The site of a former railroad switching yard in the heart of Chicago’s Bucktown neighborhood was converted into a contemporary townhouse complex. Though gone, the railroad posed a difficult site challenge due to the abutment of an infrequently used railroad line which created a 20-foot rise from one end of the site to the other. This grade change was kept and the existing retaining wall was modified to allow pedestrian access to the courtyards throughout the complex. The site design staggers the homes, creating interest while allowing the opportunity to create landscaped courtyards with gateways to the homes behind. The architecture’s powerful form and massing is expressed through its use of two colors of brick and large vertical black steel cantilevered bays positioned at the block corners.
AWARDS
Grand Award, Builder’s Choice Design and Planning Awards, Builder Magazine
Silver Award, Excellence in Masonry, Illinois/Indiana Masonry Council
