The New Forum is a project developed to fit specifically the South-West corner of Humboldt Park (W Augusta Blvd and N Kedzie Ave) and link the edge between City and Park by making possible a wider connection to the Neighborhood with multiple programs destined to the community surrounding the Forum. After analyzing the demographics tendency of the Humboldt Park neighborhood and the corner that surrounds the Park edge, it was possible to conclude that there is a higher density of properties and population in the area around the site (as seen by the Nolli Map). Thinking of an approach to the site, such density was interpreted as both the Park and the Properties forcing one into each other to become one. With that in mind I proposed a site redraw where the streets edging the site are substituted by a spread of the Park into the neighborhood. The development of a Program Matrix was essential to reach the final activities present in the construction and that could fill the community needs. The focus was to create an educational farming facility in the middle of an important Chicago area, that could train and instruct people on how to grow, cook and learn about their own food and urban farming. Within the New Forum, exterior areas such as an orchard, vineyard, vegetable and flower plantations communicate directly to interior programs of the building such a self sufficient restaurant and cafe; wine bottling room; pottery classroom; teaching kitchen and market. Other classroom areas and auditoriums are destined for lectures and educational classes about farming within the city, intended for the Humboldt Park population. Tools: Rhino 3D, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Hand Sketching, Laser Cutting.
