Symposium : Shaping Contemporary Realities: Architecture and Beyond

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, created in France in 1665, is guided by its purpose “MAKING THE WORLD A BETTER HOME”.

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 Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain, created in 1984 by the Maison Cartier, is a private cultural institution whose mission is to reveal artists from all cultural geographies and to promote all fields of contemporary artistic creation to the international public through a program of temporary exhibitions, live performances, and conversations.
The Fondation Cartier’s singular artistic program explores a wide array of creative fields from visual and performing arts to architecture, film, design, fashion, philosophy, and the sciences. For four decades, the Fondation Cartier has been instrumental in revealing the talent of some of the greatest contemporary artists and has established its museum spaces as a platform where artists and scientists can meet and create projects to address major issues of today’s world. As part of its ongoing observation of the relationship between human beings and nature, the Fondation Cartier travels the world, partnering with major art institutions and engaging new audiences to discover the works of contemporary artists and be challenged by their perspectives.
At the end of 2025, the Fondation Cartier has open its new, permanent exhibition space on Place du Palais-Royal in Paris. This new building, conceived by the renowned architect Jean Nouvel, marks a new chapter in the history of the Fondation Cartier, which positions itself as a significant actor in the ongoing urban and cultural development of the city of Paris, as well as on the global contemporary art scene.

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.

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.

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.

The Chicago Architecture Center is the leading organization devoted to celebrating and promoting Chicago as a center of architectural innovation. As Chicago’s forum for the exchange of ideas on urban design, the CAC inspires people to participate in the building of vibrant communities and to demand the highest standard in urban design. The CAC awakens young people to achieve their potential through the discovery of architecture, engineering and design.

The Richard H. Driehaus Museum engages and inspires the global community through exploration and ongoing conversations in art, architecture, and design of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Its permanent collection and temporary exhibitions are presented in an immersive experience within the restored Samuel Mayo Nickerson Mansion, completed in 1883, at the height of the Gilded Age. The Museum’s collection reflects and is inspired by the collecting interests, vision, and focus of its founder, the late Richard H. Driehaus.

The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago (MCA) is an innovative and compelling center of contemporary art where the public can experience the work and ideas of living artists. Dedicated to exploring the new, the museum boldly interweaves exhibitions, performances, and educational programs to illuminate the historical, social, and cultural context of our time. By centering community voices and fostering creative collective experiences, the MCA serves as a vital civic space to contemplate the issues of our day and amplify art as a call to action.

Constructing a Sustainable Future (CSF) 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 our latest annual edition: Edition 2026: Sustainable Construction Means Decarbonization And Also…