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
| Mar 14, 2012
Plans for San Francisco's tallest building revamped
The glassy white high-rise would be 60 stories and 1,070 feet tall with an entrance at First and Mission streets.
| Mar 14, 2012
Hyatt joins Thornton Tomasetti as VP in Chicago
A forensic specialist, Hyatt has more than 10 years of experience performing investigations of structural failures throughout the U.S.
| Mar 14, 2012
Tsoi/Kobus and Centerbrook to design Jackson Laboratory facility in Farmington, Conn.
Building will house research into personalized, gene-based cancer screening and treatment.
| Mar 13, 2012
China's high-speed building boom
A 30-story hotel in Changsha went up in two weeks. Some question the safety in that, but the builder defends its methods.
| Mar 13, 2012
Commercial glazer Harmon expanding into Texas
Company expanding into the Texas market with a new office in Dallas and a satellite facility in Austin.
| Mar 13, 2012
Worker office space to drop below 100-sf in five years
The average for all companies for square feet per worker in 2017 will be 151 sf, compared to 176 sf, and 225 sf in 2010.
| Mar 12, 2012
Improving the performance of existing commercial buildings: the chemistry of sustainable construction
Retrofitting our existing commercial buildings is one of the key steps to overcoming the economic and environmental challenges we face.
| Mar 9, 2012
2012 Giants 300 survey due Friday, April 13
See how your firm ranks among the AEC industry leaders.