On July 28th, Chicago affordable residence Lathrop celebrated a new series of sustainably constructed public artworks for residents to experience all year round. Related Midwest commissioned local artists Erik Peterson and Bryan Saner to fashion four “mega-chaise lounges” using logs that needed to be removed from Lathrop during the property's renovation process. Peterson and Saner crafted the chaises to closely resemble their natural forms as fallen trees, while also shaping them as comfortable seats for residents to relax on in the shade. The artists produced the chaises at Lathrop's Cooperative Woodshop with a small team that included Anjal Chande and Bluestem Building & Restoration.
This isn't the first time Lathrop's reclaimed wood has been utilized for artwork and resident enjoyment. In July of 2022, Erik Peterson and Vernon Herrion used fallen logs from the property to design and build 10 hand-built chess tables and 20 stools for Chi-Town Chess: The Englewood Open. Lathrop partnered with local organizations to host the community chess event, and participants of all ages spent an engaging day playing each other in chess and competing for custom-made trophies, which were also created by Peterson and Herrion.
