FEBRUARY 2021: CHICAGO IL
The first 15 single-family homes for the Polk Street phase of The 12 breathe new life into the area we branded Chicago’s “new west.” Twenty-three homes on nearby Grenshaw Street are completed and sold, and more homes on Lexington and Fillmore Streets are currently under way.
In every city, this is unfortunately true, and Chicago is no exception. Here, preconceived notions about the neighborhoods situated further west than the Near West Side persist. Such areas are deemed unsafe or more generally described in thinly coded terms as “sketchy.”
When established local developer Home& (formerly Smart Tech Homes) approached Rick and me to not only design a community of 80 homes "west of Western" but also brand it, we did what any good designers would do: We visited the area so we could prove, or dispel, such notions for ourselves.
Walking the walk
Trekking down Paulina to Ogden through the Illinois Medical District (IMD) and the Gateway mixed-use development, past the readapted Cook County Hospital, we saw firsthand the blocks surrounding the building site. We saw street after street of 19th-century red-brick row houses and storefronts, teeming with charm and history, in an area still known for its ethnic and economic diversity.
The area is not formally part of Tri-Taylor or IMD or Near West Side or West Town, though it touches all of them. To give this no-man’s-land its own identity and to help the developer claim its unique stake——it was building a total of 80 homes within a half-dozen blocks, after all——we decided to assign the multiple developments there a singular name, in effect designating a new neighborhood. After an extensive naming and vetting process, we agreed on The 12, a nod to the 60612 zip code in which the homes are located.
Taking cues from the Chicago common brick and the newer, intensely red brick we saw, we based the visual branding on a palette of golden tans, neutral grays, and reddish browns. Two typefaces, one based on scripts seen in Italian storefront signage and the other a modern interpretation of a Gothic face, served as the mix of old and new that this emerging neighborhood exemplified to us.
Shifting perceptions
But the biggest question was, how do we move past the west-of-Western stigma and bring to the fore the area’s vibrancy and character and value? Despite positive developments in recent years, the area still gets painted with the same “sketchy” brush. Designing and marketing $600,000 homes (the builder’s target price point) in an area where the median home value is under $300K would require shrewd and sensitive messaging.
We chose to address it head on. Rather than strictly setting the new development apart from its environment, we developed something that both enthusiastic new residents and those already proud to live there could rally around: the idea of a “new west,” a reinvention and reimagining of this formerly nameless and underdeveloped district.
Living large
Our concept for the home designs were similarly based on comingling new and old, celebrating modernity while honoring history and bringing new residents and long-time locals together in one cohesive community. We started with the original promise of the Chicago bungalow: an opportunity of homeownership for more people, in homes that feature modern amenities. We sought to stay true to this promise——but in a modern, reimagined context that represents urban life today.
The structures’ steeply pitched roofs and brick exterior details reference the style of nearby residences, some built more than 100 years ago. Though sympathetic to surrounding architecture, the homes still project a unique architectural identity that suits the district. White and gray siding accented with buff brick detailing clad the exteriors of all 30 homes, bringing coherence to the group amid Italianate influences and Neoclassical details on surrounding buildings. Each home also includes a sodded front and back yard, to provide continuity with the neighborhood’s lawns and well-established trees.
Conceding to the city’s deep, narrow lot standard of 25 by 125 feet, each home was designed to “live” larger than its footprint might suggest. Open floor plans, with minimal architectural delineation between spaces, vaulted second-story ceilings, and large basement windows make the approximately 3,000-square-foot plans feel much larger. At the same time, we selected finishes that felt substantial and luxurious. In fact, many of the materials we chose are the very ones we used in other homes by the same builder——and that sold for $1 million.
Fortunately, perceptions of the area are rapidly evolving as new residents move in. Still, to some recent homebuyers at The 12, the residual negative stereotype is not all bad. With new retail and service businesses all around and ready access to downtown without the million-dollar mortgage, they find the “new west” to be one of Chicago’s best-kept secrets.
Michael
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