I’m Simon Peschong, Assoc. AlA, an architectural designer originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, now living in Chicago, Illinois, currently pursuing my Master of Architecture at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. I completed my undergraduate studies at Miami University, in Oxford, Ohio, where I received my Bachelor of Arts in Architecture. I have a passion for innovative design and a strong belief in the power of architecture to shape the world around us by creating ergonomic and community based projects. During my time at SAIC l’ve had the pleasure of working at Ross Barney Architects not only to improve my technical skills but also to strengthen my knowledge of public space and building design. My thesis, Mars Yard : A Metaphysical City, explores the idea of cultivating a new city on a new planet. Rather than only considering the design of one building, it speculates on what an entire city plan could potentially be: one that addresses the challenges on Earth as well as the physiological changes that Martian architecture can exhibit.