Explorations: The Architecture of John Ronan (Graham Foundation/PA Press: New Voices in Architecture). This item is unavailable.Explorations: The Architecture of John Ronan (Graham Foundation/PA Press: New Voices in Architecture)

In Chicago, there is a long history of celebrating architecture as a building art—not merely a graphic one—where lofty rhetoric takes a back seat to clear-headed pragmatism. John Ronan is a leading figure of a new generation of architects that are not only steeped in the grounded, rigorous, and self-critical Chicago tradition, but are also focused on design innovation. Ronan's decade-old practice has garnered critical praise and awards inrecognition of its subtle integration of sustainable technology, spatial composition, and material detail. His beautifully simple spaces convey a recurring theme of adaptability and flexibility across multiple functions that, when activated by a specific use, do not deter from a holistic architectural intent. Explorations features twelve projects ranging in scale from private residences and adaptive renovations to large public buildings.

John Ronan Architects' award-winning Gary Comer Youth Center was designed specifically to support the activities of Chicago's South Shore Drill Team; however, during the design process, the function of the space continued to evolve along with the client's goals, resulting in an architectural program that grew from a simple gym into a multifunctional space supporting a range of community and educational services. Explorations also features fully documented design processes for the recently completed Poetry Foundation in Chicago; the transformation of Washington, D.C.'s historic Yale Steam Laundry building into condominiums; the Urban Model High School, a new prototype school developed for the Public Building Commission of Chicago; and Precast Chapel, an economical concrete chapel for promoting interfaith dialogue and religious understanding. Explorations features a foreword by architectect Toshiko Mori; an essay by highly respected Chicago-based architect Brad Lynch; and an interview with John Ronan conducted by architectural historian Robert McAnulty.

John Ronan founded John Ronan Architects in 1999. He is an assistant professor of architecture at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago. His work has appeared in numerous publications and his projects have been featured in several exhibitions. John Ronan Architects was awarded the 2009 National Honor Award by the American Institute of Architects for the Gary Comer Youth Center project in Chicago, Illinois.