The library, as an archetype, has always been about more than books. Over its long history, it has been recognized as repositories of information, institutions of learning, and destinations for scholars, educators, and leaders. It has endured as places for knowledge, discovery, and connection, and evolved to represent so much more for the communities in which they are built. They…
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The Luminary
The arts play a critical role in society. Medium aside, the arts speak to the human experience and are born from a place that cannot be easily replicated or generated by external systems. The arts are about heart, about emotion, about beauty, and about thought, contributing in powerfully meaningful ways to larger dialogues and collective conversations. Interactive, playful, celebratory, or…
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Art in landscape
For PKA Architecture of Minneapolis, Minnesota, architecture is both a science and an art. It is a science of data and analysis, of structural engineering and material science, and of technology and innovation. It is about spatial planning and sustainable design practices, stewarding both the built and unbuilt landscape informed by a commitment to enduring design and an understanding of…
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The Aquifer
To the Scots, whisky, “uisge beatha” or “usquebaugh,” means “water of life.” Derived from Scottish Gaelic, the word—and spirit—has since traveled the world, taking on new flavor profiles, processes, names, and styles, pairing heritage, history, and cultures. In the United States, where whiskey has become the distinctly American product known as Bourbon and thrives as a tradition of sour-mash, whiskey…
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Detroit Ni Nyumbani
For the 2024 Outstanding Restaurateur nominees, Hamissi Mamba and Nadia Nijimbere, Baobab Fare in Detroit, Michigan is more than just a restaurant. Founded by the husband-and-wife team, who are refugees from Burundi, East Africa, Baobab Fare is a celebration of vibrant flavors and simple ingredients, authentic dishes and rich culture, and a destination in which community, connection, and conversation intersect…
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The Parlour
In Glen Ellyn, Illinois, located just off of Main Street along Pennsylvania Ave., The Parlour at Park & Oak invites patrons, travelers, and clients alike to step into its storied cocktail lounge and linger a while. Dedicated to the art and place of conversation, The Parlour—much like its namesake derived from the French word parler, meaning “to speak”—is a space…
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A Bar of Their Own
Sports fans often recognize the powerful potential of a great moment. It is at times in a play, a strategy, or a gravity-defying move so memorable and so riveting that it is fixed in time as an iconic moment in athletics history. From the rush of adrenaline, and the recognition of resilience as a player or team weathers injuries and…
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Optima Verdana
In 2023, Optima, Inc., a family-owned, vertically integrated and design-driven real estate development firm based in Glencoe, Illinois and Scottsdale, Arizona, realized a multi-family, 100-unit apartment building in downtown Wilmette, Illinois, delivering rental residences and an amenity-rich development to the North Shore market. For the privately-held firm, the residential and commercial project is more than its visual composition of glass…
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Mike Shively, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP
Founding Partner, Architect En Masse | Chicago, Illinois To Mike Shively, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP, whose mission in life is to make life better through architecture, design is a personal exploration. But it is less about putting his own stamp or personal architectural mark on the work he co-creates with his studio team and clients, and more about the…
