- Creation of a public space and landmark.
The Milwaukee-Belden TOD anchors a transportation hub and uses Transit Oriented Development principles to responsibly increase neighborhood density, economic revenue, and mass transit ridership, without increasing vehicular congestion.
Located just steps away from a CTA Blue Line Station in the Logan Square neighborhood, the oddly shaped “flattened bowtie site was both a constraint and an opportunity. Instead of a conventional “wall” building approach, two volumes are arranged vertically at either end, leaving an open space in between that becomes a desirable public amenity for the community.
Two mid-rise buildings, purposely varied in height and massing, embrace the pentagon-shaped edges in their form and floor plates to highlight the uniqueness of the site. These shapes help generate 38 thoughtful and unique unit plans throughout the 216 apartment homes, ranging from studios to three-bedroom, two-bath units. Ten percent of the units are affordable and distributed indistinguishably throughout to create a true mixed-income community.
Each mid-rise building acknowledges Chicago’s desire for density and the creation of landmarks at each train stop. Contemporary uses of glass, metal, and concrete embody Chicago’s continuing pursuit of architectural innovation. Conversely, natural and more textured materials such as trees, boulders, wood benches, gabion walls, green rooftops soften the site and enrich the street experience.
General Contractor: Power Construction
Structural Engineer: C.E. Anderson & Associates
Landscape Architect: McKay Landscape Architects
MEP Engineer: WMA Consulting Engineers, LTD.
Civil Engineer: Eriksson Engineering Associates, LTD.
Lobby Interiors: Wheeler Kearns Architects (Sharlene Young, founder of Symbiotic Living)
Photography: Tom Rossiter
