229 & 231 Eugenie Street
Chicago, Illinois

A family who wanted a roomy historic residence in Old Town bought two small Italianate homes on neighboring lots with the intention of uniting them. Both had been subdivided into smaller apartments and suffered from years of neglect.
The architects researched the provenance of these structures and restored the front and side elevations to their original appearance. However, the rear elevations of the homes were redesigned to express the new character of the interior spaces and take full advantage of views to the private yard. An architectural vocabulary of historical materials employed in a contemporary manner was used to unify the overall composition of the project.

Since very little of the original interior finishes remained from the numerous remodellings the structures had endured, it was decided to completely reorder the interior spaces to be consistent with the needs of a contemporary family. Care was taken to situate smaller-scale rooms that would be in keeping with the historical character of the homes at the front of the structures, while larger rooms were situated to relate to the yard and gardens in the rear. The link between the homes is constructed primarily of glass, including the floor and roof, to emphasize the contemporary nature of the connection. A small carriage house was also incorporated into the project to serve as a studio and guest cottage. The project was developed through a collaboration of the architect, designer and the owners.

The Brooks Building,   223 W Jackson Blvd.  Suite 1000,  Chicago, Illinois 60606        T 312.362.0180        F 312.362.0112