Designed by Leo Steif in 1923, the Ralph J. Pomeroy Apartments sat vacant in Chicago’s historic Bryn Mawr district for six years until renovations began in 2010. Now, as part of the Chicago Housing Authority’s Plan for Transformation, the Pomeroy Senior Apartments building is CHA’s flagship senior living center on the city’s North Side.
The original brick, terra cotta, and limestone façade was inspected and restored, keeping the look consistent with the other buildings in the historic neighborhood. New windows and a bronze entry canopy were constructed, complementing the design vocabulary.
The entire interior of the building was renovated, from the first floor lobby and common areas, to the rooftop spaces. The number of living units was reduced from 120 to 104 to allow for more space per unit and comply with current accessibility requirements.
PROJECT SUMMARY
POMEROY SENIOR APARTMENTS
Chicago, Ill.Building Team
Submitting firm: Pappageorge Haymes Partners (architect)
Developer: Chicago Housing Authority
Associate architect: Architrave Ltd.
Interior design: Koo & Associates
Structural engineer: Matrix Engineering Corp.
Mechanical/electrical engineer: The Engineering Studio
Civil engineer/Landscape architect: Terra Engineering
Sustainability consultant: Grumman Butkus Associates
Environmental consultant: GSG Consultants Inc.
General contractor: James McHugh Construction
Construction manager: d’Escoto Inc.General Information
Size: 118,522 sf
Construction cost: $31 million
Construction time: January 2010 to August 2011
Delivery method: Design-bid-build
For added security and accessibility, the entrance of the building was moved from the busy Hollywood Avenue frontage to a quieter side street. The new entrance offers a direct view into the main-floor outdoor courtyard and a connection between the interior and exterior common areas.
The roof terrace is now accessible via a relocated staircase and elevator core. Here, residents can take advantage of private gardening and an outdoor space with views of Lake Michigan, as well as an indoor penthouse recreation room.
The Pomeroy project is tracking LEED Platinum certification through the use of geothermal wells, solar thermal and photovoltaic panels, heat recovery systems, green vegetative roofs, high-performance windows and envelope insulation, stormwater control, and Energy Star appliances. More than 90% of construction waste was diverted from landfill.
“They did it well,” said Reconstruction Awards Judge Keith Hammerman, PE. +
Related Stories
| Aug 11, 2010
ZweigWhite names its fastest-growing architecture, engineering, and environmental firms
Management consulting and research firm ZweigWhite has identified the 200 fastest-growing architecture, engineering, and environmental consulting firms in the U.S. and Canada for its annual ranking, The Zweig Letter Hot Firm List. This annual list features the design and environmental firms that have outperformed the economy and competitors to become industry leaders.
| Aug 11, 2010
SSOE, Fluor among nation's largest industrial building design firms
A ranking of the Top 75 Industrial Design Firms based on Building Design+Construction's 2009 Giants 300 survey. For more Giants 300 rankings, visit http://www.BDCnetwork.com/Giants
| Aug 11, 2010
Guggenheim to host live online discussion of Frank Lloyd Wright exhibition
The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum launches the Guggenheim Forum, a new series of moderated online discussions among experts from a variety of fields that will occur in conjunction with major museum exhibitions.
| Aug 11, 2010
Best AEC Firms of 2011/12
Later this year, we will launch Best AEC Firms 2012. We’re looking for firms that create truly positive workplaces for their AEC professionals and support staff. Keep an eye on this page for entry information. +
| Aug 11, 2010
Report: Building codes and regulations impede progress toward uber-green buildings
The enthusiasm for super green Living Buildings continues unabated, but a key stumbling block to the growth of this highest level of green building performance is an existing set of codes and regulations. A new report by the Cascadia Region Green Building Council entitled "Code, Regulatory and Systemic Barriers Affecting Living Building Projects" presents a case for fundamental reassessment of building codes.
| Aug 11, 2010
Call for entries: Building enclosure design awards
The Boston Society of Architects and the Boston chapter of the Building Enclosure Council (BEC-Boston) have announced a High Performance Building award that will assess building enclosure innovation through the demonstrated design, construction, and operation of the building enclosure.
| Aug 11, 2010
Portland Cement Association offers blast resistant design guide for reinforced concrete structures
Developed for designers and engineers, "Blast Resistant Design Guide for Reinforced Concrete Structures" provides a practical treatment of the design of cast-in-place reinforced concrete structures to resist the effects of blast loads. It explains the principles of blast-resistant design, and how to determine the kind and degree of resistance a structure needs as well as how to specify the required materials and details.
