INSIDE DESIGN

Go behind the scenes of one of the most anticipated civic projects in the country with an inside look at the design and construction of Home Court at the Obama Presidential Center. Led by Moody Nolan architect Renauld Mitchell, this guided experience explores the architectural vision, design strategy, and build process behind the space.

Participants will gain insight into how the project moved from concept to construction, including key decisions around structure, materiality, and the role of the building within the broader campus. The tour offers a rare opportunity to experience the architecture up close while learning how design and construction teams collaborate to bring complex civic spaces to life.

Explore how mission-driven spaces support artists and makers inside the creative environment of Good Chaos.

The program opens with a moderated panel featuring leadership and participating artisans, examining the relationships between institutions and artists, the conditions that enable making, and the role of craft in shaping contemporary design culture.

The experience concludes with phased, small-group tours through the space, offering a closer view into the artisans’ work and process. Light bites and pastries will be served.

Go behind the curtain at one of Chicago’s most celebrated cultural institutions. This intimate experience offers rare access to the creative disciplines that bring stories to life on stage—from set construction and costume design to lighting and spatial storytelling.

The program begins with a moderated panel featuring members of the design and production team, followed by a guided backstage tour. Light bites and beverages will be served. Participants will also receive a discount code to purchase tickets to a weekend performance.

Explore how land, cultivation, and material experimentation inform contemporary design practice. Led by Urban Growers Collective CEO Erika Allen, this immersive workshop introduces participants to plant-based pigments and pattern-making using materials sourced directly from the farm.

Through a guided site tour, conversation, and hands-on demonstration, attendees will learn how plants traditionally grown for food can also become expressive design materials. The session highlights how natural pigments connect agriculture, sustainability, and material innovation—offering designers new ways to think about sourcing, process, and the life cycle of materials used in the built environment.

This experience invites architects, interior designers, and creatives to consider how design can begin with the land itself.