Out of The Loop: Vernacular Architecture Forum, Chicago 2015, edited by Virginia B. Price, David A. Spatz, and D. Bradford Hunt, (Agate Publishing, Evanston, IL, 2015)

In June 2015, the Vernacular Architecture Forum met in Chicago and got “Out of the Loop” to explore Chicago’s built environment through the lens of the conference’s theme, Neighborhoods in Transition. Out of the Loop: Vernacular Architecture Forum Chicago was published in conjunction with the forum as a companion piece.

A fascinating exploration of Chicago, this edited collection is an in-depth tour beyond architectural icons and into the city’s contested communities. Here the built environment remains open to new meanings. Neighborhoods hold pieces of civic structure, communal meaning, and cultural definitions. Some vernacular buildings, like the bungalow, are ready-made for occupancy and commonly produced, while still others are professionally designed. Out of the Loop not only addresses authorship but also adaptation of the built environment as generations pass. In these transitions, a city steadily comes into view.

Available from Amazon.