Urbanism in Disguise

Rewiring the Warehouse


Team: Clare Lyster + Alex Saavedra
Client: Self-Initiated Design Project


The increasing promise of same-day delivery is leading retailers to move distribution centers closer and closer to larger urban areas. A new prototype for a million-square-foot-plus big box combines distribution center, park and housing in the same structure. Triplex housing-units line three sides of the large big box and, like camouflage, disguise the enormity of the logistical space behind. The roof of the large warehouse is a twenty-three-acre public park with countless amenities including space for community gardens.






Clare Lyster Urbanism and Architecture (CLUAA) 2023 — Chicago, Illinois