News

Can I Lower My Floor to Improve My Basement?

Columbus, Indiana Trip

Bricks, Inc Tour + Demo

Mentoring Millwork Design

Celebrating 30 Years of Inspired Spaces

Collaborating on Luxury Kitchen Trends

BBA Architects Continue to Educate

Finding Famous Architecture in a Cemetery

Don’t Demolish that house. Dismantle it.

Habitat for Humanity Build Day 2022

Modern Luxury Interiors North Shore

Aspire Design and Home Magazine

Historic Kenwood Remodel

Meet Maggie Willse

Meet Farnaz Sadeghi

Tribute to Broad Shoulders 2022

De-code Electronics In Your Home

Employee Spotlight - Jennifer Hense, AIA

Modern River Cottage

New Homes on the Boards in 2021

Meet Jack Callahan

Creating Outdoor Spaces

High Gables

Allison Henry Interiors Alliance

Should You Hire an Interior Designer?

North Side River Home Taking Shape

Elmhurst Historic Preservation Commission

Tudor Kitchen Renovation

Renovate or Detonate

Deconstruct & Re-Use

1880’s Historic Queen Anne

Building a Traditional Jewel Box

Building at the water's edge

North Center Craftsman

Beer Tasting + Design Presentation

Home in Berlin, Germany Comes to Fruition.

Classicist, No. 16.

Raising the Roof

bba Architects Habitat Build Day

Pool House

Lincoln Park Transformation

Urban Deep Dig #1

Golf Course Home Update

Employee Spotlight - Erica Blawat, AIA

Luxury remodel of Lake Geneva home

Building Code Undergoing a Major Change

An Excellent Italian Adventure

BBA News Blog

(See full archive

April 2024

March 2024

February 2024

January 2024

December 2023

Lincoln Park Transformation

bba ARCHITECTS on Oct 24, 2019

Last year, architects Gary Beyerl and Jack Callahan began working on the Lincoln Park Transformation project.  Their vision was to transform a conventionally built Chicago two-flat into custom single-family residence with a modern, open floor plan.  The cost-sensitive design maintains the existing exterior walls and floor framing structure.  It modifies the existing interior bearing wall that formerly defined the “shotgun plan’ layout and replaces it with a floor plan organized by its strong cross-axial relationships.

The existing building included a structurally substandard rear porch and a rear yard less than 7 feet deep, all on smaller than average sized lot for the area.  We saw this challenge as an opportunity for a creative solution at the rear yard.  Our concept seamlessly integrates the rebuilt porch structure into the respective spaces at the rear to allow more generous room sizes.  By rebuilding the garage roof, we can provide an abundance of open space via the new roof deck.  We also include an integrated planter about 4 feet above the first floor at the garage rear to create a sense of openness between the primary living spaces and roof deck.

Floor to ceiling window and door systems are included at the rear spaces to maximize the interior connection to the outdoors.  Supporting this primarily glass wall presented a potential issue with lateral forces, so we worked closely with a structural engineer to design a steel moment frame system for stability.

Connecting the house to the garage, rebuilding the rear porch, and relocating the rear yard open spaces required zoning relief.  Given our clients’ unique circumstances, we successfully guided them through the Chicago Zoning Board of Appeals system to obtain approval for these items.  This zoning relief afforded a seamless passage from the first floor to garage roof deck.

Architects: Gary Beyerl, AIA & Jack R. Callahan, AIA  (bba Architects)
General Contractor: Leader Construction
Interior Designer: Kira David Design
Structural Engineer: Hutter Trankina Engineering

Products featured in this project: 
*Jeld-Wen Windows & Doors supplied by Bricks Inc.
*”Aspen White” Glen-Gery Bricks supplied by Illinois Brick Co.
*Steel front door by Arte de Arquitectura de Mexico

To view progress on this project, please follow us on Facebook or Instagram.

Previous Post Next Post