Farr Associates

09/02/2026

material library
so fresh and so clean
shining brightly in the light

🧱🫟🪎

08/18/2026

Today we celebrate our intern Amajay “Jay” Smith! 😎 Jay has been involved in a variety of projects, from Hotel Florence community engagement to documentation of existing conditions to organizing many documents in our archives. To name a few!

Jay will begin his civil engineering studies at Vanderbilt University this fall! We sat down with him to reflect on his Farrside journey, which began through the internship program at Bennett Day School:

“Starting as a high schooler, I would come in for only a few hours of the day, working with the team to help with the marketing side of their projects while still taking time to shadow the architects. I got unique insight into the architecture world, learning Revit and how to design architecture models. I also got to learn about the firm’s previous and current projects, and how interconnected the office is with the city and its sustainability.

I was offered the opportunity to come back as a summer intern, taking on more hands-on tasks with the team. It felt different working in the summer than in the school year. I had more flexible hours and more projects to work on. I also traveled to the Pullman area of Chicago to put up flyers for a community meeting to gather resident perspectives, and to the Indiana Dunes homes with Mercedes to take measurements, mark-ups, and photos of existing conditions.

This summer, I felt like I was truly getting a sense of architecture work. While I could only take on so much without the proper experience and education, I’m grateful that the team found ways to include me and let me learn, even in small ways.

The most rewarding part of my time here in the studio was the connections I made. I got to meet some of the most innovative architects in Chicago, and listening to their projects and overall lives made me very happy… it showed me this is something that I’d want to do in the future, or something closely adjacent. Each architect here is unique, and I can tell by the different assignments and projects that they get detailed on. It’s been amazing to listen and learn from them and analyze the way that they conduct themselves.”

Congrats, Jay! ✨✨ The future is bright with you in it!

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Milestone photos compiled by Jay. Captions by Breanne:

1: Jay with Governor JB Pritzker and Farrside President Mercedes Miley at the press conference announcing the public-private partnership for Pullman’s Hotel Florence & Annex. The governor speaking at the podium. Farrside designer Mark Melvin with TERRA Engineering, Ltd.’s Dustin Erickson in the commercial kitchen of the Hotel Florence.

2: Flyer for community engagement with Hotel Florence in the background with an inset photo of the clock tower at Pullman National Historical Park.

3: Wooden ironing board covered with signatures and a piece of blue painters tape that reads “house”.

4: Empty interior residential space with wood paneling and floors, and fireplace.

5: Sunset office sailboat outing with Doug, Beckett, Len, Mark, Jay, and Breanne. Not pictured: Moid, Mercedes, Aaron, and Justin.

08/04/2026

📣 9th Ward Community Meeting Recap 📣

Read all about it: https://www.farrside.com/campaigns/view-campaign/QyvYNPu9teBfq6SAAfhpYsrYlQSYXHtDt-NM7xjD2YHCx2bu27mI-wFIifzK5Bj5K7_OSfhT23dUa_mmcuQBKvyDB7sl4gct

Subscribe to our Pullman mailing list to receive future updates: https://www.farrside.com/pullman-hotel-florence

07/30/2026

One of our biggest dreams just became reality.

Academy for Global Citizenship's Chicago campus is officially Living Building Challenge® certified by Living Future, achieving the world's highest environmental building standards! 🌟

This makes AGC the first project in Illinois, as well as the first whole school building in the world, to reach this bar.

Our values have always included action and audacity. We share this news on Nature Conservation Day to honor our unwavering foundational commitment to sustainability, innovation, and environmental stewardship as we continue working to advance both human and planetary well-being. 🦋

Thank you to everyone who helped nurture our campus into its full potential, including our Southwest Chicago community members and our visionary architecture partners SMNG A, Farr Associates, Trung Le, Urban Resolve, and Power Construction. Even the highest bar couldn't stop us!

🌱 Read the full press release featuring our key collaborators here: https://agcchicago.org/blog/agc-becomes-first-project-in-illinois-to-earn-living-building-challenge-certification

07/16/2026

While the city is on environmental red alert, here's a breath of fresh air — the Hotel Florence, surrounded by snow and basking in the sunshine against a clear blue sky.

⚠️ Our 9th Ward Community Meeting has been officially rescheduled! ⚠️ Join us on July 29, 2026 to meet the development team and receive updates on the future of the Hotel Florence & Annex.

Wednesday, July 29, 6:15pm–7:30pm
Pullman Community Center
10355 S Woodlawn Ave
Chicago, IL 60628

✅ Register for event reminders: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/hotel-florence-community-meeting-tickets-1993622592842

☎️ For more information: Contact the 9th Ward Alderman Anthony Beale Service Office (773) 785-1100 or [email protected]

📸: Library of Congress
https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/il0122.color.572101c/

07/13/2026

⚠️RAILROAD DAYS VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY!⚠️

Railroad Days is Chicago's one-of-a-kind railroad celebration! This year, we mark 100 years of electric rail and the transformation of Chicago that followed. We're looking for volunteers to help make this event unforgettable — for thousands of visitors and for yourselves.

One four-hour shift. You'll greet visitors, check tickets, and be part of something that matters. Spend a summer weekend with good people, in a neighborhood that knows how to celebrate. If you've volunteered before, you know how special this is. If you haven't, this is the year to find out.

Learn more and sign up: https://bit.ly/VolRRD26

Friends of Pullman National Historical Park

07/10/2026

🌟 BRIAN PIPAL 🌟 STAFF SPOTLIGHT 🔦

Brian is a summer apprentice at Farr Associates, returning to Chicagoland from Tulane University School of Architecture and Built Environment where he’s a rising junior! Brian plans to pursue a career as an architect, combining his interest in design and development.

Where do you call home? 🏡
Riverside, IL.

You’re currently a student at Tulane School of Architecture and Built Environment! What drew you to that architecture program? 📐

I had the privilege of doing a pre-college summer course through Tulane’s architecture school and immediately fell in love with the program. Tulane does an incredible job allowing students to balance work and life, and that is exhibited through the architecture school curriculum. The city of New Orleans is so rich in culture and history which makes studying architecture even more enjoyable.

→ Scroll through for more Q+A and snapshots from Brian! →

Image: Visiting the Tintagel Cliffs on a day trip to beautiful Cornwall County last summer.

Image: Tulane Crawfest!

Image: Crawfest is a student-run food and music festival at the end of spring semester every year and I got to try crawfish for the first time.

Describe the classes/coursework/projects/professors you’ve enjoyed the most so far in school. 🏘️

This past semester we just finished our housing studio! Each project moved very fast, but it was nice to be able to work at different scales and develop a language between each of the projects. Last fall we also designed a visitor center for the Bonnet Carré Spillway in Norco, Louisiana, highlighting the history of the infrastructure and local conditions of the region.

Top: Perspective collage proposal for the collective housing model project.

Bottom: Collective housing model for Tulane’s Housing Studio, Spring 2026

Generally speaking, what gets you excited about architecture, urban design… tHe bUiLt eNviRoNmEnT? 👀

What excites me about architecture is not merely what is being built, but how people interact with designed environments. I think the most exciting environments aren’t designed for a specific program, so big public spaces and pavilions really fascinate and excite me.

Image: Getting a chance to see the Gaudí’s Pa

07/08/2026

ALL ABOARD! 🚂🧡 We’re so excited to be part of Railroad Days at Pullman National Historical Park this July 25-26! Be sure to stop by our table at the Hotel Florence!

This year's event marks the 100th anniversary of the Illinois Central Railroad electrifying its South Suburban line – a moment that transformed the lakefront, opened the south suburbs, and shaped the city we know today.

The weekend is packed with things to see and do: a STEAM activity fair with educators, engineers, artists, and historians; rail cars from 1926 on site, including rides on Puffer Belly, a steam train replica; neighborhood walking tours; and a special Sunday talk by WTTW - Chicago PBS's Geoffrey Baer, host of the new program Riding the Rails.

Learn more: friendsofpullman.com/special-events/

07/02/2026

Team work makes the dream work! 🌿 We’re pleased as punch to be recognized as the Editors’ Pick for Midwest Small Firm in The Architect's Newspaper's 2026 Best of Practice Awards.

AN's Best of Practice Awards honor the firms that are thoughtfully shaping the built environment in North America. This wouldn’t be possible without the people behind the projects including our staff both past and present, our design partners and consultants, our trade partners who are out in the field, and our clients who entrust us with their projects. 💚

📸: various images by Tom Rossiter, Annkathrin Murray, Kai Brown, Alan Shortall, The Walsh Group, Scott Shigley, and Farrside staff

06/17/2026

🌟 Brian Pipal 🌟 Staff Spotlight Alert! 🚨 Brian joins us this summer from Tulane School of Architecture and Built Environment where he is a rising junior! Click for a little Q + A, including how swimming relates to architecture.

Join us in welcoming Brian Pipal to the Farrside! Brian is a summer apprentice at Farr Associates Architecture & Urban Design, returning to Chicagoland from Tulane University School of Architecture and Built Environment where he’s a rising junior studying Architecture with a Real Estate minor. He ...