Discovery Partners Institute
Design Competition 

August 2020
Chicago, IL
ZGF Architects
Our design team created a series of 3D diagrams for an interview for an international competition to design an academic center for the University of Illinois that facilitates and accelerates interdisciplinary tech start-ups with labs for research, design and experimentation, and collaborive space. We focused on how to knit those disciplines together to drive real, cross-pollinated innovation while achieving an iconic form for the building.

I took the lead on developing one on the three diagrams, a form that took a particular advantage of the pulling the adjacent Crescent park up into the building’s central open space, a descending series of green roof terraces, and collaborative joints between multi-use neighborhoods that culminate into a landmark tower that overlooks the main park of the 78 neighborhood and the Chicago river to the east.

Design Lead:
Braulio Baptista

Collaborators:
Chris Bixby
Yurina Kodoma
Jonah Hawk
Yuanpeng Cheng

Ground Floor & Concept Sketches


Program Stack



4th Floor Terrace
Exterior Wrap Concepts