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530½
530½
Chicago, IL, United States
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Other Projects by Via Chicago Architects + Diseñadores
530½
Chicago, IL, United States
Type
STATUS
Concept
SIZE
0 sqft - 1000 sqft
BUDGET
$100K - 500K
530½ occupies what may be the strangest 153 square feet in West Town. This triangular outbuilding is a Chicago oddity – a forward-facing “coach house” resulting from the diagonal construction of Ogden Avenue in the 1920s. Originally built as a hot dog stand, it also hosted a series of 1-man-office tenants and a limousine dispatcher in the years since.
But with demand for such a small commercial space understandably scarce, the owner reached out to the architect for new ideas on restoring and preserving this small fragment of architectural history. Together they plan to convert the charming brick structure into a new residential micro-unit, capitalizing on the thriving shared housing market and an urban shift toward smaller, more efficient dwelling units.
The architects quickly recognized the existing basement as a major asset, but constructing a duplex unit would require a new staircase that quickly consumed 35% of the available footprint. Instead the solution lay in abandoning the basement and lowering the main floor level. This results in a spacious living area with 13-foot ceilings, while also creating extra space for a wood-paneled bed loft tucked above a full-size bathroom. The existing, large window is split into quarters, providing generous daylight to each space without cutting any new openings in the brick shell.
[2019 UPDATE] This initial concept for the tiny home - which would've worked entirely within the existing footprint - hit a wall during negotiations with the city Zoning department, who insisted that there cannot be "two principal structures on one lot". The project was redesigned with a series of clever moves to overcome this roadblock, and the built project can be found on our profile and website under the name "Stitch."
But with demand for such a small commercial space understandably scarce, the owner reached out to the architect for new ideas on restoring and preserving this small fragment of architectural history. Together they plan to convert the charming brick structure into a new residential micro-unit, capitalizing on the thriving shared housing market and an urban shift toward smaller, more efficient dwelling units.
The architects quickly recognized the existing basement as a major asset, but constructing a duplex unit would require a new staircase that quickly consumed 35% of the available footprint. Instead the solution lay in abandoning the basement and lowering the main floor level. This results in a spacious living area with 13-foot ceilings, while also creating extra space for a wood-paneled bed loft tucked above a full-size bathroom. The existing, large window is split into quarters, providing generous daylight to each space without cutting any new openings in the brick shell.
[2019 UPDATE] This initial concept for the tiny home - which would've worked entirely within the existing footprint - hit a wall during negotiations with the city Zoning department, who insisted that there cannot be "two principal structures on one lot". The project was redesigned with a series of clever moves to overcome this roadblock, and the built project can be found on our profile and website under the name "Stitch."
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