Happily amid the Construction History Society of America’s Eighth annual meeting, which I’m co-hosting with Illinois School of Architecture colleague Marci Uihlein. In addition to spotlighting her research on N. Clifford Ricker–U of Illinois’ patron saint of all things architectural and construction–the conference has its usual outstanding range of papers, from concrete pontoon bridges to straw bale houses and almost everything in between. Tonight at 5:00, we’ll have our closing keynote lecture from Chicago Sun-Times columnist and architecture critic Lee Bey, who will be speaking about how architecture and historic preservation can play a role in Mayor Johnson’s agenda for the city. Lee’s lecture is open to the public, in 120 Architecture, if you’re in town.