Werk

Tall buildings reflecting sunlight by a waterfront, with trees and a bridge in the foreground.
  • Sunny patio with plants, a swinging chair, wooden furniture, and a person walking with a bag.
    ARCH 311
  • Walkway leading to a modern urban skyline at sunset, with reflective surfaces and people seated nearby.
    ARCH 311
  • Reflective glass building distorting city skyline and clouds under a bright blue sky.
    ARCH 311
  • Reflective glass building with curved facade, trees and waterfront in foreground, cityscape in background.
    ARCH 311
  • Tall glass skyscraper with a slight curve, surrounded by trees and modern urban buildings.
    ARCH 311
  • Diagram linking a rectangular building plan to a wavy, abstract base with red lines.
    ARCH 311
  • Map of Chicago with red dots marking locations, black detailed streets, and surrounding text elements.
    ARCH 311
  • Sex workers' rights collage with slogans, protest imagery, and red graphic elements.
    ARCH 311
  • Clustered hexagonal patterns in shades of red, arranged in groups with varying densities.
    ARCH 311
  • Map with streets, waterway, buildings, and a rectangular area outlined in red.
    ARCH 311
  • Museum floor plan with labeled lobby and museum areas, surrounded by landscape elements.
    ARCH 311
  • Dimly lit architectural space with textured walls, angled forms, and a person standing in shadow.
    ARCH 311
  • Man smiling with glasses and dark shirt, standing indoors near a window with tree branches visible outside.
    Andy Vo
  • Eli Melendez
    Eli Melendez

Team:

Eli Melendez & Andy Vo

ARCH 311 / Spring 2023

We posed the question of what an office would look like for a sex worker. Criminalization of sex work forces workers underground where they are denied access to basic worker rights such as safety, fair compensation, healthcare, legal representation, and protection from law enforcement. Werk aims to rethink the typical office environment by legitimizing and celebrating the sex work industry. Feeding off of the momentum of the “Sex Work is Work” movement, Werk holds relevance in today’s society that is shedding notions of sex being considered taboo and moving towards acceptance of sex as a natural part of adult life.