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Day 2| Civic Changemaking Panel & Tour

Symposium

Experimental Station & Obama Presidential Center
6100 S. Blackstone Ave
Chicago, IL, 60637

Friday, Sept 25, 2026 | 1:00 - 4:30 pm

Register

A sustainable future requires strong collaborations across local communities, construction experts, and civic leaders.

In “Civic Changemaking,” specific processes and initiatives focus on circular economies of resources and knowledge, adaptive reuse of singular places, thoughtful sustainable construction, and structural urban regenerations.

SCHEDULE

Shaping Contemporary Realities | Civic Changemaking 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:
Connie Spreen
, cofounder and executive director of Experimental Station
Monica Chadha
, founder of Civic Projects Architecture

Presentations by:

Sabina Bokhari
Director of Communications & Special Projects for the Rebuild Foundation and Theaster Gates Studio
Sonia Vu
Partner at Encore Heureux Architects
Faheem Majeed
Cofounder of the Floating Museum
Rebekah Coffman
Curator of religion and community history at the Chicago History Museum, founder of Sacred Shift Project
Anirban Ghosh
Senior manager strategy and business development for circular economy at Saint-Gobain North America

Conversation and Q&A with presenters led by:
Elizabeth Blasius

Cofounder of Preservation Futures

Shaping Contemporary Realities | Civic Changemaking Tour
3:00 pm – 4:30 pm (RSVP)

Tour of the Obama Presidential Center campus (museum not included) with:
Monica Chadha
, founder of Civic Projects Architecture
Nora Semel, Vice President, Obama Presidential Center Programs

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

Experimental Station is an independent, nonprofit incubator based on Chicago’s South Side, dedicated to building innovative cultural, educational, and environmental projects. By supporting small-scale enterprises and community-driven initiatives, the organization fosters local resilience and social infrastructure. It serves as a vital civic hub, intersecting with urban design and community development to address essential needs and create sustainable, equitable ecosystems within the city.

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.

Experimental Station

Experimental Station is an independent cultural infrastructure established on Chicago’s South Side, fostering a vibrant ecology of innovative educational and cultural programs, small business ventures and community initiatives. It was founded in 2002 by Dan Peterman and Connie Spreen based on over 30 years of socially, artistically, and environmentally significant projects.

 

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…