The Quincy Court project in Chicago was a commission for the General Services Administration while working for Rios Clementi Hale Studios. A service alley between the historic Mies van der Rohe federal building and historic State Street was converted into a pedestrian friendly public space by adding pieces of public art and urban amenities. Creating a solution that mitigated the scale between the modernist building and the retail environment, while also adding much needed security in a post 911 environment was a challenge, but the GSA had a commitment to a ‘good neighbor’ policy that allowed us to be creative about integrating required security elements. The result is a space that has become a lunchtime destination for office and retail workers, as well as the local university population.