atelier 2B's soft in the middle proposal wins chidesign competition

atelier 2B’s soft in the middle proposal wins chidesign competition
all visuals courtesy of atelier 2B

new york and cambridge based architecture collective atelier2B (yewon ji, nicolas lee, ryan otterson) has been selected as a winner for the chidesign CADE competition with their ‘soft in the middle’ proposal. the work challenges the archetypal scraper through the rearrangement of miesian principles of the plinth, footprint, and vertical movement.

CAF and CTBUH headquarters

the structure is built in three major volumes. the ground level hosts the headquarters of the chicago architecture foundation, and the council on tall buildings and urban habitat. located in the middle volume, is an extracurricular youth program, and at the top; facilities for the design and applied arts high school. within these are specific necessities including offices, workspaces, studios, and classrooms — all of which are located on the building’s outer perimeter.

middle volume, youth program department

public spaces include an exhibition hall, informal meeting areas, libraries, cafés, gymnasium, performance and presentation spaces. all are situated within the collaborative core, which seeks to represent the want of mies to dissolve public boundaries. program distribution allows for the autonomy of each organization, yet instigates spontaneous encounters and exchange of ideas based on their proximity. furthermore, it creates a level of flexibility in terms of building operation, where different sections can be open or closed to the public without interfering with the others. 

the design and allied arts high school

night view from the L

axonometric highlighting activity and program distribution

collaborative core concept diagram 

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: nick brink | designboom