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CHICAGO (CBS) – Not all of us found our purpose in life early on.
But Nick Lorenzen from the western suburb of LaGrange definitely has it. At 16, he was already on the way to becoming an architect.
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CBS 2’s Ryan Baker reports that the teen has just won a big award.
“It brings together a lot of interesting things. There’s the artistic element to designing a beautiful building. You can also try to tackle real problems. “
And that’s exactly what Nick Lorenzen did in the contribution that earned him the Newhouse Architecture and Design Award in 2021. It shows an apartment building that would be built from shipping containers.
“If you could use these containers, it could save a lot of money as well as the environmental impact,” said Lorenzen.
The task was to design affordable housing for the districts in the south and west of Chicago. Lorenzen’s design for the Austin community uses multiple containers on two floors. There is also a large open space and roof garden where residents can grow and sell their own food.
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“That can be an additional source of income. It would really have an impact on the community to have affordable and easy access to fruits and vegetables and healthy foods, ”said Lorenzen.
The 16-year-old’s parents said their talented son’s love of architecture began as a young child.
“When he was little we had to make sure there was a mat in the back seat of the car. He was always drawing things, ”said Father Don Lorenzen.
And Nick’s written description of his project also helped him win the prestigious Newhouse Prize.
“His explanation was concise, to the point, very clear, easy to understand, and straightforward,” said Kennda Mims-Burt, manager of teen programs at the Chicago Architecture Center.
“One of the things I like about architecture is that you can have a positive impact on the world if you do it well,” said Lorenzen. “So that would be pretty incredible.”
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Nick’s award-winning design was only a model, but he said if it is ever built it would be “a great honor”.
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