OPC Obama Presidential Center Image: TWBTA, Antonio Dickey
Rubenstein: University of Chicago, David Rubenstein Forum Image: Patrik Argast
It was with great excitement that we welcomed nearly 100 AIA Committee on Design (COD) members to the 2026 Spring Conference in Chicago last month. Grounded in a shared commitment to design excellence, COD continues to champion the idea that experiencing architecture together—and in context—fosters a deeper understanding of the built environment.
This year’s conference explored “Third Places – Architecture that Belongs to Everyone,” focusing on spaces that support connection, exchange, and a sense of belonging beyond home and work. Chicago provided an exceptional backdrop for this exploration, with a program that traversed the city and engaged a diverse range of neighborhoods, institutions, and public spaces.
The conference began along the Chicago River and Michigan Avenue, where participants visited the Apple Michigan Avenue store and took part in an architectural boat tour. These opening experiences offered a shared introduction to the city’s layered history and its ongoing dialogue between architecture, infrastructure, and public life.
From there, the program expanded to the South Side. Visits to the Chicago Park District Headquarters and Williams Park Fieldhouse highlighted civic and community-centered design, followed by an in-depth exploration of the University of Chicago campus in Hyde Park. Participants toured a range of academic, cultural, and social spaces, including the David Rubenstein Forum, Logan Center for the Arts, Gordon Parks Arts Hall, and Mansueto Library, along with a walk past Robie House and Booth Harper Center.
The South Side itinerary also included a visit to Home Court at the Obama Presidential Center campus. While the full campus remains under construction, attendees were able to tour the completed Home Court facility and view the evolving site, offering valuable insight into its future role within the civic and cultural landscape.
Saturday’s tours shifted to the North and Northwest Sides, beginning with the adaptive reuse of The Salt Shed in Goose Island and continuing to the Steppenwolf Theatre expansion in Lincoln Park—both powerful examples of cultural venues serving as vital third places. The program continued through Irving Park and North Center with visits to the Independence Library and Apartments and the WMS Boathouse at Clark Park, demonstrating how neighborhood-scale interventions can meaningfully support community life.
The afternoon featured a series of visits within Lincoln Park Zoo, including the Searle Visitor Center, Pepper Family Wildlife Center, and the Nature Boardwalk, highlighting the integration of architecture, landscape, and ecology within a major urban park. The conference concluded at Wrightwood 659, providing a more intimate architectural and curatorial experience.
Throughout the conference, the program emphasized immersion and collaboration—creating opportunities not only to experience significant works of architecture, but also to engage with the people, ideas, and contexts that shape them. As participants moved across Chicago—from riverfront to campus, from neighborhood to cultural institution—the conference offered both inspiration and a deeper appreciation for how design shapes the places where life unfolds.
Thank you to all who joined us in making this year’s conference a meaningful and engaging experience.
2026 Chair, AIA Committee on Design
Group photo at Steppenwolf Theatre
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