Chicago Three-Flat is our first speculative housing project in Chicago, rethinking one of the city’s defining housing typologies
Building on ideas first explored in Ardmore House, we asked what would happen if circulation was removed from both the building and the apartment unit.
Two independent stair towers flank the rectilinear volume, eliminating internal vertical circulation and freeing each unit to function as a continuous living space.
The project retains the straightforward construction of the three-flat while rethinking its interior as an open, shared domestic environment.
A continuous, curving corridor connects the short ends of each unit, doubling as living, dining, and lounge space.
A curving transom marks the transition between shared and private areas, and reads as a continuous backdrop to the various programs it hosts.
Angled walls fracture beneath the curve, defining the boundary of the private rooms.
Building on Ardmore House, the reading of the circular form balances the depth of the unit to accommodate bedrooms alongside expanded spaces for living, reading, kitchen, and dining.
The kitchen spans the width of the building, bridging the two sides of the curving wall.
Fractured geometries produce shallow thresholds and niches that create more intimate zones within the larger shared interior.
A simple three-level stack with circulation moved outside of the building envelope supports efficient construction. Four Juliet balconies along the facade bring natural light deep into each unit.
