Collaboration With Wrightwood659: Asiaha Butler

In conjunction with ‘Balkrishna Doshi, Architecture for the People’, Wrightwood 659 partners with Monica Chadha of Civic Projects Architecture and Sprit of Space to re-imagine key principles of Doshi’s work in the contemporary context of Chicago neighborhoods. Monica joins three Chicago natives, activist Asiaha Butler, artist Edra Soto, and journalist and author Natalie Moore as they reflect on their intersections with Doshi’s approach to low cost housing, urban planning, and vernacular architecture. Rather than a traditional tour, the series ‘Architecture of Community’ illustrates the duality of exhibition viewing, extending principles from the gallery to the places we inhabit. How do our own memories and cultural associations shape the reading of an exhibition? In turn, how are we and shaped by that account? View our first reflection with Asiaha Butler here and keep an eye out for the other two coming soon!

This fall, Civic Projects was invited to collaborate with Alphawood Exhibitions in conjunction with B.V. Doshi’s seminal retrospective at Wrightwood 659. 

“In college, I worked at the Vastu-Shilpa Foundation as a Research Associate in the Office of Balkrishna Doshi, focusing on the development of housing prototypes. This experience helped to build the foundation of my career as an Architect, and inspired the founding of Civic Projects Architecture. B.V. Doshi has been considered a father of Indian modern architecture, and was recognized with the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2018.

His work informs how we build communities for people. We are showcasing conversations with three Chicago powerhouses: activist Asiaha Butler, artist Edra Soto, and journalist and author Natalie Moore. They reflect on their engagements with Doshi’s approach to low cost housing, urban planning, and vernacular architecture.”

— Monica Chadha

The first video in this triptych is a conversation with Asiaha Butler about how Doshi’s philosophy could influence development in Englewood.

You can reserve a ticket to Balkrishna Doshi: Architecture for the People at this link. This critically-acclaimed exhibition is on view through December 12.