Why do you practice architecture?
We seek projects with causes attached to them, particularly those with historic references. We want to directly affect people's perception of space through dream-like visions of architecture. Our projects fit under the umbrella of radical preservation, a term we have coined in protest to the American trend of demolishing out-dated buildings. Radical Preservation is also a method of reversal from the known state of restoration where instead of renewing a building to it's original state, we allow it to evolve into a new type of architecture by adding programmatic elements of design to it's existing construction.

How does “otherness” inform your architectural agenda or expression? 
We have no clients. All of Chicago Underground Practice’s work is in the form of open competitions. This gives us the freedom (otherness) that most architects lose over the course of their careers. Chicago Underground Practice does not design architecture to be built. Our designs are fantastical in nature and are meant to push the boundaries of what architecture could be. This also translates to our competition entries; our representations are not standard architectural drawings (plans, sections, elevations) which are required for construction but unique depictions of an otherness world, reminiscent of work seen by graphic designers and illustrators.

Chicago Underground Practice starts each design by writing a text for the project. By writing our text first, we allow for research to guide our ideas in a verbal manner before it develops into a graphic one. In contrast, most architects start with simple sketches of what will later become the architectural building, only later writing out the architect's intentions with the benefit of hindsight. Although a deep-dive into the stories and history behind a project comes before form, once the design process starts, both narrative elements and design considerations equally affect the final product.
In our Design a Story entry, the narrative seems abstract, and it's unclear whether it's a chronology of events or all happening simultaneously. This written structure was inspired by one of our greatest heroes, architect John Hejduk, and his book Mask of Medusa.