Floorplan

— DECONSTRUCTION | MODERN REBUILD

Reversal

PRACTICE AREA

Custom Residential | Remediation

LOCATION

Logan Square | Chicago, IL

SCOPE

Deconstruction | Stuctural Reinforcement | Custom Millwork

— THE PROJECT

Bedrooms below,

living above

a floorplan turned to the light.

The site is a narrow corner lot beside The Bloomingdale Trail — the elevated park Chicagoans know as The 606. Zoning on a parcel this tight made retaining the existing foundation the only viable path, so the original balloon-framed two-story was deconstructed by hand rather than demolished, and its materials were donated to local reuse organizations. The rebuild that followed was a 2,700-square-foot modern single-family home, and its governing idea was an inversion: the common living areas were placed on the second floor and the private quarters below, giving the kitchen, dining, and living rooms the best daylight and the premium views of the trail.
The narrow footprint forced a fight for inches, each one balanced between code-compliant dimensions and genuine spatial presence. The lost square footage was reclaimed overhead: a large-volume roof rises nearly a full story, and within it an interior loft doubles as the ceiling of the kitchen below. Carrying that roof on a slender frame demanded serious reinforcement, and the structure was tied together with steel strapping and tie rods engineered to absorb its weight and movement.
The exterior was clad in fiber-cement board and batten and detailed to a deliberate, modern austerity, and the entry door was custom-fabricated in-house from ornamental metal and cedar. Indoors, the centerpiece is a custom staircase screen: a run of fine vertical slats that wraps the stair as a sculptural wall on the first-floor hallway and reappears above as the backsplash of the second-floor kitchen. Curated finishes carry the same restraint throughout.
What began as a constraint became the concept. The only path to the light, on a lot this tight, ran upward — and daily life now unfolds among the treetops, level with the trail.

— CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTATION

The street sees a clean black gable; the build tells a denser story — a balloon frame taken apart by hand, a foundation preserved under zoning pressure, and a one-story roof volume held up by strapping and tie rods detailed to the inch.

Methodical deconstruction of the structure in dense urban landscape.

An architectural screenwall left this modern staircase exposed, requiring exacting transitions and terminations between materials.

Structural framing required extensive reinforcements to bear the weight of a roofline that rose nearly 1.5 stories high.

Custom fabricated exterior front door with architectural metalwork and cedar cladding, leading into a staircase prepared for an architectural screenwall which will complete the aesthetic for the custom kitchen millwork at the second level.

The image shows the inside of a building under construction, with exposed wooden beams and framing. The ceiling is unfinished with visible wooden joists, and a window in the background reveals a tree outside.

A person standing next to a red dumpster under a cloudy sky on an urban street.

A group of people in casual and business attire are gathered indoors, engaged in conversation near a large window with wooden framing. A man wearing a hat and glasses is speaking to the group, with several younger individuals listening attentively.

Working closely with the structural engineer on strapping details designed to reinforce the entire structure.

Under construction building with wooden exterior, two large window openings, and signs indicating restricted area and construction site.

Two men standing inside a building under construction, surrounded by unfinished wooden walls and framing, smiling at the camera.

Group of five people examining architectural blueprints in an unfinished wooden building, with exposed framing and a large window showing green trees outside.

Architectural drawing showing a building's interior stair axon with multiple levels, staircases, and structural details.

Focused on what’s important to the design, committed to getting it right.

The interior stories defined by an architectural screen wall, custom fabricated by our team with zero tolerance measurements.

Four people gather around a table examining construction blueprints inside a wooden building with large windows.

A multi-story building under construction with black and gray exterior panels, several tall windows, and a partially covered upper floor. In front, there is a street with a sidewalk, a streetlamp, and a metal fence around the construction site.

Check it again, and again.

Custom design architectural cladding installations, accommodating contemporary flush-set windows. If it looks effortless, rest assured it was not.

Each and every piece of orignal timber was removed, inventoried, and donated. Ultimately, the Owners receive a tax credit for this work.

Site preparation for step-by-step deconstruction phase.

We love a good challenge!

The structure proved to be balloon-framed clapboard which meant the entire structure must be rebuilt.

Construction workers installing drywall on the ceiling of a room, with plastic insulation on the walls and ceiling, ladders, and construction tools around.

A lofted, gable ceiling rising nearly a story-and-a-half high.

— PROJECT IMAGERY

Modern black house with large window and balcony, illuminated from inside, dark blue evening sky, cars in parking lot, wooden fence, street with sidewalk and small plants in foreground.

View of a neighborhood with modern houses, a street, and people cycling and walking under a clear blue sky in daytime.

Interior of a modern home hallway featuring a wooden slat partition, light-colored wooden flooring, a large window at the end, and minimal decor with a vase and plant.

Modern kitchen and living space with large windows, light wood flooring, a dark blue kitchen island, and decorative items like a vase with yellow flowers and a wooden bowl.

Open-concept living space with large windows, a gray sofa with a plaid blanket, a glass coffee table with a candle, and a striped armchair, in a modern, minimalist style.

Modern kitchen with gray cabinets, a white island counter with fruit and vegetables, and a wooden slats partition with a small plant.

Modern kitchen with gray cabinets, a white countertop, a black stovetop, a black chimney, some potted plants, a bowl of fruit, and black chairs.

The image shows a modern dining area with a round wooden table surrounded by four gray chairs, next to large sliding glass doors opening to a backyard with a wooden deck and a white fence. The room has a tall ceiling, with a chandelier hanging from i

A round wooden table with a vase of pink flowers, viewed through a large window with a metal railing outside. Outside, there are green trees and pedestrians walking along the sidewalk.

Interior view of a modern home showing wooden stairs, a wooden slatted wall, and a doorway leading to a small outdoor area with a wooden deck.

A hallway with white walls, a staircase on the left, and an open door at the end letting in bright natural light.

A modern bathroom with a black speckled countertop, a white rectangular sink, and a bouquet of white tulips in a glass vase. There is a large mirror above the sink, decorative artwork on the wall, and a white tiled wall with a spherical light fixture

Wooden staircase with vertical slats and a person partially visible at the bottom, blurred, in a modern interior.

Wooden staircase with a handrail on the right side, adjacent vertical wooden slats on the left, leading upward to a bright area with a small window and a microphone stand in a minimalistic interior.

Interior view of a bedroom separated by wooden slats, with a bed, pink bedding, and a bedside table with a vase of flowers. Large windows allow sunlight to illuminate the room, and a ceiling fan is visible.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY Tom Rossiter

PRACTICE AREA

Custom Residential

This project belongs to our Custom Residential practice, where the right answer is sometimes to keep less and think harder. A narrow lot and a strict envelope became a modern home defined by its light, its structure, and a single inverted idea.

EXPLORE CUSTOM RESIDENTIAL

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