Wicker Park Landmark

— LANDMARK PROPERTY | HISTORIC PRESERVATION | STRUCTURAL RECONSTRUCTION

PRACTICE AREA

Custom Residential | Remediation

LOCATION

Wicker Park | Chicago, IL

SCOPE

Landmark Preservation | Structural Stabilization | Luxury Interiors | Adaptive Reuse | Mixed-Use | Urban Logistics

RECOGNITION

Contractor of the Year by National Association of the Remodeling Industry | Honor Award Winner American Institute of Architects | Chicago Landmark Commission | National Register of Historic Places

— THE PROJECT

A living landmark

adapted for

a new life.

This building has anchored its corner of the Wicker Park Landmark District for more than a century, recognized by the Chicago Commission on Landmarks and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Held by one family for generations and valued for its commercial storefront, the building’s second floor — roughly 3,000 square feet — had been surrendered to decades of neglect and illicit activity. Our clients saw past that history and to adapt the blighted upper floor into a residence, returning the building to full use without surrendering its landmark fabric.

Reality told a different story than the Landmarks Commission did. Every structural roof joist had failed, and the roof was actively collapsing above — over a commercial tenant that remained open for business on the floor beneath us. We engineered and installed temporary shoring to stabilize the structure, then rebuilt it with meticulous phasing. The existing floor joists were also unsalvageable. As a result, we removed them entirely and reconstructed the framing, all while protecting the occupied storefront below with a purpose-built structural enclosure.

This Landmark’s original nineteenth-century tin ceiling demanded the same rigor as the structure. Personally working through formal submittals and approvals with the National Register of Historic Places, Integro commissioned artisans to custom-fabricate four separate replicas, installed to match the historic record exactly.

Throughout, the work stayed mixed-use in the most literal sense — a home taking shape directly above a storefront that never closed.

— CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTATION

The finished project tells one story. The process tells another. These images and clips document the conditions we encountered, the decisions we made, and what it actually took to bring these visions to life.

Mixed-use property located in Wicker Park Landmark District in dense urbal infill.

The existing condition of the Landmark tin ceiling which was required to be restored to its original condition.

The building itself was structurally unsound. All structural joists required phased removal and replacement (interior reconstruction).

The existing floor joists required phased removal and replacement above fully occuped and operating commercial space below. A structural “box” encased the retail commercial space below.

Interior of a building under renovation with exposed brick walls, wooden framing, debris on the floor, and a worker visible near the window.
Empty, run-down room with graffiti on the walls, scattered trash, and discarded items on the floor.
Ladder against a brick wall with a walkway platform on top, utility pole with wires, and portable toilet in an alley.

Raised dumpsters used to avoid disrupting major urban street in front.

View from inside a building under construction with windows in the background, construction materials including blue trash bins, a bag of cement, and wooden framing, with clear daylight outside.
Interior of a building under renovation with exposed brick walls, large windows, construction materials, a ladder, a plastic sheet, and ventilation ducts.
A brick building with a small window and various pipes and wires on the exterior wall. In front, there are two dumpsters and a large wrapped package, possibly a large window or glass panel, is leaning against the building.
A crane lifting a large wooden beam onto a brick building.

This large format door delivery was planned from the beginning. We knew we’d have to haul this upstairs BEFORE the rear staircase was built, otherwise we wouldn’t have the ceiling height to angle it upwards and clear corners.

Rough materials hauled by commercial cranes to avoid wear on structurally compromised building in dense urban area.

Two workers are installing wooden floor joists in an unfinished building with exposed brick walls and a high ceiling, and plywood is being used as the subfloor.
Interior ceiling under construction with exposed wooden trusses, large windows, and brick walls.

Replacement of structural floor joists above occupied commercial space below.

Original masonry reinforced and restored during phased construction.

Structural masonry demolition and restoration of Landmark property.

Original condition of 2nd Floor commercial space.

Structural enclosure protecting operating commercial space below during interior reconstruction.

Full cleanings after each phase of demolition to remove bearing weight on compromised structure.

Interior view of a room under construction with wooden flooring, windows, and construction materials like stacked tiles or planks, and electrical wiring on the floor.

Progress at new 2nd Floor residence.

Excerpt from Mosena Map showing details about vacant lots and development projects, with text highlighted in blue.
Black-and-white city street map with some buildings marked in blue, showing neighborhoods such as North, Highland, Schiller, Evergreen, and Crystal, and including parks like Wicker Park.

Chicago Landmark Commission data had to be incorporated and approved along side federally mandated requirements by National Register of Historic Places.

Historic maps provided by Chicago Landmark Commission to assist with permitting process.

Close-up of an embossed metal surface with numbers 1, 2, and 3 in red, and a gray object attached to the bottom.
A collection of tiles with various intricate patterns and textures, arranged in rows.

Integro personally colborated with National Register of Historic Places to achieve aoprovals for new replicas to be fabricated in lieu of salvaging the existing tin ceiling.

Federal data provided to establish design criteria for replica tin ceiling to maintain Landmark status.

Person working on decorative ceiling tiles inside a building under construction or renovation.

Final installations of replicated tin ceiling.

— PROJECT IMAGERY

The image shows the upper part of a brick building with large windows. Inside the building, a group of people are gathered around a kitchen, engaging in conversation, and the room is well-lit.
Modern kitchen with wooden cabinets, white countertops, a kitchen island with bar stools, pendant lights, large windows, and minimalist decor.
Modern open-concept kitchen and dining area with white cabinets, a large white island, gold pendant lights, wooden flooring, and a sitting area with a white sofa and a brown armchair.
Modern kitchen with white cabinets, a white countertop island, and two gold pendant lights. Open sliding glass door leads to a patio with outdoor seating and plants.
A modern outdoor patio with wooden decking, surrounded by a house with gray siding and black-framed glass doors. The patio has white and wicker chairs, a small white table with green apples and drinks, and a view into a bright interior with large win
A view of a modern indoor dining area with a wooden table and chairs, a contemporary chandelier, and decorative plants, seen through a sliding glass door opening to an outdoor patio with seating and greenery.
Modern open-concept living space with a dining area, large windows, and a view of an outdoor patio. Features include a wooden dining table, white chairs, decorative candles, and pendant lighting.
Modern bathroom with white tiled walls and floor, glass shower enclosure, freestanding bathtub covered with a white cloth, window with greenery, and wooden shelves with towels and plants.
View of a bathroom with a bathtub on the left, a door in the middle leading to a bedroom, and a vanity with a mirror and a plant on the right. The bedroom features a bed with white bedding and a green-paneled wall.
A bedroom with large windows showing trees and rooftops outside, a beige bed with textured blankets and pillows, and a green paneled wall on the right side of the room.
Interior view of a doorway leading to a small balcony or patio area with wooden deck flooring. The outdoor space features a chair and some books visible inside. The interior has a light-colored wall, a grey upholstered chair, and wooden flooring.
Narrow hallway with white walls, a blue door at the end, and a window above the door. A modern hanging light fixture with three round bulbs is suspended from the ceiling. There is a staircase with a wooden handrail and black metal brackets on the lef

PHOTOGRAPHY BY Tom Rossiter

PRACTICE AREA

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Custom Residential, Mixed-Use, and Remediation

This project lives where three of our practice areas meet. As custom residential, it called for the craft standard and structural depth of a luxury home. As mixed-use, it meant raising that home above an operating storefront that never closed. As remediation, it demanded high-stakes structural execution and rigor. The discipline behind all of them is the one that defines our work: an independent authority sets the standard, and Integro builds to it.

EXPLORE CUSTOM RESIDENTIAL
EXPLORE MIXED-USE
EXPLORE REMEDIATION
Beauty & the Beams