The recently opened 198-unit Optima Lakeview luxury rental apartment building in Chicago is bursting with amenities such as the region’s first year-round rooftop pool, contact-free in-home package delivery, housekeeping services, on-site room service, fitness programming, and a virtual personal assistant. Emphasizing wellness and outdoor space, Optima designed the building with setbacks providing multiple residences with private outdoor landscaped terraces, complete with trees, built-in grills, and fire pits. Terraces range from 67 sf to about 1,600 sf.
Most shared amenities are connected by the seven-story atrium running through the building’s core that is topped by a skylight. Natural light floods this space including strategically placed planters on various floors surrounding the atrium that will form a hanging garden when the plants mature.
A rooftop sky deck offering views of Lake Michigan, Wrigley Field, and the Chicago skyline is equipped with fire tables and heaters suitable for the city’s colder climate. The 35-by-25-foot rooftop pool will stay heated and swimmable year-round. Residents can use the rooftop’s spa, theater, lounge seating, and a dozen grills and kitchen stations. The rooftop also includes a glass-enclosed party room appointed with TV, various seating arrangements, and a full chef’s kitchen. Residents’ pets can enjoy the outdoors in the building’s 2,000 sf heated dog park.
An indoor basketball/pickleball court, sports lounge and golf simulator are all located near the main entrance and are flanked by street-level windows. Upstairs, residents have access to a fitness center with state-of-the-art equipment, a yoga/stretching room, sauna, pet spa, and a children’s play area with an emphasis on active gross motor play. Additionally, a residents’ club, game room, and chef’s kitchen provide space for parties and events.
Those working from home have access to two wired conference spaces and a business center, along with several indoor and outdoor seating areas. Multiple technology providers offer residents with choice for digital connectivity. The building recently became the first North American residential development to earn WiredScore Gold Rating for Digital Connectivity.
The building’s modern exterior uses a sophisticated palette of warm-toned exterior materials, including transparent bronze glass and rich, dark brick that complements the architecture of the surrounding neighborhood. One-, two- and three-bedroom units come with high-end finishes and smart home technology. Private balconies or terraces are per plan.
Units average 1,053 sf with enough space to give residents flexibility to dedicate space for a home office, bar, children’s play area or pet area. Custom wardrobes with built-in shelves and drawers for clothes and storage convey more natural light to the interior. Rents start at $2,500 per month.
On the building team:
Owner and/or developer: Optima, Inc.
Design architect: David Hovey Sr., FAIA, CEO and Founder of Optima, Inc.
Architect of record: David Hovey Sr., FAIA, CEO and Founder of Optima, Inc.
MEP engineer: F.E. Moran (HVAC); IMEG (Electric); Warren F. Thomas Plumbing (Plumbing)
Structural engineer: WSP USA
General contractor/construction manager: Optima, Inc./Matt Cison & Mike Schwerzler
Related Stories
| Mar 1, 2013
China mega developer enters U.S. market
China Vanke Co., Ltd., is making its debut in the U.S. property market with a joint venture high-rise condominium project at 201 Folsom St. in San Francisco, according to CoStar's Randyl Drummer.
| Feb 28, 2013
Novel multifamily solutions to be presented at New York Modular Construction Summit
The New York Modular Construction Summit will be co-hosted by the Modular Building Institute and Pratt Institute School of Architecture on May 16, 2013, in Brooklyn, N.Y.
| Feb 28, 2013
Lend Lease builds world's tallest timber apartment building
Construction giant Lend Lease recently put the finishing touches on Forté, a 10-story apartment complex in Melbourne, Australia's Victoria Harbour that was built entirely with cross laminated timber (CTL) technology.
| Feb 27, 2013
Bronx residents get LEED Platinum public housing complex, rooftop farm
The New York City Housing Authority has opened Arbor House, a 124-unit LEED Platinum complex in the Morrisania neighborhood of the Bronx.
| Feb 25, 2013
What end-users do (and don't) know about lighting technology (infographic)
The fifth annual SYLVANIA Socket Survey from OSRAM SYLVANIA finds that consumers are adjusting to new legislation and energy-efficient lighting options, with about half saying that they plan to switch to new lighting technologies.
| Feb 25, 2013
10 U.S. cities with the best urban forests
Charlotte, Denver, and Milwaukee are among 10 U.S. cities ranked recently by the conservation organization American Forests for having quality urban forest programs.
| Feb 21, 2013
Holl videos discuss design features of Chengdu ' Porosity Block' project
Architect Steven Holl has released two short films describing the development of Sliced Porosity Block in Chengdu, China.
| Feb 21, 2013
Construction team chosen for world's tallest building in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Construction team chosen for world's tallest building in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
| Feb 20, 2013
Group of West Coast civil engineers developing building standards for tsunamis
A group of civil engineers from around the western U.S. is developing additions to the building code to address the threat of a tsunami.
| Feb 19, 2013
Luxury multifamily project under way in Atlanta; 215 residences planned
Hines Multifamily is building @1377, a luxury complex comprising 215 "urban-style residences" in Atlanta's Brookhaven neighborhood.
