The Chicago Architecture Foundation recently launched Discover Design: A Student Design Experience, a free web-based learning tool for teens. The interactive website provides high school students with  the opportunity to choose from a series of actual design challenges. Students work through the architectural design process to propose solutions through uploaded sketches, drawings, and digital models. The work can then be admired and critiqued by a pool of professionals, teachers, and other students from all over.

Modeled after The Architecture Handbook, Discover Design is CAF’s next step in high school architectural education. LBBA was proud to be a (small) part of the planning & testing of the web-based curriculum.  It has been a blast to interact with excited and interested kids from around the country!

Claretian Associates hosted 30 enthusiastic residents and other stakeholders at Loncar’s last week to plan for the future of the east 92nd Street corridor.

Attendees toured surrounding blocks and shared their vision for future development that could include affordable rental housing, green space, arts space and many other possibilities.

Landon Bone Baker Architects facilitated the workshop. If you’d like to be included in future planning discussions, please email Tasha Baker.

The Viceroy SRO’s makeover is underway! Environmental remediation is complete and demolition has started. Last week started the extensive process of gutting and clearing the site.

Roseland Senior Campus, one of LBBA’s projects completed just this past year, is featured in the AIA’s Design for Aging Reveiw 10. The Campus consists of Roseland Place, a 60-unit independent living facility with a Senior Satellite Center, and Village Apartments, a 10-unit grand-family housing facility.

In its sixth year as a biannually printed publication, the Review highlights 36 outstanding designs for an aging population, including assisting living facilities, continuing care retirement communities, and nursing homes. Published by the AIA Design for Aging Knowledge Community (DFA), the book is part of a broader mission to educate professionals in architecture, clients, and related industries in order to improve facilities for aging adults.

The majestic Viceroy Hotel that overlooks Chicago’s Union Park used to get attention for all of the wrong reasons, but with a plan that includes a rehabilitation and exterior restoration of the historic landmark, it’s sure to turn some heads for the right reasons. The Tribune discusses the hotel’s former history and details of one of LBBA’s latest projects, The Viceroy SRO, and how the city is meeting the Near West Side’s need for helpful, affordable housing.

Rosa Parks Apartments continues its award-winning track record– amongst a crowd of some 800 architects, designers, contractors and clients on AIA Chicago’s 56th annual Design Night, Landon Bone Baker accepted AIA Chicago’s Distinguished Building Award for outstanding achievement in contemporary design. Congratulations LBBA!

Find out why Dorchester Artist Housing could be a model for attracting market-rate residents to mixed-income rebuilds. Check out The Architect’s Newspaper’s article about this project, which discusses the project’s plans in further detail.

LBBA’s Jeff Bone is being recognized for his achievements by his Alma mater, Ball State University this year. Congratulations Jeff!

As part of the College of Architecture and Planning’s Alumni Day and Symposium, Jeff will discuss his contributions to the architectural profession and practice in a presentation entitled Sustaining Community: Small Steps, Big Change.

The event is free and open to the public this Friday, October 28th. For more information about the event, click the image above.

One of LBBA’s latest projects, Dorchester Artist Housing, has been approved by the Chicago Housing Authority. This unique project is a part of CHA’s 15-year Plan For Transformation that removes high-rise buildings and replaces them with mixed-income communities. The arts community-related aspect of the project is generating excitement amongst residents. Check out more renderings and plans for the project here. Groundbreaking is set to begin in 2012.

Rosa Parks Apartments has been awarded the 2011 GreenSite Award for multifamily housing, by Concrete Producer magazine. The editors of Concrete Construction and The Concrete Producer have created an awards program to recognize innovations in developing and building sustainable projects. Check out their feature on Rosa Parks Apartments here.