INTRODUCTION

Chicago, the place to be for world-class, contemporary architecture. For architecture students, visiting its iconic buildings is undoubtdedly a dream rarely to become reality. Being part of a Master studio, led by Martine De Maeseneer, we couldn’t have imagined to be offered the opportunity to get so close to Chicago’s modern wonders: from Frank Lloyd Wright to Mies van der Rohe.

And we even got closer: during our field trip in November, we visited the Rezkoville site, a virgin plot of land in the middle of a fully built city, waiting for us to transform it and give it a new purpose with our fresh ideas and creativity.

We alternated between inspiring presentations at UIC and city visits, to give us a taste of this wonderful city’s atmosphere. At the same time, the trip allowed us to build up a bond with our fellow studio students and our professor. It was thrilling to visit architecture firms of different scales, allowing us to absorb a wealth of information and expand our horizons. This unique exprience will definitely form a solid foundation for a successful Master Dissertation