. When one's life takes a turn for the worse, it is not uncommon to resort to prayer to work through problems. I find that, when I need to work through problems, I take a walk. I move around, avoid stagnation, and achieve a level of mental clarity otherwise unattainable.

This structure attempts to capture this process, facilitating spiritual journeys like the aforementioned. As one approaches the structure through a heavily wooded area to the west, they find a ramp lying before a tall, monolithic structure. As they ascend, alternating views of land and sea symbolize the transition from the earthly plane to a spiritual. Each step places the visitor a bit higher above the tree line, clearing their vision both physically and mentally. Fragrant plants such as chamomile and lavender line the inside edge of the walkway, relaxing the visitor and aiding them on their journey. A waterfall cascading down the northern tower provides a relaxing-feeling and -sounding atmosphere.

Upon reaching the summit, the visitor can look down on the water and tree canopy and enjoy the state they find themselves in. A gazebo with a fire pit sits at the top, providing a place to rest and pray alone or in small groups. Once the visitor finds themselves content, they are able to return back to ground level more fulfilled.

The structure is constructed of concrete in which 30% of the cement is replaced with toxic coal ash. In so doing, this structure is able to sequester nearly 1,000 tons of coal ash.

Software/Media: Model produced in Rhinoceros. Architectural documents produced by hand drafting. Plan views drafted in General's draughting pencil. Section and elevation views drafted in white charcoal. Color added with colored pencil.

Architecture Studio IV Project.

The infinity shape of the walkway elongates the journey, makes the slope gentler, and enables the visitor to feel as if they are "wandering." Note that the western elevation is mirrored. This was done so that the walkway shown in plan view lines up with its location in the elevation.

The wooded area can be seen clearly in the site plan. The water in the waterfall is recycled from its basin by a geothermal-powered pump system.

A planter lines the inner wall of the walkway along its entire length (except at the very beginning, where there is no "inner wall" on which a planter can be placed). Fragrant plants, like chamomile and lavender, are planted here to promote relaxation.

The gazebo is partially submerged underground. This was done to focus visitors' sightline exclusively on the sky while sitting in the gazebo, further adding to the ethereal atmosphere. It also helps maximize the height of the summit, allowing it to be a few feet higher while still complying with the 100' height limit of the site.

Mission: A tomb was to be built in or near Chicago, IL on a 10' x 10' plot of land with 10' of space available above ground and 10' of space available below ground. The tomb was intended to be used by me and my family, and it was thus important to focus on personal design goals as well as more practical ones.

A major aspect of this structure is the complete redefinition of the burial process. In traditional burials, the dead are often either placed in coffins which are then buried underground or are cremated, put in an urn, and placed in a niche wall. More contemporary approaches to burial have been to either scatter the ashes of the cremated dead or use the ashes of the dead to fertilize soil in which a plant will grow. Often times, these contemporary methods eschew all aspects traditional methods, opting to leave no permanent marker or inscription to permanently memorialize the dead. This, however, need not be the case.

The interment process utilized by this tomb captures the permanence offered by traditional burial processes and the symbolism provided by contemporary burial processes. Once a person passes, their bodies are cremated and placed into an urn. This urn then transports the ashes to the tomb where they are mixed with water from the pool to the side of the soil plot.

Half of this ash slurry is poured over a seed of foliage chosen by the recently deceased prior to their passing, providing a unique representation of their life. Over time, this seed will grow into a mature plant and spread its seeds out over the surrounding landscape, symbolizing the return to nature after death. The other half of the ash slurry is poured at the base of the cherry blossom tree at the back of the soil plot, helping it grow. All people interred in this tomb will have some of their ashes poured on this tree, symbolizing togetherness in the afterlife. A cherry blossom tree was chosen for its unique color and fragrant aroma. It also bears significance to me personally: a cherry blossom tree grew in my grandparents' front yard, and I have many fond memories of climbing it and playing around it from when I was a child.

Once the urn is emptied, it is brought down the staircase to the small chamber underground. About halfway down the staircase, a window presents itself. The height of the window relative to the staircase at this location allows visitors only to see a view of the sky, symbolizing the entrance into a heavenly realm. The semicircular shape of the structure housing the staircase bears practical function as well as personal symbolism: it is the same shape as the niche wall in which my grandparents are interred.

Once the underground chamber is reached, the urn is placed in a niche wall and the name of the deceased is inscribed on a durable obsidian tablet on the far wall. This part of the burial process ensures a permanent memorial for the dead, allowing all visitors to the tomb to see who has been laid to rest there. Even in the case of deterioration and even collapse of the tomb structure, the obsidian tablet is durable enough to survive and continue to provide a permanent inscription of the dead interred at this site.

Other design considerations of the tomb include exclusive use of fly ash concrete to both minimize the carbon footprint of the structure as well as sequester toxic coal ash from nearby coal-burning power plants; a south-facing orientation to maximize the amount of sunlight received by the plants; and the complete absence of MEP systems in order to minimize carbon footprint.

Software/Media: Model produced in Rhinoceros. Architectural document produced by hand drafting. Plan views drafted in General's draughting pencil. Elevation view drafted in white charcoal.

Architecture Studio IV Project.

Due to the relative simplicity of the design, this single drawing captures the important aspects of the tomb. The obsidian tablet can be seen in the lower right of the bottom plan view.

Site with context. The building stands as a graceful beacon at the tip of the peninsula, ever watchful as it welcomes boats into the mouth of the Chicago River.

View from redeveloped DuSable Park, located on the east side of Lakeshore Drive. Plans for redevelopment include terraforming and extension of the Chicago River riverwalk.

View from south side of riverwalk. Fountains, artwork, and greenery occupy space in the plaza. A monumental staircase allows access to the top of the podium. A water feature runs down the middle of the staircase.

Interior rendering of lobby. A 12-story ceiling, interior balconies, a waterfall, and an indoor garden combine to create a breathtaking space.

The 112-floor program includes 12 floors of parking and commercial space, 99 floors of residential space, and a restaurant on the top floor.

Building is serviced by 12 elevators and 2 staircases. Some elevators service fewer floors than others, balancing demand and efficiency.

Building is supported via core and outrigger system. Columns curve, merge, and drop out as necessary to adequately support the building, follow the exterior form, and maximize floor space.

Access to parking garage in podium is restricted to Lower Lakeshore Drive to minimize traffic impact. A low-volume drop-off and pick-up zone is located in the rear of the building, as well.

Site with context. The school takes up one block.

View of horseshoe and main entrance. At 21', the structure enclosing the lobby is the tallest part of the building. Most houses in this neighborhood are upwards of 30' in height, making the building physically unobtrusive to its surroundings.

Interior rendering of the space just inside the main entrance. A reception desk, a waiting area, and display cases sit in front of a 20' high window looking out into the courtyard.

Interior rendering of the longest straight stretch of hallway in the school. Potential visual monotony was dealt with by including art display space, archways, and floor-to-ceiling windows.

Interior rendering of art classroom. Floor-to-ceiling windows look out past the hallway into the courtyard. South-sloping roof allows solar panels placed on top to work at maximum efficiency.

Interior rendering of one possible classroom setup.

Interior rendering of science classroom. Floor-to-ceiling windows look out past the hallway into the courtyard. South-sloping roof allows solar panels placed on top to work at maximum efficiency.

Gym and auditorium are partially underground. Their ceilings rise a few feet above grade.

The house is done in the colonial style commonly found in the area.

In order of appearance: south, east, north, west

Interior rendering of kitchen.

Interior rendering of master bathroom.

Construction of a wall and placement of plants on the east side of the house attempts to block noise coming from the adjacent parking lot.

Site with context. A large parking lot lies immediately east of the site, presenting a major design challenge.

An open floor plan maximizes the space's efficiency. Windows on the east side of the house are kept to a minimum to ensure privacy from the neighboring parking lot.

Hallway space is limited to a small area in the center of the floor at the top of the stairs. No bedroom windows are located on the east side of the house, ensuring privacy from the neighboring parking lot.