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Ed Twohey on Jul 31, 2020

North side river home continues to take shape. 
 
Located along the banks of the north branch of the Chicago River, this charming new house takes advantage of the waterfront views and is cohesive in scale and materials with the surrounding neighborhood homes.  An intimate entry sequence offers privacy from the street front, but opens up to a double-height living space with oversized windows offering a commanding view of the adjacent river and trees.  Skylights at the top of the open stair allow abundant natural light into the center of the home while a rooftop terrace offers a private oasis with views of the city skyline beyond.

From the very beginning, the homeowners expressed their desire to salvage as much material as possible in order to reduce waste being thrown into landfill.  The design of the new house was specifically developed to fit within the original footprint of the previous home.  Through deconstruction  the clients were able to demolish the existing structure, while keeping the previous foundation in place for the new home construction.  

The approval process on an unusual lot such as this always requires special consideration. Zoning relief for non-confirming conditions is a common task on BBA projects.  In the case of a city riverfront property, add the Metropolitan Water Reclamation district to the list of city agencies that chime in and add a layer of required documentation to the pathway to approval. We were able to successfully navigate all requirements and provide a dynamic design for this unique site. 
 

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