Mobile Makers Chicago
Location: Humboldt Park, Chicago
Design: Mobile Makers
Scope: Architect of Record
Builder: VMR Construction
Progress/Year: Completed 2024
Design: Mobile Makers
Scope: Architect of Record
Builder: VMR Construction
Progress/Year: Completed 2024
Once a dock for semi-truck deliveries, this newly renovated space is now a creative hub for year-round youth programming and special events. The renovated space includes a makerspace and workshop where design, architecture, digital fabrication, and basic construction workshops are held. The kitchenette and library offer a cozy place to sit and peruse a large selection of design and art publications. The mezzanine and conference room give Mobile Makers team members dedicated places to work independently and collaboratively. The oversized lobby with a participatory pegboard wall and brightly colored stadium seating welcomes and inspires guests. The Mobile Makers team designed the space to be kid-friendly, fun, and flexible. Because of the tight budget, the renovation is utilitarian—ceilings and systems are left exposed—but unique materials like polycarbonate, which helps bring light deeper into the space, are featured. The translucent walls and exposed systems give young people a real-world understanding of how buildings are built. This space fosters community-building, design activism, and imagination.
Photography: Tom Harris