The renovation of an existing ten story industrial building in Chicago’s Printer’s Row neighborhood takes advantage of the unique location in its conversion to a fourteen story residential loft development. Four new ‘Penthouse’ floors were added to the building, affording spectacular unobstructed views of Chicago’s south side. The Harrison Street Lofts, bounded by Harrison and Clark Streets, provides 60 dwellings ranging from 875 to 2,564 sf. Totaling 120,000 sf of residential area, the project focused on restoring the building’s original exterior detail, while adding four terraced floors in a sympathetic manner to the structure’s clear structural expression. Fire escapes, windows and miscellaneous brackets, ducts and flues were stripped from the facade and replaced with new windows and projecting steel balconies. Exterior masonry was chemically cleaned and tuckpointed. Sandblasted concrete and masonry interior structure provided a contrasting framework for new construction, complementing the original character of the building.

The new ‘Penthouse’ floors are set back from the south facade, giving every residence a large private terrace. Each floor is unique, with no two dwelling layouts the same. Individual dwelling units contain a Kitchen and Bathroom core positioned to promote an open loft environment. Furnaces are located in separate mechanical rooms outside the dwellings, eliminating noise and wasted closet space.

Enclosed Parking is located in the building’s Basement and Second Floor, while the 5,000 sf First Floor is occupied by commercial tenants.