BOX Studios designed the FBRK Impact House in Chicago as a transformative co-working space that embodies the principles of Kintsugi, uniting non-profit organizations to foster collaboration and strengthen community impact.

The 40,000 square foot space for FBRK Impact House, Chicago’s first philanthropic-focused co-working space in the loop, is the dream project of former Chicago Bear Israel Idomije. The space is a place for non-for-profit businesses to unite and streamline their collective efforts under one roof, repairing a seemingly ‘broken’ system.

The idea of repair informed the design, which was inspired by Kintsugi, a Japanese art form that mends broken pottery with a gold dusted lacquer. As a philosophy, it treats breakage and repair as part of the history of an object, rather than something to disguise and transforms the flaw into a moment of beauty, humbleness and appreciation. This metaphorical inspiration supports the idea of the broken non-for-profit market industry finding its beauty and strength through the union of other groups in one place.

In addition to ‘mended’ design elements scattered throughout, the team also had to seamlessly puzzle various businesses together. Programmatically, the space weaves organizations together to utilize joint resources and foster creativity, efficiency and collaboration. The floor plan addresses adjacencies to meet the needs of individual agencies and their collaborations. By pooling resources, they fuel one another and positively impact the Chicago community.