SOLD OUT: Connecting the Near West Side: A Tour of the Westhaven Park Station and Damen Green Line Station

After nearly 75 years, elevated train line access has returned to Chicago’s Near West Side, bringing vital infrastructure and increased mobility to residents. This tour offers a first-hand look at two transformative projects: the newly completed Damen Green Line Station and the Westhaven Park Station housing development, both designed with community connectivity, equity, and sustainability at their core. 

Join architects Ralph Johnson, FAIA (Perkins&Will), and Pete Landon, FAIA (LBBA) as they share insights into the design and development process behind these landmark projects. 

Speakers:

Ralph Johnson, FAIA
Firmwide Design Director, Perkins&Will

Ralph Johnson, FAIA, is the Firmwide Design Director and Co-Design Director of Perkins&Will’s Chicago studio. Ralph grew up on the South Side of Chicago and has gone on to design some of the most iconic buildings in Chicago and around the world. Ralph’s work, while rooted in Modernism, is based on context — a concept that is the foundational to his approach. He was inducted in 2015 into the prestigious National Academy of Design and was the recipient of AIA Chicago’s 2022 Lifetime Achievement Award.

Pete Landon, FAIA
Founder and Principal, LBBA

The founder and Principal of LBBA, Peter Landon FAIA is known for his community-based city planning, development, and design work. A personal commitment through his career has allowed LBBA to successfully balance context, technology, design, sustainability, and economy in a variety of modest, space-efficient, socially and economically mixed urban and mixed-use new and rehabbed housing developments.

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify the key components of Equitable Transit Oriented Developments in the City of Chicago and the strategies used in the case study of Westhaven Park Station.
2. Identify specific challenges for the design and construction of a new CTA station on an operational train line and how they were overcome.
3. Evaluate specific planning strategies for high-density urban housing projects, while spotlighting accessibility, equity, and connectivity.
4. Evaluate potential durable and low-maintenance material systems used on community housing and mass transit projects as they relate to industry and operational standards.

For AIA Members: AIA Chicago will report your attendance for continuing education credit directly to AIA national. Please ensure your name matches your AIA membership record and your AIA number is correctly entered at the time of registration to receive proper credit. AIA Members cannot self-report courses for AIA CES credit.

For Non-Members: AIA Chicago does not report attendance for non-members. If you would like to request a certificate for proof of participation, please click here.

For Vendor Education Program Attendees (AIA Member and Non-Member): The hosting Vendor will report your attendance for continuing education credit directly to AIA national. Please ensure your name matches your AIA membership record and your AIA number is correctly entered at the time of registration to receive proper credit. To ensure accuracy, please request a certificate of completion from the Vendor.