At the 2009 AIA Convention in San Francisco I had the chance to attend a panel with Jeanne Gang (principal at Studio Gang Architects) who received her FAIA during the event. I was very impressed by her work, specially her proposal for a housing project in India as well as the Aqua Tower, which was under construction at the time. A year after I had the chance to visit Jeanne at her Studio to conduct this interview.

If you don’t know Jeanne, here’s the short bio: She studied at the University of Illinois where she received her Bachelor of Science in Architecture (honors), and then got her Masters degree (distinction) at the Harvard GSD. After working at OMA (where she participated in projects such as the House), Jeanne founded Studio Gang in 1997, where she is now a principal along with Mark Schendel.

Jeanne has taught architecture as an adjunct associate professor at the Illinois Institute of Technology since 1998. She was visiting professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Design in 2004, held the Louis I. Kahn professor chair at the Yale School of Architecture in 2005, and was the Princeton University Graduate Design Studio visiting lecturer in the spring of 2007.

The work from Studio Gang is very broad, from private residences to community facilities, from a small pavilion to a 82-story tower, as you can see on our previous features:

• Lincoln Zoo South Pond Pavilion
• Columbia College Chicago Media Production Center
• Brick-Weave House
• Aqua Tower
• Maisonette
• Bengt Sjostrom Starlight Theatre
• SOS Children’s Villages Lavezzorio Community Center

But all of them have follow a clear line: careful attention to the materials, and a constant research leading to innovations in terms of sustainability and fabrication.

The firm has been involved in important international competitions, such as the Taipei Pop Center competition, where the firm received 2nd place. An interesting project, with a high level of development.

In the interview we talked about the importance of the Aqua Tower, an honor and a challenge for any Chicago architect, the home of the skyscraper.

Please find the rest of the interview below, with some photos of my visit to Studio Gang, a cool workspace with a very nice garden and common spaces, and some sneak peaks at the Great Wall, Solstice at the Park and Lincoln Park Zoo Pavilions projects which we will soon feature at ArchDaily.

What is architecture?

What do you think should be the role of architects in our society?

What do you think about Chicago’s skyline, and to have the chance to be part of it?

How do you understand landscape as architecture?

What is the importance of innovation for your practice?

What is the importance of networking for your practice?

What is the importance of the Internet for your work?

What would you recommend to a future architecture student?

After your experience, what are your thoughts on maintaining and growing your practice?

My visit to the studio:

Studio Gang

With Jeanne at her studio

The interior garden

Studio Gang

Solstice on the park at Studio Gang

Blue Wall Center by Studio Gang

Blue Wall Center by Studio Gang

Blue Wall Center by Studio Gang

Jeanne's office