French 2D
Boston, United States
French 2D is a studio founded by Jenny French (MArch Harvard GSD, BA Dartmouth) and Anda French, AIA (MArch Princeton, BA Barnard). The practice focuses on uncommon housing types, as seen in their work on cohousing, compact living, and adaptive reuse. They also design civic installations and exhibitions that use the domestic to bring people together for familiar rituals in unfamiliar contexts—through furniture, textiles, and spatial environments. Notable projects include Bay State Cohousing in Greater Boston, the Kendall Square Garage Screens in Cambridge, and the traveling Dinner Cozy series. The studio has received numerous recognitions, including a P/A Award and Architectural Record’s Design Vanguard. In 2024, they were nominated for the Mies Crown Hall Americas Prize. Their work has appeared in Domus, AZURE, PLOT, Metropolis, Monocle, and The Architect’s Newspaper, and has been exhibited at MoMA, the Venice Biennale, and UMASS Amherst. Jenny is an assistant professor in Practice at the Harvard GSD and Anda is a Visiting Lecturer at the Princeton SoA.
2025 Biennial Project
Project Overview
Bay State Cohousing
Bay State Cohousing is a collectively initiated shared housing scheme in the Boston area. Through workshops with the architect and the collective, the desires and needs of the group were determined and bylaws were established that articulate the residents’ core beliefs about communal living and self-governance. The resulting complex resembles an expanded single-family home and features a bright, cheerful color palette.
Venue
View moreChicago Cultural Center
Address
78 E. Washington St., Chicago, IL 60602
Neighborhood
The Loop
Description
Completed in 1897 as Chicago’s first central library, the building was established as the Chicago Cultural Center, the nation’s first and most comprehensive free municipal cultural venue, in 1991. One of the most visited attractions in Chicago, the stunning landmark building is home to two magnificent stained-glass domes, as well as free art exhibitions, performances, tours, lectures, family activities, music, and more – presented by the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) and many others.
