At Studio Gang, the architecture firm co-founded by celebrated architect Jeanne Gang, a guiding principle has always been “start with what’s there.” In other words, have respect for the existing environment as you encounter it; there’s wisdom in how and why it’s there.
It’s a philosophy she brought to her work as lead architect on the Women’s Leadership Center at Williams Bay. “Before you put your mark on a place,” says Gang, “you have to understand it and develop a sense of care for the people, the site, and the context.” In Gang’s case, that’s led her and her team to imagine structures that are not only strikingly beautiful but also harmonize impeccably with the existing plants, animals, and ecosystems. A Studio Gang building doesn’t command a site; it responds to it.
“So many living beings are threatened right now,” says Gang. “I think we have to keep asking how we can do a better job of co-existing with other species on earth—and not hurt them.”
That philosophy has garnered Gang countless awards and global commissions, including a MacArthur “Genius Grant.” And it’s also why her work as architect of the Women’s Leadership Center at Williams Bay is gift not only to the humans who spend time there engaging in consequential conversations about the future but also to the countless living things with which we share our hill … and our world.