Judson University debuts live-work architecture center

The Future Architect Fund, in partnership with Elgin’s Judson University, recently opened Glunz Hall, a hybrid live-work residence and design studio for the university’s master of architecture program.

The Future Architect Fund is a nonprofit that supports the next generation of architects.

Studio Vertex, a local architecture firm, redesigned the former mid-century bank building at 28 N. Grove Ave. in downtown Elgin, creating an environment where graduate architecture students can live, work and learn, blending historic preservation with forward-thinking design, according to a news release.

“It’s hard to imagine a more fitting place to immerse oneself in the study of architecture than this historic building at the heart of an architecturally rich city like Elgin,” said Benjamin Glunz, founder of the Future Architect Fund, in the release.

“Our vision is to provide graduate students with a bridge from the study of architecture to full immersion in real world practice within their local community,” Glunz said.

The group coordinated the project, with donated design services, a discounted property acquisition and in-kind contributions from building product partners to create Glunz Hall, according to the release.

The $4.2 million project took 3½ years to complete, officials said.

That includes the $200,000 purchase price, $400,000 from the downtown Elgin tax increment financing district, or TIF, and $85,000 from a city of Elgin sprinkler grant.

All the costs were funded outside Judson University’s operating budget, officials said.

Glunz Hall is “for architects, by architects,” serving as a physical and symbolic investment in the profession, according to the release.

The building includes 13 apartments able to house about 40 students, alongside the Glunz Studio for Architecture and Urbanism, a collaborative design space for graduate architecture students to further their education in a simulated real-world setting.

The Glunz Studio is on the ground floor of Glunz Hall and the rental costs will be included in the architecture students’ room and board fees, officials said.

In-kind donations came from various building industries, such as Behr Paint Company, DuPont Corian, Delta Faucet, FreeAxez, Homasote, Kräus, Trim-Tex, Visual Comfort & Co., Studio Vertex and Anguleris.

Each material and product functions as a hands-on learning tool for student residents, making Glunz Hall a true living lab for building material science, according to the release.

For more information about the Future Architect Fund, visit futurearchitectfund.org.