Sophisticated chic hallmark of new homes

New Homes Magazine Page 8
Published January / February, 2007

As dynamic as its name, GlasHaus lights up the South Loop with its gleaming contemporary presence. A tower of extraordinary residences designed to provide you with a sophisticated chic urban lifestyle. Sleek, modern architecture meets diverse, artistic neighborhood. GlasHaus is destined to become a South Loop Classic.

The vast variety of things to see, do and experience in the South Loop is astounding, as is the proximity to all that Lake Michigan and Grand Park have to offer. GlasHaus is designed to be an urban oasis for your active South Loop life. Around-the-clock doorman and secured garage parking makes sure you're always on the go – when you want to be. An elegant, appointed lobby transitions you from a bustling South Loop sidewalk to your tranquil home. A beautifully landscaped terrace and garden with misting water feature and outdoor kitchen offers you the perfect space to entertain friends or relax and unwind. An Owner's Club provides a place for you and your guests to enjoy a glass of wine, game of pool or a movie in the Owner's Theater. For your active lifestyle, the fitness center and yoga studio are open 24-hours a day. GlasHaus offers an exceptional selection of one and two-bedroom floor plans (with or without a den) and two designated Penthouse levels to meet every need. From floor to ceiling windows that allow light to stream into your home to gracious balconies that offer the perfect area in which to relax and entertain, your life at home will never be so comfortable. For more information call (312) 692-1111.

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South Loop's GlasHaus high-rise is all about the glass

By Joel Hoglund
yochicago.com
Published December 29, 2006

With a name like GlasHaus, and the nod to the Bauhaus school of architecture it implies, developer Piedmont Group's planned 25-story South Loop high-rise would have to be unmistakably modern.

"It's a modern, contemporary glass box," said Piedmont Group principal Dennis DeCapri. "We've tried to distinguish it a bit by taking some time to detail the walls." In a neighborhood with several new glass, concrete and steel high-rises either completed or on the way, the very glass that makes up GlasHaus will make it stand out.

Architect Brininstool + Lynch, which has already left its stamp on a handful of South Loop developments, designed three different types of glass panels — translucent, reflective and opaque — varying widths to make up the skin of the building, creating "what appears to be a random pattern floating across the wall," DeCapri said.

Unlike some of the architect's other South Loop projects — like 1720 S. Michigan, which DeCapri sees as more of an entry-level product — DeCapri thought GlasHaus would attract more mid-market buyers who are looking for larger spaces and more amenities in a contemporary building.

The residential tower rises from a four-story parking base that includes 12,500 square feet of retail space. Atop the base, DeCapri boasts of a unique park area with grass and trees, a dog run, a kitchen with grills, a sunning deck and a shallow lounging pool. A basement amenity level features a lounge, fitness center and spa, yoga studio, business center, private cinema, and bicycle storage. The building also has 24-hour door staff and a car-washing bay in the garage.

Condos in the 262-unit building have clean, usable layouts, DeCapri said. "We've tried to lay them out in a way that you don't have awkward or small spaces. A buyer can come in there and really do a lot with the space." Typical interior finishes include hardwood floors, stainless steel appliances, contemporary cabinets, granite countertops and stone throughout the master bathroom.

Units have one or two bedrooms (some one-bedroom units have dens), 676 to 1,189 square feet, floor-to-ceiling windows and balconies. Penthouse units — including one with three bedrooms — have upgraded finishes, 1,060 to 1,796 square feet and inset balconies. Prices range from the $230s to the $420s, and penthouses range from the $490s to the $810s.

At press time, two existing buildings on the GlasHaus site, 1327 S. Wabash Ave, were slated for demolition in February. DeCapri expected construction to begin in April or May with first deliveries planned for the summer of 2008. A sales center and full model, located at 1420 S. Michigan Ave., were scheduled to open in early February.

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Mixed-use for Near South
High-rise to merge retail, condo units

By Jeanette Almada
Special to the Tribune
Published August 6, 2006

A 25-story mixed-use building with as many as 265 residential units is planned for the site of two outdated warehouses in the Near South neighborhood.

A development entity called Wabash Street LLC will build the residential project on a 0.75-acre site at 1327-1339 S. Wabash Ave. That limited liability company consists of Chicago builders Brad Smith and Dennis Decapri.

The LLC is under contract to buy the site from a private owner with a closing expected by spring, Smith said. "We hope to begin demolishing the warehouses in spring," he said.

The project will go up between 13th and 14th Streets, on the east side of Wabash Avenue. The development site is across from the seven-story Film Exchange Lofts building, one of the first residential projects to go up in the area.

"We think it is a great location. There is a lot of retail and entertainment around the site it is a block-and-a-half from the CTA's Orange and Red lines. ... It is in the center of an interesting and hip restaurant row and the center of a lot of South Loop activity," Smith said.

The condos will consist of one-bedroom, one-bedroom with den, two-bedroom with den units. They will range from 680 to 1,500 square feet and will be sold between the low $200,000s and the low $400,000s.

The project will include a 12,500-square-foot ground-floor retail space and parking for 292 cars on floors two through four.

The developer has agreed to contribute $412,351 to the City of Chicago Affordable Housing Fund, which subsidizes construction of affordable housing. That contribution allows the developer to build 40 more units than the site's zoning allows.

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New condos slated for Wabash near 13th

By Alby Gallun
Chicago Journal
Published July 15, 2006

Chicago developer Piedmont Group plans a 21-story, 265-unit condo tower in the middle of the 1300 block of South Wabash. The high-rise was designed by Chicago's Brininstool & Lynch and would cost about $75 million to build, says Piedmont Principal Brad Smith. He aims to begin selling units in the fall.

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Looking south
Construction in the South Loop is booming, but buyers are taking their time

By John Handley
Special to the Tribune
Published July 9, 2006

To see what's going on in Chicago's South Loop, take a drive or walk around what could be called "Crane City." New condos are sprouting up in all directions. Signs advertise new projects at almost every corner.

The South Loop outperformed other parts of downtown in 2005 new-construction residential sales and has increased its share of the downtown condo market to 44 percent, according to Appraisal Research Counselors, a Chicago firm that tracks residential sales.

"Huge activity is going on in the South Loop. It's the most active part of the city," said Gail Lissner, vice president of Appraisal Research. "The South Loop has had dramatic growth. In 2000, the area had 7,700 housing units. By the end of this year, it will have 13,600, almost double."

From a decaying commercial area, the South Loop has been transformed into a hot spot, from Congress Parkway to Cermak Road (22nd Street) and the lake to the Chicago River.

The rebirth took baby steps in the early 1990s and now is sprinting. The South Loop is cashing in on its convenience to downtown, Lake Michigan, Grant Park and transportation.

And the perception of the South Loop has changed as dramatically, according to Bonnie Sanchez-Carlson, executive director of the Near South Planning Board. "Back then, people would ask, 'You're going where?' Now people are rushing here."

"The South Loop is the most integrated part of the city. It's a true mix of blacks, whites and Chinese in an urban environment," said developer Jerome Karp, but it wasn't always this way.

"It was rough in 1986," added Robert Frankel of Bluestone Development. "It was like Berlin after World War II. There were huge potholes and cracked sidewalks. It was a neglected area.

"When Central Station started in 1991, it was big enough to add credibility, and when Mayor [Richard M.] Daley moved there, it created a perception of safety and security," Frankel said.

"Conversion of loft buildings began in the early 1990s. Later, there was construction of new mid-rises and high-rises," he said.

Lissner said of the 6,200 units in the South Loop on the market now, two-thirds have been sold. "In the next couple of years, 6,100 more units are proposed."

James Kinney, president of Rubloff Residential Properties, confirms the growth: "It's going to end up being a whole other city down there."

And that means growing pains, added Sanchez-Carlson added. "Some residents complain about new buildings blocking their views. As street-level parking lots are built on, parking is becoming a problem."

The city requires one parking place for each residential unit built. In addition, some of the new buildings will have extra parking for the public.

"I'm positive about 95 percent of the new developments, but I criticize the city planning department for allowing less than one parking space for each unit in some of the new condos," said Jeff Thomas, owner of Blackie's restaurant and a longtime South Loop resident. "Even if people walk to work, all have cars. Retail is hurting because of lack of parking."

Terri Haymaker, deputy commissioner for the central district in the city's Department of Planning and Development, said of new construction that "the city's goal is to help it along."

She added that some parts of the South Loop, including Central Station, Dearborn Park and Printers Row, have a true neighborhood feel.

Dearborn Park dates from the early 1980s, while the conversions in Printers Row started in the mid-`80s, said Keith Giles, a veteran developer in the South Loop.

South Prairie Avenue is returning to its "Millionaires Row" roots. In the late 19th Century, it was where Chicago's movers and shakers lived, including Marshall Field, George Pullman and Philip Armour.

While most of those mansions are gone, a few survive and new ones have been built to blend in south of 18th Street.

Today, though, the big story in the South Loop is the high-rises."Greater density is appropriate for the South Loop mainly because of its proximity to downtown. From a regional planning perspective, it makes sense to have housing close to the central business district. People can take public transportation. It gets them out of their cars," said Peter Skosey, vice president of external relations for the Metropolitan Planning Council.

Haymaker said the proposed high-rises even extend to on Prairie Avenue, where they will be set back with townhouses along the street. "Modern design there is acceptable," she added.

The volume leader in high-rises is the Enterprise Companies, the Chicago builder of the Museum Park section of Central Station, the 80-acre master-planned development that anchors the east side of the South Loop.

Ronald Shipka Sr., principal of Enterprise, said his firm plans to build 3,400 to 3,600 more units in high-rises on 10 acres at Museum Park Place, near the south end of Central Station.

Construction has begun on the first of four high-rise condos Enterprise is building on Roosevelt Road between Michigan Avenue and Lake Shore Drive.

"Sales are down 20 to 25 percent, but we're maintaining an acceptable pace. People are more cautious now," Shipka admits. "They're taking 12 to 16 weeks to decide. It used to be three to four weeks."

But "there's no sense of a bubble in the South Loop," said James Colella, general manager of Garrison Partners, which is marketing Chess Lofts and Aristocrat Tower. He also points out that there has been a leveling off in the market.

This year, the best-selling building in the South Loop is CMK Development's 33-story glass-and-steel tower at 1720 S. Michigan Ave., where 325 of the 498 units have been sold.

"People either like a glass box or they hate it," said Colin Kihnke, president of CMK.

Kihnke noted that the city has broadened its architectural guidelines. "Since Millennium Park, everything has changed. Everything is no longer just red brick."

CMK's tower will be built on the former site of the Cotton Club, a jazz venue modeled after the famed club in New York's Harlem.

Another condo slated for a historic site is the Lexington Club, planned for 336 units at Michigan and Cermak. That site held the Lexington Hotel, Al Capone's headquarters from 1928 to 1931.

Lower prices than on the North Side are luring buyers from throughout the area. "In 2005, the average sale in the South Loop was $341,000, $497,000 in Streeterville and the Gold Coast," Kinney said.

Brian Hilsen and his wife, Chantana, are among them. They live in Brookfield but have purchased a two-bedroom, two-bath condo at 30-story Astoria Tower at 9th and State Streets.

"In 10 years, you'll be hard-pressed to find a better place in the city than the South Loop," said Brian. "We looked in the West Loop and on the North Side, which is overpriced. You get more for your money in the South Loop. We both work downtown and we like the central location of Astoria." They expect to move there in 2008 when the building is completed.

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High-rise of illusions

By Bill Mayeroff, Contributing Writer
Chicago Journal
Published June 21, 2006

David Brininstool, the architect of a new development at 1327-39 S. Wabash, describes the 25-story, 254-unit building as tall and thin.

"We thought it was better for the building itself," Brininstool said of the design during the June 14 South Loop Neighbors meeting.

The development also will feature 12,500 square feet of retail space on the ground level and three levels of parking above. But the multilevel parking structure will be disguised, Brininstool said, behind a rain screen of either flamed granite or natural cleft slate.

"We want the parking but no one wants to see it," he said. " ... All the parking is accessed from the alley in the rear of the building," Brininstool said. "What we're trying to do is create our own side street."

Brininstool, who wants the residential portion of the building to be a "subtle understatement," said the retail fronts will be made very noticeable, with backlit translucent glass creating a glow around the storefront.

Brininstool designed the residential portion to look like it is made completely of glass, even though a small portion of it will be made of other materials.

"It will read as all glass," he said.

Because most of the other buildings in the area are made of stone and are only around four stories, Brininstool said he tried to design the building so it does not dominate other buildings on the block. The storefront, which will run for 185 feet along Wabash, will match the surrounding buildings while the residential portion will be less noticeable.

"We wanted to keep it real light," Brininstool said. "We really wanted this to be perceived as a retail storefront."

Though some residents at the South Loop Neighbors meeting expressed concern that signs in the storefront could give off too much light, Brininstool and Carolyn Nash, attorney for developers Wabash, LLC, said it will not be a problem. While she did not know specifically how much signage the zoning code allows in the storefront windows, Nash said it would not move or blink.

Residents also voiced concerns that the new development would disrupt traffic patterns in the area. Nash, however, said she anticipates people will walk or take public transit and she thinks traffic flow in the area will not be disrupted by the development.

"It's one of the beauties of the location," said Nash.

The proposed building's 254 residential units will be offered as one-, two-, and three- bedrooms, and the 292 parking spaces will be accessed through the alley on the south side. On average, Brininstool said, a one-bedroom unit will have up to 700 square feet of space, a two-bedroom unit will have up to 1,050 square feet, and a three-bedroom will have up to about 1,200 square feet. The developers and architect must still present to the Plan Commission before approval to begin construction is given — Nash said the building may be up for approval next month.

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New retail-condominium building slated for Wabash

By Marie Balice Ward
Near West Gazette
Published May 2006

A new development at 1327 S. Wabash Ave. in the South Loop is in the early approval stages. Representatives of Piedmont Group Inc., which is developing the retail-condominium complex, presented their plans at a recent meeting of the South Loop Neighbors organization.

This proposed 27-story structure, to be sited two buildings south of Zapatista restaurant on the east side of Wabash Avenue and about a block south of Roosevelt Road, would require demolition of two buildings, explained Carolyn A. Nash, an attorney at Schain, Burney, Ross & Citron Ltd., who represented the developer. The structure would be recessed from the street and be narrower from the fourth floor and above, where residential units would be located. Retail space and a parking garage would occupy the ground level through the fourth floor.

The building's façade would be glass and might be backlit, explained architect David Brininstool of Brininstool & Lynch Ltd. The type of glass — transparent, translucent, or opaque — has not been chosen.

"There will be a very extensive terrace on the south end of the fourth floor above the parking garage before the condominium tower begins, and a smaller one will be located on the south end," Brininstool added. Amenities, including a party room, also would be situated on the fourth floor. A terra cotta archway, presently on one of the buildings marked for demolition to accommodate this new development, is being reviewed by the City to determine whether it meets City criteria for required historic preservation.

The archway measures 16 feet wide by 25 feet high, and Brininstool said he believes it can be integrated creatively into the new development. Plans specify ample parking for residents and for the retail portion of the complex, he said, and three loading docks would be located off the alley behind the building. The alley, particularly wide at 20 feet, also would provide access to the garage. The developer also plans a mix of one-, two-, and three-bedroom units, with the top floors for the three-bedroom dwellings. Prices are likely to start at $300,000 for the one-bedroom units.

Additional community presentations will be given, and review and approval stages are scheduled with various City departments, including the Chicago Department of Transportation regarding traffic issues. The developer hopes to meet with the City Planning Commission this summer, after which the Council on Zoning (and eventually the full City Council) will review the plans.

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Looking forward
Is Chicago shifting into a modern mode?

By John Handley - Tribune staff reporter
The Chicago Tribune
Published Sunday, June 2, 2002

Let the light shine in.

The 21st Century finally is dawning in downtown Chicago, as modern architecture appears to be making a comeback.

Renowned architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe set a modernistic tone in 1951 with his famed twin apartment towers at 860-880 Lake Shore Drive. More avant-garde residential buildings followed in the 1960s and 1970s.

But then the Miles style lost favor and Chicago architecture took on a traditional look. New condos were built to look old, to harken back to the perceived elegance of the 19th Century or earlier.

Now that's changing. Glass residential buildings with floor-to-ceiling windows are starting to sprout up in and around the city. Shining glass boxes are beginning to have their day in the sun.

Just look around in downtown Chicago. Adventurous architects and developers are starting to throw off the shackles of the tried-and-true Old Chicago Look.

As you exit the Kennedy Expressway at Ohio Street, check out Erie on the Park, the glass-and-steel tower that is nearing completion in River North. It is the most visible example of the resurgence of modern architecture here, a 24-story addition to the skyline that is definitely something different.

Besides its glassy facade, it features angled support columns, somewhat reminiscent of the John Hancock Building. Even its shape is unusual. Instead of being rectangular, it is a parallelogram. "Buildings should be designed for the new millennium," said Bill Smith, principal of Smithfield Properties, the developer.

Smith called on architect Lucien Lagrange to design the trend-setting steel-frame structure.

Located on the north side of Erie Street, just east of the North Branch of the Chicago River, it soon will be joined by another condo tower with a similar glass-and-steel design. Smithfield Properties is building Kingsbury on the Park on the south side of Erie.

The modern look seems to have caught on with buyers. Erie on the Park sold out in two months and is slated to open in July, while only a few units are left at Kingsbury on the Park, which is scheduled for completion in May or June of next year; according to Smith.

Carleen Schreder and her husband, Ralph Musicant, who bought a condo at Erie on the Park, said people have commented: "Oh, you're going to move into that all-glass building."

Schreder added that "it stands out. Other buildings in the area are a lot more ordinary." She likes the light and openness of the interiors. "We'll have a gorgeous view of the skyline," she said.

But, what about privacy? "I'm not sure yet what to do about all those windows," she said.

Lagrange pointed out that nothing in the city zoning code mentions aesthetics, but "the city has ideas of what it wants."

Has Mayor Richard M. Daley steered the architecture of new structures toward a traditional style?

"The mayor is open-minded," said Alicia Mazur Berg, commissioner of the city's Department of Planning and Development. "He lays out the big picture. He tells us what he's interested in, but he doesn't micro-manage."

Even so, there is evidence that the old-time look is popular in City Hall. "Folks like the comfortable streetscape of the Loop with its more traditional lighting. State Street set the tone," Berg said.

The city did influence the design of the Heritage at Millennium Park," said architect John Lahey, president of Solomon Cordwell Buenz, which designed the high-rise condominium. At Randolph Street and Wabash Avenue, it will be built at a prime location on the city's skyline. Its 57 stories will tower over the north end of the Michigan Avenue Street-wall, a 12-block stretch that has been designated as a landmark district.

"The Heritage was meant to be modern. At first, our design was more horizontal, but the city wanted it to be more vertical, so we made changes," Lahey said.

What most people call modern also is known as contemporary architecture.

"Whether you call it modern or contemporary, it's hot now," said Brad Smith, a developer who plans to break ground in September for Lofthaus, a nine-story condo in the West Loop.

He admitted, though, that architectural tastes in Chicago are more traditional than on the East and West Coasts. Even so, he added that "sophisticated buyers seek out this type of building. Light is crucial in the city because the buildings are so close together, and big windows in modern buildings let in more light."

Another strong advocate of contemporary design is architect Ralph Johnson of Perkins & Will, designer of the Contemporaine, planned for construction at 516 N. Wells St., and Skybridge, which is being built at Halsted and Madison Streets.

Johnson said the recent appearance of modern residential buildings will be seen as something different. "If it succeeds [with buyers], it may start a trend," he said.

Johnson would like to see Chicago regain its tradition of modernism as shown by the birth of the Chicago School of Architecture in the late 19th Century and by Mies with his Lake Shore Drive apartment buildings. Another residential building that broke the mold was Bertrand Goldberg's Marina City, he said.

However, he noted that many recent buildings have been in a generic style, not in Chicago's tradition of modernism.

Near the Mies-designed buildings at the Illinois Institute of Technology is Michigan Place, which includes 76 condo units in a glassy building.

The project on Michigan Avenue at 31st Street, which also includes 44 red brick and cast-stone townhouses, is a development of Optima Inc. and Shorebank Development Corp.

Architect/developer David Hovey, president of Glencoe-based Optima, lives in a glass house, which should underscore his commitment to modern architecture.

"We have proved there is a huge market for contemporary buildings. In 24 years, we have built thousands of condo units in more than 50 projects with a contemporary design," Hovey said.

"Buildings should be a part of their time. Colonial houses are being build today, but obviously we are no longer in Colonial times. And why should we be copying medieval European architecture in 21st Century America?"

Hovey answered his own question by saying: "The United States is such a new country that people yearn for the historic look."

Hovey added that developers and architects in recent years have been operating on the notion that everybody wants traditional.

"We should give people a choice. We have to discover what 21st Century architecture should be," he said.

But even Mies at first had trouble cracking the Chicago market. His forward-looking, modernistic twin 26-story apartment towers at first did not generate enthusiasm with bankers.

"Mies was very controversial. Baird tried to arrange financing for the construction of the apartments, but was not successful because the architecture was too extreme," said John Baird, chairman of Baird & Warner, the Chicago-based real estate firm.

Of course, the Mies apartments finally were financed and built between 1948 and 1951. Called the "glass houses" back then, the lakeshore gems became prototypes for steel-and-glass skyscrapers around the world.

Through considered avant-garde back then, they appear almost conservative compared to today's designs.

"Marketwise, renters show no particular preference for architectural styles," Baird said. He noted, though, that contemporary buildings are more acceptable now if they are not too extreme.

From a builder's perspective, modern architecture is one way to stand out from the crowd, according to John Shipka, vice president of Chicago-based Enterprise Development.

"In today's market, a building has to have pizazz. It has to be either very traditional or modern. Not crazy modern, but buyers want an aesthetic appeal. They enjoy more glass, not just punched out openings," Shipka said. "You can't build in-between architecture anymore. If you do, its just another building."

Enterprise is about to start construction on two residential projects with a definite modern bent: Two River Place, on the east bank of the North Branch of the Chicago River south of Chicago Avenue; and the Lofts at Museum Park, south of Roosevelt Road and east of Michigan Avenue.

However, one Chicago architect doesn't buy the idea that the city is on a modern trend: "The direction is more historic than forward-looking," said Donald Hackl, president of the architectural firm of Loebl Schlossman & Hackl, Chicago.

"Most new buildings are in an innocuous no-style or [in a] historical [style]. My belief is that architecture should be a reflection of society at the time — of its art and technology. But architects haven't convinced the public that buildings should be a mirror image of where we are in the spectrum of time. The failure of the public to like modern may be our fault."

Hackl believes the public is more attracted to historic-looking buildings because they are perceived as safer for a long-tem investment.

He pointed out, though, that Paris, a "city with a history much older than ours, finds room for modern buildings."

"Modernistic buildings also are going up in China. In Shanghai, we're just completing a 35-story condo with a modernistic, curve form. But inside, it reflects the traditional chinese lifestyle," he said.

Locally, one enthusiastic advocate of modern design is Colin Kihnke, president of Chicago-based CMK Development Corp.

His firm built a 15-story condo featuring a glass and aluminum exterior in the West Loop at Van Buren and Des Plaines Streets. Called Platinum Tower, it was designed by the architectural firm of Brininstool & Lynch, Chicago.

Why has traditional architecture dominated in the last two decades?

"Residential developers are a different breed. Most do not have strong views on architecture, but they seem to be applying a marketing strategy in designing residential buildings. This has created a nebulous, neutral style," said David Brininstool, partner at Brininstool & Lynch.

"I have seen no relationship between architecture and sales, but salespeople do," he added. "Unfortunately, architects have been following, instead of leading."

For buyers, Brininstool said location is the most important factor, followed by price and square footage. "Design is an intangible that some people may not even be aware of."

He noted that the alderman of the ward where the project is planned can have an impact: "The alderman's attitude is: 'If the neighbors are comfortable, you have my support.'"

Major developments are being built in the 42nd Ward of Ald. Burton Natarus. "Unless a building is landmarked, you can't compell the developer to build a particular type of architecture," he said.

CMK's next project the 15-story Contemporaine, scheduled for starting construction this month. As its name implies, it will showcase contemporary architecture, with clean lines and a mostly glass facade.

"The Contemporaine will push the envelope," Kihnke said.

"This is my niche. Early on, though, the banks were cautious about financing some of my projects. But now I have a track record," he said.

Vu, 20 another CMK development with a modernistic look, is scheduled to be completed in December. The 20-story condo is at 1845 S. Michigan Ave. in the South Loop.

"Chicago always has been a leader in architecture, but we've gotten away from that and let other cities surpass us," he said.

Kihnke noted that Lake Point Tower; built in 1969, "is very modern. Even today, it's cutting-edge."

While some condo dwellers may not care what the exterior of their building looks like, they do like the increased light from large windows that are characteristic of modern style.

"Buyers want views and the best views are through floor-to-ceiling windows," said B.J. Spathies, CEO of Bejco Development Corp., Chicago.

She plans to deliver that requirement at Prairie Tower; a 23-story condo to be built at 16th Street and Prairie Avenue in the South Loop.

Prairie Tower will employ one design strategy that other developers also are using: "The base of the building will have a historic look, reminiscent of its location near the Prairie Avenue Historic District, but the tower above will be very glassy," Spathies said.

This mix — traditional at ground level but modern above — also can be seen at River View, the residential complex by MCL Cos. on the north bank of the Chicago River near Lake Shore Drive.

"Let's hope we're on the verge of the beginning of an architectural reawakening," said architect Brininstool. "But the jury is still out."

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Architects draw the same conclusion about Lofthaus in West Loop

By Bill Cunniff
Chicago Sun-Times
Published Jan 25, 2002

Three Chicago architects are buying condos at Lofthaus, a new- construction loft building in the West Loop.

Luigi and Rachael Franceschina, Chicago architects and future Lofthaus residents, are selling their 1-bedroom loft in the West Loop to buy a 2-bedroom condo at Lofthaus.

"Honestly, if we aren't going to design and build our own home, then we want to invest in a trusted architect's design," said Rachael. Luigi said they prefer living in lofts because of the volume of space, higher ceilings and open floor plans.

Brininstool & Lynch is the Lofthaus architect. Floor-to-ceiling windows optimize natural light. Translucent glass panels in the lower portion of the bedroom walls allow for even more natural light.

"You certainly don't have to be an architect to appreciate architectural benefits like light and space," said Brad Smith, principal of Piedmont Group, the developer. "But the fact that architects are buying here is a definite sign that modernist architecture is more than just appearance. It's a successful way of designing highly functional homes."

Piedmont plans 70 units in nine stories. Base prices range from $180,000 to $400,000. Units have 1 to 3 bedrooms and 1 to 2 baths. Garage parking is $25,000.

Architect Lara Leskaj said she and her husband, Meraklen, also were impressed with Lofthaus' design. "Floor plans are open and clean, with no odd, unusable space," Lara said. She also mentioned how high-end standard amenities, such as stainless steel appliances, granite countertops and maple cabinetry, were an incentive to buy, too.

"One-bedroom lofts in the city tend to be between 600 and 700 square feet. Ours is almost 900 square feet," she said.

A sales center is open.

Lofthaus, at the northeast corner of Van Buren and Sangamon streets, Chicago. Piedmont Group, (312) 475-4566.

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