Date of Submission
Spring 5-6-2025
Degree Type
Dissertation/Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Architecture
Department
Architecture
Committee Chair/First Advisor
Jade Yang
Abstract
62% of the United States Labor Force goes to an office every day. That means that nearly 6 out of every 10 Americans spend most of their days experiencing an ordinary office environment every week. Children, on the other hand, spend most of their days in school, where they are constantly given playful and enjoyable tasks to promote their learning. Why does this concept of promoting pleasant emotions in a person’s everyday life seem to disappear as we become older and our everyday life becomes more critical to well-being? Imagine if offices were designed to promote pleasant experiences.
This thesis aims to study existing urban spaces and the work + economy institution, ultimately critiquing spaces that fuel production, i.e., workplaces, and spaces that don’t, i.e., play spaces. This critique allows the intermixing of these spaces to promote the well-being of society. The project will be in downtown Chicago, Illinois within the Central Business District, often referred to as the Loop. It is the third largest Central Business District in the United States and the steel skyscraper’s origin city. This thesis proposes an office tower to disrupt the skyscraper monotony by intertwining workplace functions and play reliefs to create a vertical urban street. This tower will juxtapose the Chicago attraction Willis Tower, also known as the Sears Tower, located across the street from the site. By juxtaposing the serious with the whimsical, the tower becomes a testament to the possibilities of imaginative architectural expression in reshaping the workplace and urban skyline.
Comments
Cooper Carry 3 Minute Thesis Competition: 1st Place and People's Choice
Niles Bolton Associates Architecture Thesis Competition: 2nd Place and AIA Medal for Academic Excellence