The Babuk Report

Category: Community Organization

  • Darrel Babuk presented with Visit Oak Park Award

    At the Annual Meeting of Visit Oak Park (formerly known as the Oak Park Area Visitor and Convention Bureau), Darrel Babuk was presented with the “New Member of the Year Award”, in recognition of the Babuk Presentations, Inc.  initiative.

    Though Darrel Babuk is a practicing architect – having completed various project and program management projects for clients such as the Chicago Transit Authority, Chicago Public Schools, and West Suburban Hospital –he has always been doing public speaking engagements and other presentations.

    It may have started with his presentation to the Royal Institute of British Architects in London that described architectural internship and formal education in the United States, which Darrel was invited to present as part of his tenure as National Vice President of the American Institute of Architecture Students.  The concept of Babuk Presentations took off when Darrel was tapped by the City of Chicago Mayor’s Office of Special Events for a series of presentations about Chicago’s architecture and railroad history for the Great Chicago Places and Spaces festival series.  His address to the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada’s national convention last year was but one of several out-of-town presentations where he has promoted Oak Park; on the flip side, he is constantly delivering customized presentations about Chicago and Oak Park to organized groups visiting from out-of-town and abroad.  

    He has always been organizing events – like “Canadian Architecture in Chicago Week”, or the “Scottish Motor Club and British Car Show” at the Illinois Saint Andrew Society Highland Games, or even the “Oak Park Architecture Photo Party” for the North Avenue Business Association. 

    Putting all of this together created Babuk Presentations, Inc, a hobby turned into a business that promotes Oak Park. 

    In connecting even more of the dots, Babuk Presentations, Inc. provides cross-border US / Canada goods and services trade consulting to clients in the Architecture / Engineering and Construction sectors.  

    It’s all great fun to do, and fun to be doing it in Oak Park.

  • It’s been a while, folks….

    …and a whirlwind of activities it has been.  Just to name a few of the distractions that came over me:

    Leading a program for the National Meeting of the Society of Architectural Historians that was held in Chicago.

    Delivering a presentation of “Canadian Architects of the Chicago School 1884 – 1935” to the National Festival of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, and delivering abbreviated versions of this presentation to the Racquet Club of Chicago, and to the Cliff Dwellers Club.

    Being a Docent for the Pleasant Home Foundation’s annual “Pleasant Homes of Oak Park” fundraiser.

    At the request and sponsorship of Visit Oak Park, planning a program describing the art and architecture of Oak Park’s churches to be given during the Oak Park Arts Council’s “ArtRageous! Oak Park” Festival, to which the kind folks at Porter Airlines generously donated a pair of roundtrip airline tickets as a silent auction item.

    All of the speaking engagements have lead to some fascinating research, like finding meeting minutes of the River Forest Tennis Club first approving the membership applications of Mr.  & Mrs. Frank Lloyd Wright in 1907, only to be succeeded by Board Meeting minutes in 1912 or so, rescinding the memberships of Frank Lloyd Wright and Mamah Cheney, for reason of “Philandering”.

    There’s been lots of travel, including some time on the west coast (prairie kids always want to wind up on the coast).

    And a trip to speak in Saskatoon (it’s a city in Saskatchewan), where I found that not only was the person in line behind me at the airport the Senior Advisor to the Premier of Saskatchewan going away on a quick vacation of sorts, but that the incoming flight was grounded due to a bird strike and ensuing engine flame out.

    But that if that wasn’t enough for careening into famous political figures, I bumped into Paul Martin (former Prime Minister of Canada) at the Island Airport in Toronto – he actually took a seat next to me in the Departures Lounge.

    And many volunteer activities:

    Volunteering to give impromptu Canadian geography presentations during the Tall Ships Festival.

    Chairing the British Car Show at the Illinois Saint Andrew Society Highland Games.  I had planned to enter the Caber Toss event and even contacted the Heavy Athletic Chair to enquire; I just didn’t get around to attending the training sessions held in a far western suburb of Chicago. 

    Assisting various community groups organize various car shows or British, Italian and German themes, complete with entertainment by the Thistle and Heather Highland Dancers, and various bagpipers.

    Oak Park Architecture Photo Party, which even extended into the Galewood neighbourhood of Chicago, an area rich with mid-century modern architecture.

    And I’ve started to develop manuscripts for books, including “Canadian Architects of the Chicago School 1884 – 1935”, “First Railroads, Then Skyscrapers”; and the one closest to publication “Art Deco Oak Park”, for which there is a hard bound draft copy lurking about.

    Whew!!  Perhaps I ought to simply get back to writing The Babuk Report…

  • The North Avenue Architecture Photo Party

    North Avenue, the border between the north side of Oak Park and the Galewood neighborhood of Chicago, is relatively newer than many surrounding neighborhoods. While the buildings along North Avenue post date Frank Lloyd Wright, he golfed here with friends and clients. Many used the area as a place to get away and hide from the City.  It was one of the first automobile oriented commercial strips in the Chicago area. A favorite location for drive-in restaurants, the road west of Oak Park and Galewood – known as State Route 64 – was a renowned teen hangout for street races. 

    Architecturally, the area is rich in 1920’s storefronts with highly decorative terra cotta cladding and details. Later buildings were exuberantly mid-century modern. 

    Experience the world renowned architecture of our town, which is just a scant eight miles / twelve kilometres from another equally world renowned and architecturally significant place, the Chicago Loop.  

    And besides –North Avenue has lots of great restaurants, stores and cultural attractions to discover and enjoy once you’ve completed the North Avenue Architecture Photo Party.

    Instructions:

    By walking along public sidewalks and right-of-ways contained along North Avenue between Austin and Harlem Avenues, and for an area one block north and south along Harlem Avenue; locate these architectural features and details, noting their location. 

    Oak Park is a living museum containing many private homes that just happen to be world renowned masterpieces.  No private residences are featured in the North Avenue Architecture Photo Party.   However, please respect the homeowner’s privacy and remain on the public sidewalks for the hunt.

    Here’s a sampling of the program:

    The Jetsons’ probably get their teeth fixed here.
    Terra Cotta TV
    A monumental building

    An additional feature of the scavenger hunt is the North Avenue Historical Photo Party.  This may be the most enigmatic image of them all:

    North Pole Drive In, River Forest, Illinois

    While historians agree that this was the North Pole Drive In, located in River Forest, Illinois.  It’s also agreed that its architect was Bertrand Goldberg.  No consensus exists on where this was located.  However, I have my theories….

     The entire program is on display in the lobbies of these banks on North Avenue, who have supported the North Avenue Architecture Photo Party:

    ABC Bank, North Avenue, Chicago

    Charter One Bank, North Avenue, Chicago

    Midwest Bank, North Avenue, Elmwood Park

    US Bank, North Avenue, Oak Park

    June 2010 North Avenue Architecture Photo Party is a production of:

    North Avenue Business Association

    Oak Park Architectural League

    This edition has been made possible by:

    Visit Oak Park

    Oak Park River Forest Historical Foundation

    www.3planets.com / www.shopoakpark.com

    Heitzman Architects

    Babuk Presentations, Inc / www.TourAboutChicago.com

    Keep following this event anywhere in the world at www.OakParkArchitectureParty.com

  • The Scottish Motor Club – 2010 Calendar of Events

    There have been some inquiries regarding the Scottish Motor Club’s Calendar of Events this year.  An abbreviated version:

    2009 Heartland International Tattoo & 1991 Lotus Exige

    Heartland International Tattoo, Sears Center, Hoffman Estates, Illinois

    Saturday, 10 April, 2010

    www.heartlandtattoo.org

    This event is being in conjunction with members of the British Car Union, Lotus Corps Chicago and the Rolls Royce Owners Club / Lake Michigan Region.

    2008 Highland Games and 1954 MG-TF

     

    Illinois Saint Andrew Society Highland Games, Oak Brook, Illinois

    19 June 2010

    http://www.chicago-scots.org/24th-annual-scottish-festival-a-highland-games.html

    We will probably make an appearance at the Scottish Home Picnic on Saturday, August 7.

    The British Home / Daughters of the Empire have requested that we appear in September, but we’re trying to understand if there are any scheduling conflicts. 

    2007 British Car Union & Triumph Herald Cabriolet (timeless)

    British Car Union, Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, Illinois  

    12 September 2010

    www.britishcarunion.com

    2009 Downers Grove "Import Night" & rainstorm

    We may also be making an appearance at one of the regularly scheduled car shows in the area when they hold “British Night” or Import Night” if we can round up dancers and a bagpiper.

    1957 "Hot Rod" MGA, Oak Park Avenue British Car Show 2009
    2009 Oak Park Avenue British Car Show & 1957 "Hot Rod" MGA

    Aye!

  • Canadians in the Chicago School 1884 – 1935 Presentation

    The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada holds a national convention every year, entitled the “Festival of Architecture”.  This year, the Festival is being held in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, and its theme will be “Sounds Like Architecture”.

    Proudly, I will be delivering a talk “Canadians of the Chicago School 1884 – 1935” at this year’s Festival, on June 26.  This topic talks of the contributions made directly by Canadians to the development of the 1880’s Chicago skyscraper format, and the contributions those Canadians brought back to create a “Canadian” skyscraper.

    This is a presentation delivered previously to the Chicago Architecture Foundation, and to visiting student and faculty groups from various Canadian and European universities.  I’m constantly drawing on research from many sources in preparation for this preparation.

  • So, what was that you wanted to know?

    The last month or so has seen a flurry of behind the scenes activity at the Babuk Report.  All for the good.  It’s all about Learn About Chicago a venture described elsewhere in this blog.

    Learn About Chicago is an initiative that is an extension of the sort of architectural awareness and organization that I’ve done in past.  It is a division of Babuk Presentations, Inc.

    The major focus of Learn About Chicago targets university students who want to spend an extended period studying Chicago’s architecture. It may be a studio class led a professor from a visiting institution, or it may be a program of presentations and interactive learning experiences that I assemble.  I work with the visiting groups to tailor make a Chicago experience that they will take with them, to further their studies at their home collegiate institution.  Learn About Chicago can work with many other groups wanting a series of presentations – presentations delivered by myself or others – bundled together into a program that describes Chicago.

    Tour About Chicago is another division of Babuk Presentations Inc.  Tour About Chicago focuses on delivering articulate and informative presentations about Chicago’s architectural and railroad history.  I weave Chicago’s historical sites into captivating and fascinating story lines.  Tour About Chicago is much like what I’ve been doing all along.  Many of the Tour About Chicago presentations – especially those that describe Oak Park and the near western suburbs of Chicago will be marketed through Visit Oak Park.

    Tour About Chicago specializes in the little known parts of Chicago.  Quirky history.

    Babuk Presentations, Inc. is a new direction within my architectural practice.  It specializes in all types of presentations; graphic design, public speaking and the like.

    Watch for a revamped web presence soon.

  • Christmas Trees Around the World in Cook County

    Chicago is a city of neighbourhoods, and a city of many ethnic backgrounds and traditions.

     
     

     

    Canadian tree (right), Egyptian tree (middle)
    Canadian tree (right), Egyptian tree (middle)

    Recently, I was invited to attend the Cook County Treasurer’s / Office of Ethnic Affairs Christmas Party of “Christmas Trees Around the World”.  Every year, they send me an invite to attend.  They know me from the Canadian Club and from the Saint Andrew Society, am never sure what to dress up as.  This event coincides with a display of Christmas trees decorated by various ethnic groups in the area, all on display in the same room where one pays property taxes at City Hall. 

     

    A Hammond Organ, an Accordion - what more could a Christmas party need?
    A Hammond Organ, an Accordion – what more could a Christmas party need?

    Last year, the County Treasurer could been seen crooning Christmas carols with the Chairman of the County Board, while the Chairman played a mean Hammond organ.  This year, the Chair wasn’t in attendance, but the image from last year made me think that all that was missing was someone playing the accordion, like the parade scene in “Ferris Buehler’s Day Off”.  Low and behold, this year –perhaps to make up for the non-appearance of the County Chair – the German American Association of Chicago supplied a rotund fellow with an accordion, leading the crowd in an all German rendition of “Silent Night”. The County Treasurer was positioned at the Hammond organ, though not nearly as theatrical as was the County Chair.  It was a very Chicago sort of thing.

    Now about what to show up as: in panning both Canadian and Scottish organizations to see who would be making an appearance, the Canadian Club were planning a good showing, the Scots were lacking, so I dressed up in full highland garb.  The Canadians were impressed.  A lady from a Scandinavian consulate likewise appeared to be impressed though I may never know, as she only spoke to me in a language that I couldn’t understand.  She did seem to be chuckling as she spoke, however.

    The Scottish tree, immediately prior to a group of ladies asking me to pose beside it
    The Scottish tree, immediately prior to a group of ladies asking me to pose beside it

    On that note however, and in response to the Germanic rendition of “Silent Night”, I attempted to get a French rendition of “Jingle Bells”, or rather “Vive la Vente” without success.  They only others in attendance who could speak French were a group of people from Cameroon, and I think that the whole “snow” concept may have been a bit of a novelty.

  • One Final Note about the Hanna Roundhouse

    The “Roundhouses of the World” exhibit that has been on display at the Hanna Public Library is closing this week.  In a way, it still lives on.

    The Oak Park Architectural League is having its Bi-Annual Members Show this month at the Oak Park Public Library in Oak Park, Illinois.  Being a member, my contribution to the OPAL exhibition is a condensed version of the “Roundhouses of the World” exhibit.  This exhibit depicts a bit of the work to date associated with the Hanna Roundhouse.

    Using Prince Phillip’s musing of the studio cottages of the Banff Centre of the Arts “I gather that it’s my duty to declare this facility much more open than it previously has been”; although the OPAL exhibition is currently open to the public, the grand opening, if you will, will be held on Wednesday, December 9 at 630PM.  I have been asked to say a couple words about the Hanna Roundhouse.

    The Oak Park Architectural League exhibit will remain on display in the Art Gallery of the library until December 29.

  • Ferris Beuhler’s Day Off in November

    It seemed like a simple enough request – appear with my daughter on a float in the North Michigan Avenue “Festival of Lights Parade”.  North Michigan Avenue is the most exclusive shopping district in Chicago and to start the Christmas holiday shopping season, they have a large night time parade – bathed profusely in brilliant light.  Sponsored by a variety of organizations including Disney and the Harris Bank it was well organized and professionally staged.  Our float, sponsored by the Museum of Science and Industry commemorating their “Christmas Around the World” display, was staged next to the Newberry Library under and archway of searchlights rotating about the sky.  The float was kind of reminiscent of the “beauty parlour” scene in “Grease”, with ladies cascading symmetrically up vertical tiers to a proscenium – the ladies in this instance being girls from the Thistle and Heather Highland Dancers, their fathers strategically stationed onboard.

    The Parade Getting Staged
    The Parade Getting Staged

    We proceeded down Oak Street before the official parade start on Michigan Avenue – the storekeepers at Prada and Coach seemed impressed with our float. Spectators from the Dining Room at the Women’s Athletic Club to the window offices at Illinois Center were all watching and waving, and we waved back at them.  We even passed by the spot where Oprah Winfrey filmed her TV show on the day when Michigan Avenue was closed; we could not find evidence of any pilgrims paying homage or erecting shrines to commemorate that event, though one would imagine that there still is time for this to occur.  On a dark night under bright lights with cheering audiences, it was a festive experience for all of us onboard. 

    It kind of seemed like the parade scene from “Ferris Beuhler’s Day Off” albeit North Michigan instead of Dearborn Street, and sun down instead of noon hour, but hey…  You know, this is Chicago, and stuff like this seems to happen all the time.

    Now about Ferris Buehler – the house that was portrayed as a garage that housed the infamous Ferrari Daytona (a fiberglass replica) that slipped out of a window and down a hillside is up for sale.  In real life, it is a house and was designed by a student of Mies van der Rohe.  Its asking price is $2.3million. 

    For me, I’m just fine with the Ferris Buehler parade experience instead.

  • The Shrinking City

    A recent presentation by the President of CEO’s for Cities to the Association of Architecture Organizations spoke of major trends affecting cities, and described scenarios for growing – and shrinking – cities.  The concept of shrinking cities struck a particular note. 

    Anyone familiar with the United States will immediately think of Detroit or a variety of cities across Michigan, Ohio, and perhaps upstate New York.  These are cities that relied on a strong manufacturing economy as a basis for municipal growth, a manufacturing economy since vanished. 

    For me; I’m drawn to rattle off any of several small towns that may have been founded on transportation and commerce systems that have since focused on being “more efficient”, concentrating on fewer, yet larger distribution centres.  The Small Town Design Center at Mississippi State University has done excellent research and tangible project work on the shrinking small town issue.  In smaller economies – like small towns – a simple change of stores on Main Street or realignment of a highway has a proportionally greater impact than it would on a larger economy.  Small towns are particularly sensitive to shrinkage.

    Overall; how does a shrinking city get its residents to invest in buying a house when there may be so many abandoned properties around town? How does a shrinking city encourage new business to take root when so many other businesses – and the potentially “synchronicity” that occurs when businesses network and interact with other businesses – have disappeared?  How can a shrinking city retain and develop quality services like schools, and develop opportunities to retain that prime demographic group of 18 – 34 year olds whom can build a lasting economy?

    The message was to discourage those cities from taking on municipal debt to finance potential growth, as that debt would become impossible to retire on shrinking revenues.  Municipal debt would become detrimental to attracting business and providing services.  Another comment struck a note, and was foreshadowed in previous postings herein: cities have strayed from providing quality public services – schools, libraries, recreation, entertainment and the like. Instead, people are seeking these services from commercial sources (bookstores rather than libraries) or themselves (home gyms and media rooms rather than public parks and cinemas).  It was part of the “McMansion” and “Cocooning” phase that we’ve been through, which one may hope is behind us.

    The message for shrinking cities was to maintain quality municipal services, while holding the line on taxes as a way of attracting the influential “young” population.