Oakwood Shores Mixed-Income Residential Development

Opportunity: In Chicago's burgeoning Oakwood Shores neighborhood, Booth Hansen has been engaged to design a series of mixed-income rental housing units as part of a multi-phase development. Construction is complete through phase 2B, and Booth Hansen is currently designing phases 2D and 3.

Solution: 1, 2, 3 and 4-bedroom units are grouped into three-story six-flats, rowhouses and a six-story mid-rise building. Facades incorporate similar elements arranged in different ways to produce visually unique buildings that also reinforce a common overall aesthetic. A variety of sloping and flat rooflines further articulate the building form, allowing cathedral ceilings in many top floor units. Additional proposed development along the King Drive corridor will be comprised of three-story walk-ups with a slightly more dramatic character, recalling the historic greystone mansions along King Drive. Throughout the neighborhood, exterior porches, bay windows, and trellises will enliven the brick facades and add to streetscape activity.

Value: Energy-saving features qualified the project for the City of Chicago’s Green Permit program which allowed construction to begin sooner. One of the most significant projects in the Chicago Housing Authority’s Plan for Transformation, the development is providing housing for all income levels and generating renewal in the surrounding neighborhoods.