Sustainable Architecture in Chicago: Works in Progress provides a focused look at several innovative works that are models for commitment to sustainable building practices. Conceived as a companion exhibition to Massive Change: The Future of Global Design, a traveling exhibition curated by visionary designer Bruce Mau which the MCA hosts in September 2006, the project seeks to relate the larger ideas showcased in the exhibition about environmentally-responsible and ethical approaches to land use, materials, and energy-efficient practices to specific examples of how such ideas are being applied locally.

Following the premise of the larger exhibition to present real design solutions and prototypes, Sustainable Architecture presents works in progress in and around Chicago, emphasizing practical applications by architects who are setting new standards for creative approaches that are not only environmentally sound but also aesthetically significant.

The exhibition documents seven designs for institutional, commercial, or civic buildings planned for completion during the next few years by architects ranging from Studio Gang Architects and UrbanLab to Farr Associates and Tigerman McCurry Architects to Gensler, Murphy/Jahn, and Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP, and is curated by Elizabeth Smith, James W. Alsdorf Chief Curator and Deputy Director for Programs.