UrbanLab

UrbanLab is an American architecture and urban design firm with headquarters in Chicago. Founded by Martin Felsen, FAIA, and Sarah Dunn in 2001, the office is known for its focus on sustainability, creative experimentation and a collaborative approach to buildings, spaces and cities.

UrbanLab
Growing Water masterplan in Chicago
Practice information
Key architectsMartin Felsen, FAIA
Founded2001

Background

UrbanLab's projects range in scale from houses such as the Hennepin, Illinois, Residence,[1] mixed-use residential and commercial buildings such as Upton’s Naturals Headquarters,[2] public open spaces such as the Smart Museum of Art Courtyard [3] at the University of Chicago, and large scale, urban design projects such as Growing Water in Chicago[4] and a masterplan (13 square kilometers / 5 square miles) for the Yangming Lake region of Changde, China. UrbanLab was awarded the 2009 Latrobe Prize [5] by the American Institute of Architects, College of Fellows.

Growing Water

UrbanLab won a competition for the History Channel's City of the Future: A Design and Engineering Challenge.[6] The competition asked architects in three cities, New York, Chicago and Los Angeles, to develop a conceptual plan for their city 100 years from now. The teams competed and a finalist for each city was named. In the final round of the competition, with the acclaimed architect Daniel Libeskind as master of ceremonies, UrbanLab was announced the national winner after a month-long online vote.

UrbanLab's project, Growing Water,[7] starts with the assumption that in 100 years that "water will be the new oil"[7] and envisions a Chicago that recycles 100% of its waste water back into Lake Michigan. The project is inspired by Chicago's rich history including its boulevard system, the reversal of the Chicago River and the Deep Tunnel project.[7] The plan calls for new boulevards to be created that would channel waste water from buildings into greenhouse and wetland systems that would clean the water and send it back the lake while creating a new network of social and recreational spaces, new parks, and corridors. These new corridors would be termed "eco-boulevards" and be spaced about every half-mile in the city.[8]

Bowling

UrbanLab: Bowling is a new book about UrbanLab’s work written by Felsen and Dunn, published by Applied Research + Design. The book explores relationships and realities between cities, architecture and water. As populations steadily increase in cities, the world’s natural resources are consumed at ever-faster rates. The majority of the world’s populations live in countries where clean water supplies are dwindling, and these water shortages are also quickly translating into food shortages. What can designers do to avert looming water-related realities? UrbanLab: Bowling views potential water crises as opportunities to speculate on future urban design possibilities, especially in cities. Several projects are presented that take an ecological approach to re-thinking received urban design methodologies of addressing the design of water-related infrastructures in existing and new cities.

Awards and honors
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References
  1. Ryan Blitstein (November 2009). "New Grass Roots". Dwell. Retrieved 25 April 2014.
    - "Hennepin House". UrbanLab. Retrieved 25 April 2014.
  2. Luke Hopping (June 2015). "In just 48 hours". Dwell. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
    - "Upton's Naturals". UrbanLab. Retrieved 25 April 2014.
  3. "Sculpture Garden and Reception Hall". University of Chicago. Retrieved 25 April 2014.
    - "Courtyard at the Smart Museum". UrbanLab. Retrieved 25 April 2014.
  4. David Sokol (29 September 2008). "Momentum Grows for Futuristic Scheme". Architectural Record. Retrieved 25 April 2014.
    - "Growing Water". UrbanLab. Retrieved 25 April 2014.
  5. Matt Tinder (August 11, 2010). "AIA College of Fellows announces winner of 2009 Latrobe Prize". Building Design+Construction. Retrieved 25 April 2014.
  6. Engineering an Empire: A Design and Engineering Challenge
  7. Growing Water presentation
  8. Henderson, Harold, "Close Deep Tunnel", Chicago Reader, 11 May 2007
  9. Robin Pogrebin (9 February 2007). "Chicago Firm Urban Design Winner". New York Times. Retrieved 25 April 2014.
  10. "AIA Awards". 2007. Archived from the original on 14 June 2013. Retrieved 25 April 2014.
  11. Blair Kamin (12 December 2007). "Pitt making celebrity work for homes". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 25 April 2014.
  12. "AIA Awards". 2008. Archived from the original on 17 May 2014. Retrieved 25 April 2014.
  13. "Global Visionaries WBEZ Press Release" (PDF). 2 March 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 July 2010. Retrieved 25 April 2014.
  14. Matt Tinder (August 11, 2010). "AIA College of Fellows announces winner of 2009 Latrobe Prize". Building Design+Construction. Retrieved 25 April 2014.
  15. "AIA Awards". 2009. Archived from the original on 21 February 2014. Retrieved 25 April 2014.
  16. "AIA Awards". 2009. Archived from the original on 3 February 2014. Retrieved 25 April 2014.
  17. "Workshopping at the 2010 Venice Biennale". Retrieved 25 April 2014.
  18. Julie Iovine (2010-03-03). "UrbanLab". The Architect's Newspaper. Retrieved 25 April 2014.
  19. "2010 Buckminster Fuller Challenge Finalists". Bustler.net. 29 April 2010. Retrieved 25 April 2014.
  20. "AIA Awards". 2010. Archived from the original on 9 May 2013. Retrieved 25 April 2014.
  21. "AIA Awards". 2011. Archived from the original on 24 April 2013. Retrieved 25 April 2014.
  22. Jayne Merkel (19 June 2012). "Preview: Americans in Venice". Architectural Record. Retrieved 25 April 2014.
  23. "AIA Awards". 2013. Archived from the original on 15 May 2014. Retrieved 25 April 2014.
  24. "AIA Awards". 2014. Retrieved 5 November 2014.
  25. "AIA Awards". 2014. Retrieved 5 November 2014.
  26. "MCHAP Awards". 2015. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
  27. Matt Shaw (October 2015). "Bold New Visions". The Architect's Newspaper. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
  28. "AIA Awards". 2014. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
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