Day 1| Innovative Adaptation Panel & Tour
Symposium
Illinois Institute of Technology
3360 S State St, Chicago
S.R. Crown Hall
Chicago, IL, 60616
Thursday, Sept 24, 2026 | 1:00 - 4:30 pm
Through exemplary case studies, Innovative Adaptation explores how architectural heritage can not only be preserved but also positioned to address current and future needs through innovative thinking and new technologies.
Pressing global and local environmental challenges, new material and programmatic requirements, and evolving ways of living require the use of forward-thinking approaches that serve heritage restoration and repositioning.
SCHEDULE
Shaping Contemporary Realities | Innovative Adaptation panel
1:00 pm – 3:00 pm (RSVP)
Opening remarks by the organizers:
Nathalie Filser, director of Villa Albertine Chicago
Iker Gil, founder of MAS Context
Julie Michiels, editor of MAS Context
Welcoming remarks by the host of the day:
Reed Kroloff, dean of the School of Architecture at the Illinois Institute of Technology
Presentations by:
David Lo Buglio
Professor at the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Faculté d’architecture La Cambre Horta, co-director of AliCe lab
Justin Félix
Project manager for architecture and urbanism at Institut Français
Donna Robertson
Professor and former dean of the School of Architecture at the Illinois Institute of Technology
Mark Sexton
Founding partner at Krueck Sexton Partners
Cesar Constantino
Senior director innovation at Chryso North America
Béatrice Grenier (recorded video)
Strategic and international director at the Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain
Cyril Desroche and Mathieu Forest (recorded video)
Architects and Project Directors, Ateliers Jean Nouvel
Conversation and Q&A with presenters led by:
Reed Kroloff, dean of the School of Architecture at the Illinois Institute of Technology
Iker Gil, founder of MAS Context
Shaping Contemporary Realities |Innovative Adaptation tour
3:00 pm – 4:30 pm (RSVP)
Tour of the Illinois Institute of Technology campus with:
Cynthia Vranas, director of the Mies van der Rohe Society
John Ronan, founding principal of John Ronan Architects
Lynda Dossey, director of Jahn
Sarah Dunn, cofounder of UrbanLab
Throughout the day
Immersive sound experience for individuals or small groups: a sensory experience of each place initiated by a sound artist Stefania Becheanu.
ABOUT THE VENUE
Illinois Institute of Technology is a private research university in Chicago known for its historical impact on modern architecture and engineering. Its School of Architecture continues to be a global center for architectural education. The school emphasizes a rigorous, technology-driven approach to design, urban planning, and landscape architecture, fostering research that addresses contemporary challenges in the built environment, sustainability, and urban resilience.
The symposium is organized by Villa Albertine Chicago and MAS Context, with leading support by Saint-Gobain, a global leader in light and sustainable construction.
Additional support is provided by Albertine Foundation, Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain, School of Architecture at the Illinois Institute of Technology, Experimental Station, and Chicago Architecture Center. The Driehaus Museum is a collaborating institution. Editorial partners include States – Villa Albertine and Constructing a Sustainable Future.
In partnership with
Saint-Gobain
Worldwide leader in light and sustainable construction, Saint-Gobain designs, manufactures and distributes materials and services adapted to the residential, non-residential and infrastructure markets. Its integrated and innovative solutions provide sustainability, performance and well-being for its customers. The Group is guided by its purpose, “MAKING THE WORLD A BETTER HOME”. Committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
- €46.5 billion in sales in 2025
- 162,000 employees, locations in 81 countries
For more information about Saint-Gobain, visit https://www.saint-gobain.com/en/ and follow us on LinkedIn Saint-Gobain
Albertine Foundation
Albertine Foundation is an American nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting French American relations through innovative cultural and educational programs. In close partnership with Villa Albertine, the French Institute for Culture and Education, Albertine Foundation administers grant programs across diverse creative disciplines including visual and performing arts; cinema; and literature, while also supporting exploratory residencies for creative professionals and thinkers across the United States. Albertine Foundation also contributes to promoting French language learning in the United States and funds new opportunities for students, professors, and researchers in the spheres of secondary and higher education. Albertine Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation by Internal Revenue Service determination. Contributions from corporate, foundation, and individuals are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation
The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation is a philanthropic organization that supports the built environment, architectural excellence, and historic preservation in Chicago through strategic grantmaking. This mission is closely integrated with the Richard H. Driehaus Museum, which is housed in the landmarked 1883 Samuel M. Nickerson House. The museum is dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of the decorative arts and architecture of the Gilded Age, serving as a primary cultural venue that connects the foundation’s philanthropic goals with the public study of the city’s architectural heritage.
Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain
The Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain is a forum for discussion and artistic experimentation that places contemporary art in all its forms, its exhibition, and its accessibility to the public at the core of its institutional mission. Since its founding in 1984 by Alain Dominique Perrin, who was President of Cartier at that time, its activities have promoted collaboration and exchange across artistic disciplines. Built up over the course of its exhibitions, its Collection reflects the multidisciplinary and breadth of the themes it explores through its programming, in resonance with society and contemporary stakes.
The Fondation Cartier carries out its activities and commitments with the desire and ambition to make contemporary art accessible to everyone. Through its program of exhibitions and events, the Fondation Cartier creates pathways between creative spaces and fosters a genuine environment for multicultural exchange.
Its new Parisian premises, located at 2 Place du Palais-Royal in a Haussmannian building constructed in 1855, have been completely reconceived by architect Jean Nouvel. The dynamic architecture he envisioned, consisting of five mobile platforms, allows for fully adjustable spatial configurations and lighting variations, multiplying the possibilities for programming and exhibition-making. The architecture acts as a flexible system serving the institution’s commitments, open to the broad spectrum of visual arts, crafts, performance, and science.
Expanding its potential, the Fondation Cartier has turned this unique venue into a space for educational innovation and shared aesthetic experiences, where artists and audiences come together to open up new perspectives on contemporary art and culture.
The College of Architecture at Illinois Institute of Technology
The College of Architecture at Illinois Institute of Technology builds on a legacy of disciplined experimentation in materials and technologies to educate and inspire the next generation of architects and landscape architects. From its landmark campus and home at S. R. Crown Hall, IIT Architecture champions an interdisciplinary approach to education and research that is simultaneously local and global in its impact.IIT Architecture students are educated to address complex, contemporary challenges of designing and constructing across all scales. Both faculty and students enjoy a longstanding relationship with professional practice in Chicago, a city with a vibrant history of innovation in architecture, design, landscape architecture, and urbanism.
Constructing a Sustainable Future
Constructing a Sustainable Future is an international media platform dedicated to sustainable construction, part of the Sustainable Construction Observatory launched by Saint-Gobain. It aims to engage architects and other built environment stakeholders to raise awareness and deepen understanding of sustainable construction. Through articles, interviews, podcasts, videos and in-depth reports, CSF highlights innovative solutions, showcases exemplary projects from around the world and gives voice to those advancing the sector. It covers topics including decarbonization, circularity, renovation, energy efficiency, quality of life, urbanization, climate adaptation and resilience, public policy, and economics. Each year, its annual print edition explores a major challenge shaping the future of sustainable construction and is distributed in print and online to a broad international network of stakeholders and collaborators. Constructing a Sustainable Future is proud to partner with Villa Albertine Chicago for its 2026 Symposium, helping advance dialogue and awareness around sustainable construction.
Discover their latest annual edition: Sustainable Construction Means Decarbonization And Also…