CLARKE-FORD HOUSE: RE-FRAMING A LANDMARK
Master's Thesis
Chicago, Illinois, USA
This thesis investigates the architectural, cultural, material and political dynamics of landmark legitimacy through the case of the Chicago Clarke-Ford House. contextualizing it within the historical material flows of lumber in the Great Lakes region. By examining how timber shaped Chicago’s built environment—both structurally and socioeconomically—the research bridges the material history of the Clarke-Ford House with contemporary and emergent timber construction. It challenges the static understanding of historic sites by proposing a framework for "living history"—one that balances history with contemporary engagement. By deconstructing the narratives embedded in the house’s materials, ownership shifts, and racialized history, the project interrogates the power structures that define landmarks and reimagines how design can foster evolving historical consciousness.
