Into the Open

Through Sept. 7, free with $12 admission, National Constitution Center, 525 Arch St., 215-409-6700, constitutioncenter.org; free, Slought Foundation, 4017 Walnut St., 215-701-4627, slought.org; intotheopen.org.

by Brion Shreffler

visual art

How can architectural ingenuity improve communities? Split between the National Constitution Center and UPenn's Slought Foundation, "Into the Open" features 16 architectural groups' innovative installations, photographs, interactive displays and slide shows — from Estudio Teddy Cruz's photo series on the U.S.-Mexico border to a model of the Yale Sustainable Food Project's "Edible Schoolyard." While social responsibility and informed design are championed, so is an understanding of the complex socioeconomic issues that make some of these projects necessary: A look at a Brooklyn neighborhood's prisoner-readjustment efforts juxtaposes a reduced-cost housing/shelter project in rural Alabama (pictured). Attendees are encouraged to join in the conversation by writing their comments on the chalkboards that line the exhibit — a reminder that improvement thrives on great ideas.