NADAAA is participating in the Chicago Come Home: Missing Middle Infill Housing Competition, organized by the City of Chicago and the Chicago Architecture Center. The intention of the competition is to build much-needed new housing stock in Chicago’s South and West Sides. An exhibition of the 42 submitted projects that range from single-family houses to six-unit buildings are now exhibited at the CAC and will be on view until March 26. Public feedback is welcomed both in person at the exhibition and online.
Helix2
URBANISM: The doubling of plots sets up an opportunity to transform what would conventionally be two row-houses into multiple dwellings that creates a community within a single structure. HELIX2 achieves this by creating an inner court that is shared by all units, while each unit also gets its own separate terrace.
A TYPE TRANSFORMED: The proposed circulation of two traditional row-houses is merged into a double-helical staircase that accesses all units, one interior and another exterior, as the second means of egress. The row-houses are rotated perpendicular to the street, separated to form a court, with an exterior stair providing terraces for social interaction.
UNIT ‘TETRIS’ LOGIC: Most units are organized on two levels in a sectional L-configuration, creating a public/private level, or allowing a separate suite on another floor for the independence of an in-law/parental suite. While the units stack in a bespoke organization, all plumbing is stacked vertically to allow for flexible planning around units, should transformations be needed.
TECHNOLOGIES: While economy suggests wood-stud framing is the most economical for a single building, if multiple structures were considered on varied sites, mass timber, and modular systems allow for pre-fabrication and enhanced sustainable solutions. Veneer wood resin composite or fiber cement panels make for a flexible cladding rain screen envelope.
THE REAL ESTATE PROFORMA: An apples-to-apples comparison between a conventional double row-house and this proposal establishes a net-to-gross difference of 9500/900sqft of circulation for the row-house and 9500/840sqft for HELIX2, with the added advantage of a courtyard and multiple terraces.
Read more about the competition and initiative to build in Chicago’s South and West Sides via the Chicago Sun Times, Dwell, and Austin Weekly.
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