Chicago is a city with an iconic skyline. What makes a skyscraper work? Where did they come from and why are they central to Chicago history.
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How We Operate: Thanksgiving and Great Food at Moss:::
Thanksgiving, that foodiest of all holidays, is a personal favorite of everyone at moss. In the spirit of the holiday we wanted to give thanks for our favorite food traditions.
Design for Darkness: How Outdoor Lights Affect the Sky
Seeking starlight from Chicago, home of the orange glow, is hard. Here’s how you can help protect the night sky with your lighting choices.
Resilient Responses to Storm Damage: What Chicago Can Learn From New York's Big U Project
This weekend’s damage to the Lakefront Trail only underlines the need for a more environmentally resilient plan to deal with our waterfront. New York is handling this better with their “Big U” coastal infrastructure project. What can we learn from their designs? And why aren’t we on top of this already? In case the nippy weather, obsessive […]
Don't Forget To Vote TODAY: Polls Are Open Until 7PM
Why do a bunch of designers care about casting ballots? How we vote is crucial to the built environment and the people who create and live in it. Our national, state and local representatives make countless decisions that affect the potential for sustainability and for good, equitable design. For example, on today’s ballot, we choose […]
Spooky Architecture: Cemeteries to Welcome the Living
Cemeteries have a compelling history, transforming from unsanitary resting places to picturesque parks, before settling into plain, landscaped lawns, losing not a few bones along the way in the move. Knowing this, we may never look at those subterranean skeleton decorations in quite in the same way again. Our Tuesday post “Spooky Architecture: Cities […]
Spooky Architecture: Cities of the Living, Parks of the Dead
The Cemetery: spooky, somber and no picnic … spot. Wrong. We explore cemeteries past and present, looking at cities from Paris to Cahokia, and Chicago.
A Softer Alternative to Chicago’s Concrete Shoreline
Chicago has just proposed a new 6 acre extension to the shoreline park at Fullerton Avenue complete with new concrete revetment. Having recently combed the sand dunes of Indiana’s Lake Michigan shore, we wonder about softer shore styles they might have considered. Surely concrete barricades aren’t the only strategy for interfacing between land and water at the city’s edge … maybe […]
What does it mean to be "From Chicago"?
Here at moss, we proudly label our creations as made in Chicago. We support our city (and neighborhood) businesses, artists, events and activities. But are we “from Chicago”? That’s a complicated question. The Ineluctable Pull of the City Young Matt, aged 12, lived in the West Suburbs of Chicagoland but dreamed of urban living. He wrote away for a […]
The Railroader Console: Out of the Workshop
This latest fruit of the moss Furniture Division is an eclectic tribute to some of Chicago’s history. Made (and inspired) right here in our home city, the Railroader Console could be right at home with you. Click here to make it yours!
The Humble Bike Rack: Good, Bad and Ugly found in Chicago’s North Side Neighborhoods
Warning: some sign posts are designed to be easily removed and so are NOT SECURE places to lock your bike. Always check the base. The Humble Bike Rack: this under-appreciated piece of urban street furniture popped onto our radar again when Rogers Park announced its contest finalist for a new neighborhood bike rack design. The winners are all […]
Chicago’s People Spots Here to Stay … Here’s Why
People Spots are tiny parks, right along Chicago’s neighborhood sidewalks. Good for business, good for neighborhoods, good for people! Here’s why: