Martin Felsen

Office

Room 101
3410 S. State Street

Office Hours

By appointment

Phone 312.567.3230
Fax 312.567.5820
felsen@iit.edu
URBANLAB

Courses taught

ARCH 546 Architecture Cloud Studio VI: Metropolis (S18)
ARCH 545 Architecture Cloud Studio V: Metropolis (F17)
AURB 465 Principles of Urbanism (F12, S13, F17)
ARCH 545 Community-based Urban Design Studio (F11, F12)
ARCH 593 Master’s Project Design Studio (S11, S12, S13)
CRP 465 Ecological Basis of Urban Planning (F11)

Expertise

Professor Felsen is a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects and director of UrbanLab, an architecture and urban design firm based in Chicago. UrbanLab is involved in projects at all scales, ranging from large, urban infrastructural plans to residential, commercial, and recreational projects. Professor Felsen’s professional work blends design and research to produce uniquely progressive, site-specific projects, resulting in a new aesthetic for environmentally resilient architecture, landscapes, and public space. Professor Felsen’s recent book titled “Bowling” speculates on ways to realign architecture and infrastructure with dwindling natural resources. Professor Felsen was awarded the American Institute of Architects College of Fellows Latrobe Prize, the History Channel’s “City of the Future” competition, and many design awards from the American Institute of Architects. Professor Felsen’s work has been published and exhibited widely, including in the 2010 and the 2012 Venice Architecture Biennale and the 2015 and 2017 Chicago Architecture Biennial.

Education

MS.AAD, Columbia University
B.Arch., Virginia Tech

Teaching Experience

Studio Professor, IIT, Chicago, 1996-present

Professional Experience

Director, UrbanLab, Chicago, 2000-present

Changde City Master Plan, Changde, Hunan Province, China (2018)
Mohawk Residence, Chicago, IL (2017)
Ancona School Playground, Chicago, IL (2017)
Shane Campbell Art Gallery, Chicago, IL (2016)
Morgan Street Live + Work, Chicago, IL (2014)

Licenses

Illinois 2002, New York 2001 all to present

Selected Publications, Exhibits, and Recent Research

Selected Publications:

“Horizontal City,” Make New History, After the Second Chicago Architecture Biennial (A+U, 18:03, Issue 570, 2018).

UrbanLab - Bowling: Water, Architecture, Urbanism (Applied Research and Design, 2017).

“Fresh Water Planning,” Third Coast Atlas: Prelude to a Plan of The Great Lakes Region, (Actar, 2017).

“Re-Encampment,” Chicago Architecture Biennial 2017: Make New History (Lars Müller, 2017).

“Park City,” The Avery Review Issue 10 (Columbia University, 2015)



Selected Exhibitions:

“Re-Encampment,” Make New History, Chicago Architecture Biennial (2017)

“Filter Island,” The State of the Art of Architecture, Chicago Architecture Biennial (2015)

“Great Lakes Aqueduct,” Chicagoisms, The Art Institute of Chicago (2014)

“Fresh Water District,” Common Ground: City Works, Venice Biennale, 13th International Architecture Exhibition (2012).

“Archeworks Mobile Food Collective,” Workshopping: An American Model of Architectural Practice, Venice Biennale, the 12th International Architecture Exhibition, (2010).