The Foglia Residences at the Chicago Lighthouse Building Tour

Join AIA Chicago’s Design for Aging Knowledge Community for a guided tour of the recently completed Foglia Residences at the Chicago Lighthouse, a new affordable housing development designed to serve those who are blind or visually impaired.

Led by Jack Schroeder, AIA, Principal at LBBA, this tour explores how thoughtful architecture and inclusive design strategies can foster healing, stability, and long-term community connection. Attendees will learn how the design integrates principles of well-being, equity, and social responsibility into a compact and highly functional building serving some of the city’s most vulnerable populations.

This is a follow-up to a previous design presentation, now offering a firsthand look at the completed project. The event is ideal for architects, designers, and advocates interested in housing, social impact, and community-centered design.

Speaker:

Jack Schroeder, AIA
Principal, LBBA

Jack Schroeder is a Principal at LBBA, a team of socially minded architects providing engaging and empathetic solutions for affordable housing and community spaces in Chicago and beyond. Driven by the understanding that each organization and developer have a distinct purpose, each contractor their strengths, and every resident a unique definition of home, Jack approaches each project with enthusiasm and inclusiveness. In his 20+ year tenure at LBBA, Jack has had the opportunity to help the firm grow its team and impact while upholding the mission to empower communities from within.

Learning Objectives:

1. Analyze the principles of Universal Design as applied to affordable housing for individuals who are blind or visually impaired, and evaluate how these design strategies support occupant safety, autonomy, and well-being.
2. Identify architectural features and design techniques that accommodate varying degrees of vision loss, enhancing both physical safety and spatial navigation for residents.
3. Examine the relationship between affordability and equitable access in housing design, with a focus on how thoughtful design can promote social welfare and dignity for vulnerable populations.
4. Assess how inclusive design decisions can foster long-term community integration, emotional well-being, and a sense of place for residents with visual impairments.

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.