It’s been an eventful couple of months!

The fall season brought the architecture, design, and construction industry together for an abundance of events. VDT staff participated in panels, competitions, conferences, award ceremonies, networking events, and citywide celebrations. Check out what we’ve been up to!

Association of Zoos and Aquariums Conference

September 12-14th
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Principal, Sheri Andrews attended the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Conference, where she presented on the Experiential Master Plan we developed for the Shedd Aquarium. The three day conference included tours, discussions, and presentations from the country’s premiere zoo and aquarium professional network.

AIA Chicago Design Night

September 28th
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Allison Rokusek, Matt Gamache, and Tom Daly had the pleasure of accepting a Design Excellence Honor award at AIA Chicago’s annual DesigNight for our design of the Ford Calumet Environmental Center. Meanwhile, VDT architect and stand-up comedian, Hiba Bhatty rocked the house as MC of this year’s programming, pulling out a world class series of architecture jokes.

Shedd Aquarium Gala

September 30th
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Lauren Shelton, Matt Gamache, and Matt Gilbert attended the Shedd Aquarium Gala, celebrating the biodiversity of the Great Lakes ecosystems and the Shedd's work at protecting them.

Women Build 2023

October 12th
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Christine Rosenberg, Sheri Andrews, and Suzanna Machado got their hands dirty at this year’s WomenBuild, an annual fundraiser and event hosted by the Habitat for Humanity. They spent the day building a house for women facing home insecurity in Chicago’s West Pullman neighborhood.

Open House Chicago

October 15-16th
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The Chicago Architecture Center’s annual Open House Chicago event is a favorite among VDT staffers. Each year, they open up over 170 buildings to the public across the city. Matt Gamache, Heather Salisbury, Sheri Andrews, Matt Gilbert, and Nuala Brennan spent the weekend exploring all the architectural beauty the city has to offer.

CANstruction Denver

October 15th
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Cate Crain volunteered as a judge for Denver’s 2023 CANStruction competition. This event brings building professionals together for a food drive. All participants must design and construct a structure made entirely of donated food cans. Cate judged this year’s structures based on canned food meal composition, structural integrity, and originality of concept, among other categories.

SCUP Conference

October 17th
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Teaming up with partners at Vanderbilt University and Brailsford & Dunlavey, Joe Valerio and Lauren Shelton presented at the Society for College and University Planning’s annual Midwest conference. They detailed the Broadview Graduate Student Housing project we designed and how we paired a research based process and prefabricated construction to develop a sustainable, affordable housing option for graduate students.

Future Forward with Interior Design Magazine

October 18th
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Sheri Andrews spoke at Interior Design Magazine’s first ever Future Forward panel. She reflected on the future of the industry, trends, and discoverable moments across projects of various scales and typologies.

METROPOLIS Arch30

November 15th
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Paul Jasper and Nuala Brennan joined other talented young architects and METROPOLIS magazine for a workshop exploring the current state and future of our industry. They discussed work-life balance, purpose in our profession, and goals for the future of their careers.

Bisnow Architecture and Design Summit

November 16th
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Principal and Chief Sustainability Officer, Bob Webber joined Bisnow Chicago as a panelist for the Chicago Architecture + Design Summit. He emphasized the importance of purposeful decision making in early stages of design and the benefits of designing for the energy grid of the future.

It was a successful “back to school” season for industry events. We reconnected with old colleges, experienced new spaces, and expanded on our own design expertise. We’re excited to ride this wave of engagement in to 2024!