Starling is a new kind of neighborhood amenity located in North Lawndale, Chicago.
Starling is a space for liberation — a building to gather, replenish, learn, and create.
It was designed as a new type of communal neighborhood amenity/utility.
We call it a “fourth place”.
The building is free for daily use and also available for paid reservations.
Learn about available spaces
Check out upcoming public and private events at Starling! Visit the Calendar here.
The building features a full-time cafe powered by Chicago’s best coffee company — Monday Coffee Co. Stop in to try Monday’s latest roast and explore the space.
Introducing
co-programming
Starling is available to rent by the hour for a wide range of programming and events.
The space is a perfect platform for gallery shows, yoga classes, corporate meetings, music production, birthday parties, and more.
Bring your vision to life with the building’s flexible spaces and various amenities.
Configure your new go-to spot
Exterior Terrace West
$35/hr
10 people
Exterior Terrace North
$35/hr
20 people
Exterior Terrace East
$35/hr
15 people
Outdoor Garden
$35/hr
25 people
Moon Room
$70/hr
20 people
Sun Room
$70/hr
30 people
Sound Studio
BYO laptop/equipment: $45/hr
With an engineer: $120/hr
5 people max
Meeting Room
$15/hr
4 people max
Spaces available for rent include a library nook, an open workshop area, an equipped sound studio, a small meeting room, three outdoor terraces, and a garden.
Rent a single room or mix and match multiple spaces — we want to help you bring your imagined experience to life. There is no limit to the amount of spaces you can reserve (you can even reserve the whole building).
Submit your booking request!
We bring the building, you bring the life
Follow us on instagram for daily updates!
@starlingbyduo
Need a hand?
For additional help, planning a visit, troubleshooting, and press, please email us at
starling@duodevelopment.org
3243 W. 16th St. Chicago, IL, 60623
A new reality
The first commercial building ever to share profits with its neighbors...
Launching 2025
Starling is our response to the profound complexities of ownership and investment. We realized that crowdfunding investments, while noble ventures, are just a single brushstroke on the vast canvas of community empowerment. It became clear to us that the existing model allows only a select few to reap the harvest, regardless of who tends the garden.
Thus, we found ourselves contemplating the true meaning of "ownership" and how it could be redefined to better serve the many instead of the few. Our understanding of ownership evolved, and we came to see it not as a monument to investment but instead as a public utility—a shared resource and wellspring of collective prosperity.
In this renewed vision, Starling would become a vessel for ownership by channeling a portion of its profits back to the community it serves. The traditional barriers to investment would no longer stand between the people and their right to the city's wealth. Instead, the simple act of presence in the space would be enough to earn a share of the profits.
This model—revolutionary in its simplicity—proposes that those who visit Starling, linger on its benches, and experience daily life in and around the building, should be the beneficiaries of its success. The more the building thrives, the more the neighborhood benefits, ultimately creating a virtuous cycle of prosperity and presence.
Every time we step on the corner of 16th and Sawyer, we reflect on the resilience of a neighborhood that has taught us so much about strength, dignity, and unyielding hope for a brighter tomorrow. And as we appreciate what Starling has become since its opening in Fall 2024, we do so with the knowledge that this is not just a building—it is a new chapter in the story of North Lawndale and a testament to the enduring spirit of its people.
Multicontextual by design
The building was designed, developed, built, and is operated by Duo/. using an innovative practice called Multicontextual Design. This novel approach to working in the built environment aims to create new types of places that benefit society.