Architecture Week is April 10-16

The American Institute of Architects promotes Architecture Week yearly, with events open to the public. 

This year's Architecture Week, with the theme "Connect. Check In. Celebrate," runs from April 10 to 16 and members of the AIA Northeast Illinois chapter have planned a number of events open to the community.

Open houses for high school students

Three firms in the chapter area are holding open houses on Thursday, April 14, for high school junior and senior students who are interested in pursuing architecture, and their parents. Students will be able to meet with architects and find out what to expect both in college as an architecture major and post-college as an intern architect.

The firms are Cordogan Clark& Assoc., in Aurora, 960 Ridgeway Ave., third floor (630-896-4678); FGM Architects in Oak Brook, 1211 W. 22nd St. (630-574-8300); and Wight & Company, in Darien, at 2500 N. Frontage Road (630-969-7000).

Students interested in attending one of these open houses should contact the firm they would like to visit.

Visits to elementary and middle schools

Chapter members will visit a number of elementary and middle schools throughout the suburbs. In some cases, architects will show students how and why design matters, by leading them in architecture related activities.

“Architecture does more than shelter and protect us,” said Leanne Meyer-Smith, AIA, chairperson of Architecture Week. “We hope, through our activities during Architecture Week, to illustrate that architecture can also inspire us, can benefit our world as well as ourselves, and add beauty and drama to our surroundings.”

The Naperville-based organization includes architects and those in related fields who live or work in Kane, DuPage and Kendall counties, plus the portions of Cook County north of the Stevenson and west of the Edens expressways, excluding the city of Chicago. For more information on all events, visit www.aianei.org.