Social responsibility at Aria Group means community involvement. Volunteers from Aria Group have been busy working on many projects over the last few years to help meet some of the needs of our community. In addition to supporting the community, our involvement allowed for greater inter-office collaboration and for individuals to explore roles outside of their typical responsibility. Aria’s office consists of four design studios, each led by a Principal. Within the studios, functions are generally divided into design and technical roles. The teams formed to work on these volunteer projects transcend the usual studio divisions. These volunteer teams are made up of individuals from various studios and skill levels with the opportunity to take on different day to day roles. This allows new skills to be developed and promotes comprehensive designs. These projects enable the ability to work closely with different coworkers, fostering new creativity and friendships.
Recently Completed Projects
Understanding ADA, Universal Design, hospital, and rehabilitation requirements, we assisted the Rush Oak Park Hospital Occupational Therapy Center with a new Practice Kitchen for their patients. Aria Group worked to design a functional kitchen that can accommodate patients’ mobility and sight restrictions. The space is also flexible with work stations, a lounge and dining space for patients and their guests. The project has given the hospital patients and staff a warm, comforting space for rehabilitation and small events.
The People’s Music School is the only completely free music school in Chicago. With generous donations of carpet tiles from Vortex Commercial Flooring, Xorel acoustical panels from Carnegie, and ceiling tiles from Armstrong, we were able to stay within the budget and fulfill our client’s needs for the renovation of their office space.
Projects in Progress
We are busy at work designing a new commercial kitchen in Chicago’s Lawndale neighborhood for truck and pushcart food vendors. The 16th Street Kitchen will be offering a safe and code-compliant kitchen for cooking and expanding community businesses. A couple of other projects are just starting construction. One in Chicago’s Austin neighborhood for the organization, A House in Austin, another for Sarah’s Inn in the near West suburbs.
Increasing Social Awareness
Participating in these public interest design projects increases Aria Group’s internal social awareness and helps us provide tangible design impact within our community.
