Remediation of the American Dream, 2004 Schiff Prize Winner, 10 Computer Prints

This project seeks to create an alternative regional strategy to transform suburban areas with higher functionality and greater density. Taking a holistic view that includes politics, economy, land use, and architectural concerns, Grant Gibson proposed reprograming the region by progressively replacing suburban houses in Wheaton, Illinois, with “energy farms,” while inserting modern infill housing in unused space between other houses to increase density. Both strategic and visionary, Gibson’s plan echoes recent thinking about land use in areas of decreasing population in the United States. Grant Gibson is the founding partner of the architecture firm CAMES/gibson and Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago.