Architecture Students Engage with Chicago's Iconic Landmarks on River Tour

During the trip, 55 students studied a 3D scale model of Chicago's Loop, featuring 4,000 buildings, and watched a film detailing the development of the city's high-rises. Then, Ramblers set sail on a boat tour down the Chicago River, where they took in the beauty of buildings like the Aqua Tower and St. Regis—both designed by local architect Jeanne Gang, the first and only female architect to date to reshape Chicago's skyline. Students identified key characteristics of Art Nouveau, Art Deco, Beaux Arts, International, modern, postmodern, and contemporary buildings, as well as key engineering and technical innovations such as excavated box caissons, steel skeletons, curtain walls, tuned liquid sloshing dampers, and vertical and horizontal cantilevers.

Many thanks to chaperones Fr. Greg, Mrs. Gorman, Mr. Leske, and Mrs. Buckley!