Existing Walgreens space renovation @ 6330 S. King Dr, Chicago IL 60637

• Client: Pastor Corey Brooks, www.projecthood.org

• Area: 25,000 SF

• Summer 2017

Former Walgreens space provides a blank canvas to create what is going to be a vibrant and flexible space to serve different groups of users of The Leadership and Economic Development Center at 6330 S. King Dr. The design of the space is based on the concept of flexibility as well as intending to provide a vibrant environment on the interior for users who might not have access to such in the outside neighborhood environment.

The main former commercial Walgreens space, is now designed to house a number of moveable partitions. They are wooden L shaped partial height walls on casters. They can be organized into different arrangements to create different size collaboration areas, furnished with desks and chairs for small and large groups of entrepreneurs to work together. In case the space is needed for a larger event, the rolling partitions are stored by being positioned adjacent to one another to take up much smaller area and free up the rest of the main area. 

The former Walgreens storage area, that is adjacent to the main space, is used for meetings, smaller gatherings and event along with acoustically enclosed music and video production rooms and offices. 

By placing every program component in a former one from Walgreens, we are taking advantage of existing mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems which helps in significant cost savings. For example former Walgreens pharmacy area is going to be remodeled into a light food and beverage pantry and a separate juice bar will be located where Walgreens photo counter used to be. 

Right next to Walgreens building there is an older building, separated from the main space. We have opened up the wall to connect that space to the newly remodeled Leadership and Economic Development Center. It is programmed to be a construction training school. Students have taken the initiative to finish the space as part of their school assignment, which helps them learn as well as boosting their confidence in their abilities.

The existing space is renovated with goals to provide the community with opportunities for business outreach and collaboration, mentorship, learning, consultation and positive socializing.

Images below show the empty Walgreens space; from left to right:

existing building exterior, existing Walgreens space, existing entry, previous freezers/ future meeting area, previous pharmacy/ future cafeteria, previous photo lab/ future juice bar:

Introducing bright and bold colors:

Mobile cubicles, are wood framed and plywood cladded rooms on casters with colored plexiglass full height windows:

6620 S. Dr. Martin Luther King Dr., Chicago IL 60637

• Client: Pastor Corey Brooks, www.projecthood.org

• Area: 85,000 SF

• Phase: Schematic Design

• Fall 2015

The Story

For far too long the south side of Chicago has been struggling with rising crime rate, plaguing gun-violence and several other social ills. The communities have been deprived of privileges that otherwise could improve the residents socio-economical living conditions, education level, safety and provide them with business growth opportunities. 

ProjectHOOD is a 501 c 3 non-profit organization aiming at bringing all of this trauma to the end. The founder of ProjectHOOD- Corey Brooks- plans to make up for educational and socio-economical shortcomings by building a Community and Business Development Center in Woodlawn neighborhood in the south side of Chicago. 

He raised enough fund to purchase an abandoned motel that was house to gang and drug activities, and demolished it for the community center to be built in its place. The center is to provide services to Woodlawn, Englewood, and neighboring areas, while attracting users and businesses from all over the city. This project is the schematic design of the community center. There has been several ongoing fundraising efforts to gather the design and construction budget of roughly $20M. 

Aspirations, Goals and the Program

The ProjectHOOD ambitious goal is to respond to as many social, economical, emotional, educational needs that south side of Chicago has been struggling with for decades. 

One major goal is to provide opportunities for the youth to spend their time purposefully, in other words give them “something to do” and “hang inside the center” as oppose to spending time aimlessly in the streets. Therefore there are lounges spread out throughout the center with wifi, books and media, a large multipurpose gymnasium with two basketball courts, a swimming pool, an auditorium and spaces for activities such as dance, art, video production and music practice. It also provides a safe haven for the youth who struggle with finding it in their family and the community, through counseling and education. The center welcomes and organizes the community to come together, team up and work on projects, from gardening and cooking to producing a music video or an app. For the community center to be self sustained there are opportunities for investor to lease retail spaces along the street, open up shops, cafes and a restaurant and to help provide jobs for the neighborhood at the same time.

Facade

The design of the facade of the project is an attempt to bring a refreshing while modest colorfulness to the existing monotonous character of the stretch of King Dr. in Woodlawn neighborhood. It is also meant to provide bright, airy, vivid and fun interior spaces for the community users, consisting of more youth. 

Building is cladded in polycarbonate panels that can be manufactured is a wide variety of colors. In addition to blanket the building as thermal insulation, the facade creates a colored translucent layer over the gymnasium walls and floor-to-ceiling windows. During the day the facade presents the color arrangement of the panels, while at nights gymnasium light shines through the panels and at the same time cast shadows of the gym users while playing, adding motion effect to the glowing colorful building facade. Panels are extended well above the roof. People who use the roof top community garden will also be seen through the translucency of the panels, again adding motion to the building facade during the day. Building users will share parking with the New Beginnings church across the street.

Building concept is based on simple access to all the different program components. It consists of three bar shape volumes and an entry courtyard that are wrapped the poly carbonate panel double skin. Based on the time of the year and the direction of the Chicago prevailing wind, the double skin provides natural ventilation in larger spaces, i.e. multi purpose gymnasium and second floor gallery. Smaller spaces are heated and cooled mechanically, while the double skin enclosure reduces the overall load significantly. There are fixed and operable windows and flaps in the enclosure that allow for natural ventilation controlled by the building automation system in different times of the day, surrounding wind direction and temperature.

The exterior wall assembly is a double skin enclosure system. Outer skin is interlocking translucent cellular polycarbonate panels attached to the building structure by aluminum framing system and inner skin is masonry. There are large windows provided at the inner layer of the exterior wall to create day lit spaces. At the same time the translucency of the outer skin of the facade creates a level of security for the building users to not be easily identified as the area has struggled with drive by shootings. The double skin creates air cavity that operates accordingly in cold or warm weather to help in natural ventilation, heating and cooling. While polycarbonate panels have greater R-value compared to glass and resist the heat transfer as well.

Another Chance Church of Chicago is a 501 c 3 non for profit organization located in the Washington Heights neighborhood in the south side of Chicago. The ownership is planning on building a new gymnasium next to the existing school to serve the community in conjunction with the school. The facility will be used for a variety of other programming, including after school, summer camps and other community events. The new gymnasium will be connected to the existing church building by a new elevated glass bridge.

Sunshine Enterprises is a 501 c 3 located in the Woodlawn neighborhood in the south side of Chicago. The organization planned to purchase an existing art-deco style building nearby and convert it to community co-working spaces on the ground level and residential units on the second floor. The plan consisted of office spaces, community meetings and event spaces, cafeteria, pop-up shops and classrooms. The residential units on the second floor were located in a way that would allow for a series of skylights to bring in the natural light into the interior spaces below.

• Client: Nettelhorst Elementary school- Parent Teacher Organization
• Area: 2,000 SF
• Phase: Built
• spring 2017

The Story

Nettelhorst Elementary is located in Lakeview neighborhood in Chicago. The Parent Teacher Organization has been actively organizing fundraisers to support educational needs of the school as well as different projects and improvements all around the building.

Technology classes are held in the library and technology center. Students had been seated in three linear rows, two of the facing each other and one row facing the wall. At projector screening times students would sit in the space left between the desk rows and the wall, where often was limiting to house larger classrooms or older students. We designed a clustered desk arrangement, so students sit around hexagonal desks in groups of six and be able to interacts easier. The new desk layout allows for a rug area in the middle of the desks where students can gather at project screening times more comfortably.The space was also in need of new finishes. The old broadloom carpet is replaced with replaceable carpet tiles as being more appropriate for a space used by children. It is also painted a neutral color to showcase the art works on the walls.

Images below show the process, how we start from the blue linear arranged technology center to freshly finished clustered layout.

Chicago Lakefront Kiosk Competition

• Sponsored by: Chicago Architecture Biennial 
• Area: 200 SF
• Phase: Competition Conceptual Design
• Spring 2015

The shorelines of Lake Michigan form a prominent urban identity for Chicago. Proposals to reclaim the lakefront as an amenity for an urban public space have been part of its history, and many of these plans have been realized over thefts century. As part of Chicago Architecture Biennial, a competition was held in collaboration with the Chicago Park District for design and construction of a 200 SF kiosk at a select site by the lakefront. The program for the kiosk is similar to current kiosks managed by the park district, such as vending, equipment rental and shelter. 

Aligned with the ideas of cradle-to-cradle design methodology, the kiosk is assembled from up-cycled bikes purchased from the underserved Chicago communities, asking and encouraging them to purchase a new bike for themselves with the help of the payment  they receive for the old bike. This creates a second life for the bicycles and encourages community members to ride bikes more often, use less motor vehicle, and live a healthier life.

The bicycles used for the construction of the kiosk, are acid washed and re-painted, then welded into a sculptural shelter. Functional bikes are located on the ground and can be rented by lake front trail visitors. The organization and placement of the bikes next to one another changes as they are installed in higher elevations. The further they get from the ground, the more they are placed haphazardly on top of each other.

A metal frame structure, painted white, holds up and contains the bicycles, giving the assembly a somewhat regular box like form. In a way the bicycles form the actual kiosk enclosure, similar to a gabion wall. They seem monolithic from afar and more transparent as one gets closer.

The kiosk space houses multiple programs throughout the year. At anytime a vending counter and cashier can be carted under the kiosk for sales of light food and beverages, equipment rentals, photography devices, and anything that a biker, jogger, tourist, or just a passer-by could use on their journey along the lake. The kiosk can also be used for entertaining, announcements, or simple gatherings. At night the LED string lights wrapped around some of the wheels glow and light up the space.