Explore the Work of Hoerr Schaudt
In his Foreword to Movement and Meaning: The Landscapes of Hoerr Schaudt, architect Laurence Booth writes, “The dynamic meeting of minds that animates everything Hoerr Schaudt builds and plants has produced an uncommonly diverse portfolio. Exuberance and restraint, spontaneity and reflection, romance and pragmatism, memory and anticipation all figure in the mix. Anybody who tries to pin one neat label on this protean force will find it a moving target.”
See for yourself. Join TCLF for our Spring 2024 excursion, for this unprecedented, curated tour highlighting the firm’s diverse and significant work in Chicagoland. From jewel-box meticulously crafted vest pocket private gardens to soaring expansive roof gardens like the award-winning meadow atop the Old Post Office, the firm’s impact on the city continues to expand the scope of the landscape architect in shaping the city. Transportation and a scrumptious lunch will be provided.
The launching off point for this excursion is Hoerr Schaut's inspiring new studio space where guests will be fortified with coffee and some tasty nibbles. Following brief remarks and a studio tour, the group will proceed to the first of four sites on our itinerary, the nation's largest private rooftop garden.
Chicago is famous for its rooftop gardens of which there are more than 500 and the Meadow at the Old Chicago Post Office, covers more than three acres. Visually stunning, with some 41,000 plants comprised of more than 50 species, the garden also provides plenty of seating, a quarter mile running track, multi-sports court, and two platform tennis courts. And the environmental benefits are substantial: the urban meadows and trees prevent more than a quarter-million gallons of stormwater from becoming polluted runoff; that meadow captures more than one million pounds of CO2 and decrease energy consumption as well as the emission of air pollutants and greenhouse gases; and three colonies of bees call the meadow home, protecting and maintaining its ecosystem.
The tour will then proceed to three private residential projects in the Lincoln Park neighborhood. Here, the legacy of Italianate architecture in the city had its heyday in the 1860s to 1890s, and is most concentrated in three neighborhoods, including Lincoln Park. The landscape at this next stop, a restored Italianate residence is revealed through a series of thematic garden rooms, which draw inspiration from historical elements and specific local materials. The layout is divided into two main sections: a street-facing front yard and a sequence of private back garden spaces. The inviting backyard includes a versatile space for entertaining, seamlessly linked to the kitchen and dining room. The tiered design also features a dining area on one level, transitioning to a casual lounge area with a fireplace. A spa courtyard doubles as a tranquil water feature and a functional hot tub, harmonizing with the lush greenery focused on textures rather than flowers.
Our next stop is an Irish Georgian-style residence which inspired the classical walled garden that feels more like a private emerald isle. Here, generous green roofs and terraces expand the landscape beyond the first floor of the home, investing the exterior with a quiet yet elegant drama. Cleverly shielded views, deploying a lofty hawthorn hedge at the rear terrace and trees grown in containers atop the alleyway garage, provide privacy and a secluded space for outdoor recreation, entertaining, and repose for the homeowners – not to mention an air of expectation within the perfectly aligned spaces.
Finally, our last stop is a new Modernist residence where stone and iron were the primary materials used in the garden’s design, serving both to reference the house and to balance its scale. Massive slabs of Eden Stone at the front walk create a clean, uncluttered arrival experience, while a heavy iron gate serves to deconstruct the building’s mass with its contrasting color. Large swaths of pachysandra and lawn soothe the eye in the side garden’s groundplane, while groves of large birch trees create an alluring foreground to the lawn beyond. In the back gravel garden, free-form plantings that meld into the gravel relax the hard geometry and create a more casual space.
The schedule is subject to change.
As this is a spring fundraiser for TCLF, a portion of the ticket price is tax deductible.
4.5 LA CES™ professional development hours will be available to attendees.
Refund Policy
Cancellations and Refunds will be granted according to the following schedule:
Up to two (2) weeks in advance: 50% (Deduction represents administrative processing fees)
No refunds will be made for cancellations thirteen (13) days prior to event
No refunds will be made for “No Shows” (a person who registers for a program but who does not cancel registration or attend the program).
Refunds will be processed as they are received or after the conclusion of the program, depending on the program date and when cancellation occurs. Refunds may take five (5) to seven (7) business days to process.
