NDC Ranked as Top Design Build Firm in Chicago, but why Design Build?

Wilmette 2020

Woodlawn - 2018

Cortland

Lorel Park

Sawyer

We are pleased to report that NCA Build Ltd., the Design-Build entity of Nicholas Design Collaborative was ranked as the top Design-Build firm in Chicago by Buildzoom Magazine. But what is Design Build, and why would a client want to build their home employing this construction delivery method?

TRADITIONAL DELIVERY: COMPETITIVE BID
Traditional delivery is when the property owner hires the architect to design the project under one contract and a general contractor to build that design under another, separate contract.  Contractually, under AIA form contracts, the architect acts as the Owner's agent during the course of construction, making sure the building is being constructed as designed.  The architect designs and details the drawings and the contractor builds the building, but the contractor may have different ideas on what they want to build and how they want to build it.  This means that the architect must ensure that the GC build the project the way it was designed which can lead to conflict.  Some contractors are architect friendly, others don't want to be told what to do, especially from a "know it all" architect.  The latter typically leads to architect and GC working against, not with each other.

Most clients I encounter these days want to "bid out" the drawings we produce in order to build their houses.  This means getting a collection of 4-6 GC's to go through the process of bidding out to their subcontractors, highly detailed drawings for a nuanced, one of a kind home.  Generally GC's are given 4-6 weeks to complete this task.  Its a lot of work, and it takes a lot of time.  Because of this, and without the guarantee of being awarded a contract, many GC's do not want to participate, which usually, eliminates most of the competing GC's.

Influencing this process is the fact that most of the good subcontractors are already busy and have little incentive to be competitive (or timely) with their bids.  This is because many of the contractors and subcontractors in the Chicagoland area who came here from other countries went back to their home countries during the great recession and have not returned to the US.  Presently, we are back to pre-recession levels, and the bulk of the of the departed contractors have not returned, creating greater demand for the contractors that remain, thus driving prices higher.  Typically, this means that the remaining GC's,  get inflated contractor pricing and they don't have time to get competing bids in the limited bid time frame. In some cases, they may not have received any bids for some trades, which means they will need to plug in a high number just to cover themselves.  This will generally result in inflated bids from the remaining GC's  The Owner will need to choose one of them, most likely based solely on price.  The total cost of the bid or Guaranteed Maximum Price is what is binding in the contract that the Owner signs with the GC, with no ability to negotiate after signing. After the Owner signs the contract, the GC has the right to bid out all of the sub trades over the course of the project and potentially gain hundreds of thousands of dollars for their own benefit, NOT the Owners.  If the bid comes in well over budget, the owner does have the opportunity to "value engineer" with the architect and builder in order to come up with a lower budget prior to signing the construction contract. This means coming up with changes in scope that is painful for all involved.  The Owner must take out parts of the project that he or she originally wanted, the architect needs to make changes to the drawings and the contractor needs to re-bid to subcontractors in order to bring it to a reasonable budget.  This can delay the start of the project not to mention the Owner's disappointment of not getting what they wanted originally, and loss of revenue to the architect and contractor due to extra time spent

In the currently overheated construction climate, if an owner wants traditional delivery, I would rather that they find a GC with a good reputation and engage that contractor in negotiated bid than putting the project out for bid because there is a commitment to that builder, who knows he/she will be getting the job and that their efforts will not be potentially futile.

DESIGN-BUILD IN GENERAL

Design-Build is a streamlined process that has become increasingly popular in large commercial, municipal and institutional projects as well as residential.  It saves time and money because the design and construction team are assembled early and utilize their collective knowledge to work together with the Owner and get the project to construction efficiently.  Architect and contractor are under contract with each other (one of which is the project leader) and the Owner signs a contract for construction with the design-build team. Because the pricing process begins early in the course of the design process, contractor and architect work together for several months prior to construction in order to determine the budget and details for the project.  This helps to give the Owner a good idea of the budget early in the process and avoiding "value engineering". By the time the drawings are complete and the permit approved, the Owner will have a clear idea of what the budget will be.  Any design changes and budget decision necessary will have already been done and a last minute budget crisis avoided.

Because the contractor and architect are under a single design-build entity, the Owner has one point of contact, and because the contractor and architect have a common interest, cooperation instead of conflict between the parties results. 

DESIGNER LED DESIGN-BUILD VS. CONTRACTOR LED DESIGN-BUILD

Design build, either designer or  contractor led,  is essentially putting the responsibility of the entire project with one entity that handles the entire project from the beginning of design until the end of construction.  Some people call it "turn-key".  The owner signs one contract with the Design Build Entity and if something isn't right about the project, that entity must resolve it to the Owner's satisfaction.  

With contractor led design-build, the GC is in charge and will hire an architect as a subcontractor.  Although not necessarily in all cases, my experience with single family residential projects, as an architect hired by the contractor, price can be the sole determining factor.  The architect is often treated as a commodity, and our services are limited to producing enough to get a permit and nothing more.  This gives the contractor the ability to build it however he/she sees fit without any architect oversight during the course of construction.  The contractor will pick finishes with the owner during the construction process. In most cases, the contractor does not have any design training.  

At NDC+, we produce one of a kind, high quality, durable homes. Clients hire us because of our ability to execute our buildings the way they were designed.  With Designer Led Design-Build, design execution and quality are paramount. Because we have the construction team in place early, bidding starts early in the design process and continues until the construction starts, and during the course of construction.  During that bidding process, competition is created by bidding out to multiple subcontractors, sometimes 3 or more per trade.  There are exceptions to this, such as when a GC is self-performing some of the trades or the subcontractor selected is someone with a long track record of quality and value with architect or contractor.  When building a custom house , getting details precise and correct is the difference between a "builder quality" house and a "custom" house.  It is even more important when building a modern house because there is not trim to hide errors. Everything is exposed, lines are often continuous and long and if something isn't straight, it is very obvious.  With designer led design build, the architect is embedded as part of the design team and will be on site daily in order to make sure that the details are being executed as drawn.  Responsibility is shared between architect and contractor.  At NDC/NCA Build, we handle the relationship with the client, pick and order finishes, and handle construction administration including payout requests, change orders and schedule management.  The contractor is relieved of those responsibilities and left to focus on managing subcontractors and building the project.  We are able to select contractors that we have had a long relationship with, who we know can produce the quality that we expect.  They in turn understand what we expect and are not surprised with that expectation.  They understand our details from past projects, which streamlines our drawing process.  We draw less because they know more, which results in savings for the owner.  In summary, the contractors are able to focus on building, while the architect is most deeply involved in the design from start to finish.

We have had great success in producing superior results when delivering project using the design-build  delivery method and we have many clients that will attest to these positive outcomes. Award winning design deserves award winning construction and we have been recognized to have the ability to do both.

Peter Nicholas
President
NDC+/NCA Build

peter@nicholasdc.com

A REASONABLE PROPOSAL TO ACTIVATE THE STREET IN EDGEWATER

Near my house in the Edgewater neighborhood on the north side of Chicago, we recently designed a multi-unit project on a main thoroughfare where a parking lot now sits. As a member of the community and as Architect-Developer for the project, it was a matter of integrity and conscious to design a project that was unique, supportive of the vitality of the street and appropriate for its location. Prior to my securing the property, there was another proposal on the table by another developer which proposed 20 units in a 5 story building with 10 parking spaces and no retail. The architectural design of the project, in my opinion was lackluster and indicative of the typical type of imposing brick and limestone box with little or no remarkable or interesting character. This project was rejected by the community and the Alderman and was not approved for a zoning change. It became clear to me through observation of the process with this previous proposal, that the maximum height acceptable to the community was 4 stories.

Our project requires a zoning change, so the process for approval involves review by the community and various community groups adjacent to the property. After going through several rounds of presentations to the community, we had the full support of the community and were ready for our final presentation. Prior to sending out notice of this meeting, I spoke with the GC we are working with on this project who informed me that the cost of construction for this type of project had gone from $175 per sq. ft. to $250 psf or a 42% increase. Being a smaller project, that kind of increase cannot be absorbed and still have a financially viable project. This in not unusual these days and we are currently looking for ways to increase the income of the project while maintaining the current envelope of the building. We will be going through the community review process once again and we are confident that we can come up with a solution that will be acceptable to the community and financially viable.

Peter Nicholas

peter@nicholasdc.com

MAGNOLIA FLATS WINS AWARD FOR DESIGN EXCELLENCE

Magnolia Flats, a 4 unit multi-family in the Edgewater community on the north side of Chicago was picked by the Association of Licensed Architects (ALA) as a Silver Award Winner for Design Excellence in their 2022 Awards Program. The project was Designed by Nicholas Design Collaborative, built by NCA Build, the Design-Build entity of NDC and developed by Peter Nicholas as the place of residence for his family.

Owners Unit Kitchen, Family Room, Dining Room

The project was envisioned as a potential multi-generational building with (2) one bedroom unit, (1) 2 bedroom unit and (1) 5 bedroom unit. It sits in a primarily multi-family residential area. It is one block from Whole Foods, a CTA train stop and the local Public Library. Along with these amenities there is an array of goods and services that make need for an automobile unneccessary.

Front Facade

Rear Courtyard

It was important for us to take advantage of every inch of the site. The project used every square foot of allowable living space and integrated those spaces with outdoor space. Each unit has at least one outdoor “room” on 9’ x 12’ with the 2 bedroom space given 2 bedroom and the the Owners unit two and a compact courtyard. It has become the ethos of our organization to weave outdoor space into each project if at all possible.

Garden Level Courtyard

Special Thanks goes out to my associate and the project manager Gavin Bardes for his hard work and skill on this project.

Peter Nicholas
peter@nicholasdc.com

Garden Level Kitchen looking into Courtyard

3rd floor apartment living space and outdoor room

Daytime front elevation

Children’s playroom - Owners Unit

HIGHLAND PARK MODERN PROGRESS REPORT

Progress continues on our Highland Park Modern project as we have now completed framing and roofing and exterior cladding following those trades. This will allow the contractors to work inside the building during cold weather months and to quickly finish the project interiors. Traditional hard stucco and brick are progressing going up as the design of the house becomes more apparent.

Highland Park Modern is a 4 home, single family residential enclave located in Highland Park, Illinois. Each house is a total of 4,166 square feet on three levels including the basement. Designed by Peter Nicholas of Nicholas Design Collaborative, an award winning California trained, Chicago based architect with the ideals of the early California Modernists in mind, HP Modern is a four-house single family courtyard village located in the City of Highland Park on the North Shore Suburbs near Chicago. It is conveniently positioned within a three-block walk of the restaurants and shops on Central Street in downtown Highland Park. The Metra commuter train, within the same short distance will quickly get you to downtown Chicago for work or entertainment. Renown Highland Park Schools from K-12 are all located within one block. Beautiful beaches are close, an easy bike ride or walk to get there. Each house has a 28 x 40 private courtyard and a 19 x 27 roof deck. 2 homes are currently under contract with 2 still available for purchase. Prices start at $1,399,000. Delivery is scheduled for Spring 2023!

Private courtyard for one home in progress

Private courtyard for one home when completed

Private Courtyard in progress

Private Courtyard when complete

Guest project entry in progress

Guest project entry when complete

Guest Entry area in Progress

Guest Entry area when completed.

Brick, Stucco and privacy screen mockup

NDC Ranked as Top Design Build Firm in Chicago, but why Design Build?

Wilmette 2020

Woodlawn - 2018

Cortland

Periscope

Lorel Park

Sawyer

Locust

We are pleased to report that NCA Build Ltd., the Design-Build entity of Nicholas Design Collaborative was ranked as the top Design-Build firm in Chicago by Buildzoom Magazine

But what is Design Build, and why would a client want to build their home employing this construction delivery method?

TRADITIONAL DELIVERY: COMPETITIVE BID
Traditional delivery is when the property owner hires the architect to design the project under one contract and a general contractor to build that design under another, separate contract.  Contractually, under AIA form contracts, the architect acts as the Owner's agent during the course of construction, making sure the building is being constructed as designed.  The architect designs and details the drawings and the contractor builds the building, but the contractor may have different ideas on what they want to build and how they want to build it.  This means that the architect must ensure that the GC build the project the way it was designed which can lead to conflict.  Some contractors are architect friendly, others don't want to be told what to do, especially from a "know it all" architect.  The latter typically leads to architect and GC working against, not with each other.

Most clients I encounter these days want to "bid out" the drawings we produce in order to build their houses.  This means getting a collection of 4-6 GC's to go through the process of bidding out to their subcontractors, highly detailed drawings for a nuanced, one of a kind home.  Generally GC's are given 4-6 weeks to complete this task.  Its a lot of work, and it takes a lot of time.  Because of this, and without the guarantee of being awarded a contract, many GC's do not want to participate, which usually, eliminates most of the competing GC's.

Influencing this process is the fact that most of the good subcontractors are already busy and have little incentive to be competitive (or timely) with their bids.  This is because many of the contractors and subcontractors in the Chicagoland area who came here from other countries went back to their home countries during the great recession and have not returned to the US.  Presently, we are back to pre-recession levels, and the bulk of the of the departed contractors have not returned, creating greater demand for the contractors that remain, thus driving prices higher.  Typically, this means that the remaining GC's,  get inflated contractor pricing and they don't have time to get competing bids in the limited bid time frame. In some cases, they may not have received any bids for some trades, which means they will need to plug in a high number just to cover themselves.  This will generally result in inflated bids from the remaining GC's  The Owner will need to choose one of them, most likely based solely on price.  The total cost of the bid or Guaranteed Maximum Price is what is binding in the contract that the Owner signs with the GC, with no ability to negotiate after signing. After the Owner signs the contract, the GC has the right to bid out all of the sub trades over the course of the project and potentially gain hundreds of thousands of dollars for their own benefit, NOT the Owners.  If the bid comes in well over budget, the owner does have the opportunity to "value engineer" with the architect and builder in order to come up with a lower budget prior to signing the construction contract. This means coming up with changes in scope that is painful for all involved.  The Owner must take out parts of the project that he or she originally wanted, the architect needs to make changes to the drawings and the contractor needs to re-bid to subcontractors in order to bring it to a reasonable budget.  This can delay the start of the project not to mention the Owner's disappointment of not getting what they wanted originally, and loss of revenue to the architect and contractor due to extra time spent

In the currently overheated construction climate, if an owner wants traditional delivery, I would rather that they find a GC with a good reputation and engage that contractor in negotiated bid than putting the project out for bid because there is a commitment to that builder, who knows he/she will be getting the job and that their efforts will not be potentially futile.

DESIGN-BUILD IN GENERAL

Design-Build is a streamlined process that has become increasingly popular in large commercial, municipal and institutional projects as well as residential.  It saves time and money because the design and construction team are assembled early and utilize their collective knowledge to work together with the Owner and get the project to construction efficiently.  Architect and contractor are under contract with each other (one of which is the project leader) and the Owner signs a contract for construction with the design-build team. Because the pricing process begins early in the course of the design process, contractor and architect work together for several months prior to construction in order to determine the budget and details for the project.  This helps to give the Owner a good idea of the budget early in the process and avoiding "value engineering". By the time the drawings are complete and the permit approved, the Owner will have a clear idea of what the budget will be.  Any design changes and budget decision necessary will have already been done and a last minute budget crisis avoided.

Because the contractor and architect are under a single design-build entity, the Owner has one point of contact, and because the contractor and architect have a common interest, cooperation instead of conflict between the parties results. 

DESIGNER LED DESIGN-BUILD VS. CONTRACTOR LED DESIGN-BUILD

Design build, either designer or  contractor led,  is essentially putting the responsibility of the entire project with one entity that handles the entire project from the beginning of design until the end of construction.  Some people call it "turn-key".  The owner signs one contract with the Design Build Entity and if something isn't right about the project, that entity must resolve it to the Owner's satisfaction.  

With contractor led design-build, the GC is in charge and will hire an architect as a subcontractor.  Although not necessarily in all cases, my experience with single family residential projects, as an architect hired by the contractor, price can be the sole determining factor.  The architect is often treated as a commodity, and our services are limited to producing enough to get a permit and nothing more.  This gives the contractor the ability to build it however he/she sees fit without any architect oversight during the course of construction.  The contractor will pick finishes with the owner during the construction process. In most cases, the contractor does not have any design training.  

At NDC+, we produce one of a kind, high quality, durable homes. Clients hire us because of our ability to execute our buildings the way they were designed.  With Designer Led Design-Build, design execution and quality are paramount. Because we have the construction team in place early, bidding starts early in the design process and continues until the construction starts, and during the course of construction.  During that bidding process, competition is created by bidding out to multiple subcontractors, sometimes 3 or more per trade.  There are exceptions to this, such as when a GC is self-performing some of the trades or the subcontractor selected is someone with a long track record of quality and value with architect or contractor.  When building a custom house , getting details precise and correct is the difference between a "builder quality" house and a "custom" house.  It is even more important when building a modern house because there is not trim to hide errors. Everything is exposed, lines are often continuous and long and if something isn't straight, it is very obvious.  With designer led design build, the architect is embedded as part of the design team and will be on site daily in order to make sure that the details are being executed as drawn.  Responsibility is shared between architect and contractor.  At NDC/NCA Build, we handle the relationship with the client, pick and order finishes, and handle construction administration including payout requests, change orders and schedule management.  The contractor is relieved of those responsibilities and left to focus on managing subcontractors and building the project.  We are able to select contractors that we have had a long relationship with, who we know can produce the quality that we expect.  They in turn understand what we expect and are not surprised with that expectation.  They understand our details from past projects, which streamlines our drawing process.  We draw less because they know more, which results in savings for the owner.  In summary, the contractors are able to focus on building, while the architect is most deeply involved in the design from start to finish.

We have had great success in producing superior results when delivering project using the design-build  delivery method and we have many clients that will attest to these positive outcomes. Award winning design deserves award winning construction and we have been recognized to have the ability to do both.

Peter Nicholas
President
NDC+/NCA Build

peter@nicholasdc.com

NDC designed Wilmette house is published in Design Chicago Magazine

Design Chicago Magazine released a feature" “Looking Inward” Article today written by Thomas Connors and photographed by Bruce Van Inwegen Digital Arts about our recently completed Wilmette House. The magazine is a Chicago Merchandise Mart Publication that can also be found in print at the Mart. Many thanks to all the contractors and craftsman it took to put together a house that needed to be built like a swiss watch.

Special thanks to our Clients who had the patience and fortitude to make it through the sometimes difficult but ultimately rewarding process. We cannot thank them enough.

Highland Park Modern construction progresses

HPM Pedestrian Entry when complete

Construction for our 4 house project at 2107-13 St. Johns Avenue in Highland Park, IL, Highland Park Modern is progressing quickly. Foundations are complete and waterproofed, basement steel is in place and the first floors wood subfloor is complete as well. Water service from the street has begun and materials for site and storm water drainage are on site. Construction for all of these underground utilities will begin next.

South West corner at St. Johns Ave at vehicular drrive

South west corner at St. Johns when complete

It is exciting to see the progress ramp up after winter and to see it come out of the ground. We can’t wait to see the framing to go in place and for the building form to become apparent.

Typical Living/Dining /Kitchen

Typical Living/Dining/Kitchen when complete

There is no product on the market like these 4,116 square foot two story plus basement level home. These homes are ideal for those looking for a modern urban style in a walkable suburban community.

Located 3 blocks from stores and restaurants in downtown Highland Park and the Metra train to downtown Chicago and 4 blocks from the beach, these house have 29’ x 40’ landscaped private courtyards for those interested in gardening but the maintenance of a huge yard. South facing floor to ceiling glass overlook the garden as does a 665 square foot deck above the attached 2 car garage.

2 units are under contract with 2 still available. Deliver expected in Spring 2023. For more information, go to hpmodernhomes.com

Construction Begins on Highland Park Modern

We are excited to announce that construction has begun on Highland Park Modern, our new 4 house single family house development designed and built by NDC+ and NCA Build, our Design Build entity in partnership with Kelly - Smith Construction. Peter Nicholas, the founder of NDC+ and NCA Build is the managing partner of Domain 3 LLC, the developer of the project. We are a cutting edge company with a track record of designing and building sophisticated modern single family homes in and around the Chicago and Southern California areas. Unlike other developers, the design is our first priority and there is not another development on the market with the level of design detail found in this project. For more information about NDC+, go to our website. For more information about this project, go to the HP Modern website.

This design driven development is influenced by early California Modernist masters and is unlike anything offered on the North Shore of Chicago. Features include floor to ceiling walls of south facing windows, an 1,160 square foot private courtyard and an attached 2 car garage with a 650 square foot roof deck above the garage for each unit and 10 foot high ceilings on the first floor. Each unit is 3 bedrooms and 2 1/2 baths and 2,463 sq. ft. in size above grade plus an additional 1,703 sq. ft. below grade for a total of 4,166 total sq. ft. with the option of another bedroom and bathroom on the below grade level.

The journey begins!

Project Team - Gavin Bardes - Project Architect-NDC; Peter Nicholas - Design Principal - NDC, Managing Partner - Domain 3 LLC; Dave Smith - Principal, Project Manager - Kelly Smith Construction

2 of the 4 units are under contract, with only 2 left for sale. We are open to working with clients who would like to pick finishes to match their tastes, but that time is now limited to the next few weeks before we must choose in order to stay on schedule, so now is the time to buy.

The design is Barrier Free on the first floor which benefits every occupant from small children to the elderly with generous hallways, wider doorways and transition free access to the exterior. Everything an Owner with limited mobility would need is located on the first floor including a generous master bedroom suite and the laundry room.

Private Courtyard

Roof Deck

Typical Kitchen

Living/Dining

LISTING AGENT

Linda Levin | Senior Vice President, Sales
Jameson Sotheby’s International Realty
425 W. North Ave. | Chicago, IL 60610
312.320.6741
llevin@jamesonsir.com | www.jamesonsir.com

ARCHITECT/DESIGN BUILDER/DEVELOPER

Peter Nicholas, President
NDC+/NCA Build
peter@nicholasdc.com
312.267.1185 direct
nicholasdc.com

Locust House - Our first commission

As the son and grandson of self-employed parents and grandparents and after working for a few highly regarded architecture firms, I was dying for the opportunity to start my own business. That opportunity came in the form of a commission to design a speculative house in my hometown of San Diego.  As I look back at that commission, it really foretold my approach to my practice going forward.  I was 30 years old with 5 years of experience under my belt and I was ready to be my own boss.  I was then living in Chicago with the idea that I might move back to Southern California, so it seemed like a great career building move.  And it was, just not the way that I had envisioned.

I often think back about the first house house that I designed for my then new company, and how my design approach as a young architect compares to my mid-career approach.  

The project site was an abandoned tennis court on a property that was subdivided from the house next door.  It was a challenging site in a good way in that it had to work with the neighborhood scale at street level while at the same time taking advantage of the majority which was sunken 10 feet below the street.  The neighborhood was in Loma Portal, a few blocks from where I attended high school, and very close to the dreaded flight path of the San Diego International Airport.  The neighborhood was primarily built in the early 1900's in the Spanish Colonial Style with red tile roofs, thick white stucco walls, protected loggia and outdoor courts.  I really didn't want to design a faithful Spanish Colonial house, but I did want to capture the feel and spatial quality of those homes which seemed so compatible with San Diego's renowned mild climate.  

Entry walk

I had always loved the architecture of Irving Gill, a San Diego based architect who was a pioneer of tilt-up concrete wall construction.  This method, which is widely used in large industrial buildings entails pouring reinforced concrete on site on smooth ground and "tilting up" those walls in place to create the exterior walls of the building.  Because of the limitations of the this type of construction, Gill's designs were clean and simple, flat planes with a rhythm of rectangular or arched openings.  Gill layered wall planes, incorporated wood trellises and landscaping into his plans.  He was an early modernist, preceding the more widely recognized Southern California modernists Richard Neutra and Rudolph Schindler among others operating in Los Angeles.  It seemed like a good way to have a house with the solidity of a Spanish Colonial, but with a more modern expression.

Entry

Given that my nascent company had no past work, I had determined that it was a good strategy to present designs that were derivative of past architects whose work I admired. This way, I could point to other built works and in this case, locally in order to explain what look and feel I was trying to achieve. This of course, is nothing new for architects. We all get inspiration from looking at the work of others, but its how those parts get arranged (or rearranged) that makes each design unique. Back then, I would rely on a strong “language” of architecture to guide me and learning different languages of architecture was and still is essential to my skill as an architect. Mostly these days, people come to me for the modernist style of architecture that I have developed over the years and because of our extensive portfolio of work, people can see the maturity in the work that we have completed and have confidence in our experience.

Rear Yard

 The house was built pushed into the hill on one side of the site in order to take advantage of large yard space where there was once a tennis court. This presented some technical challenges of waterproofing and water management. I am happy to say that in the 30 years since it was built, there has not been a leak, nor has there been a flooded yard. Another key design move related to pushing the house into the hill was to allow space on the side of the house to allow for a driveway down to the sunken yard in order to tuck the garages behind the front elevation. The thought was to avoid a dominating presence for garages on the front of the house and to create a more modest front façade on the street where existing houses were of predominately of smaller scale than what we were building.

Upon completion of the construction I was lucky enough to enlist the services of the Marvin Rand, one the most renowned Southern California modern architectural photographers. He was best known for his photography of the Salk Institute of Biological Studies by architect Louis I. Kahn, probably the architect I admire the most. Marvin was a walking history book with some amazing stories and a kindness to share his knowledge with a young upstart like myself. I also entered it in the San Diego AIA Design Awards. It didn’t win an award but it made it to the finals and the jurors came out to visit the house. That was a moral victory as it was not furnished and was a spec house competing again fully furnished custom houses with much larger budgets. I am happy to say that since the house was built in 1991, the original buyers still live there and are happy as they were as when they moved in. More than anything, this gives me the most satisfaction.

Rear Patio

We were able to resolve the noise problem by installing double paned glass, something that we typically do these days, but rarely was done back then, especially in such a mild climate. We also did a roof deck over neoprene pads to isolate and dampen the sound, which worked brilliantly. These measures along with sound channels at ceilings and walls, even with a 727 landing or taking off, the building interior is comfortably quiet.

Front in perspective

Lastly, 30 years after building this house, I never did move back to San Diego and am still living in Chicago. I do make it back to visit my family and friends often and still enjoy going.

Peter Nicholas
peter@nicholasdc.com

Magnolia Flats - A new take on an old housing type

Magnolia Flats

Original House

First Idea - New Single Family

Periscope House

Magnolia Flats - Street Elevation

I heard a report on the radio about 5 years ago about how the north side of Chicago’s real estate market was flourishing, but the population was decreasing due to the number of multi-family buildings that were being demolished in favor of new single family residences. At the time I owned a property on a wider that standard lot in the Edgewater neighborhood that was suitable for either single family or multi-family up to 4 units. I had previously finished another project 2 blocks down the street that was a neglected single family residence that we had saved, expanded and transformed, taking advantage of the building’s positive features. That project, the Periscope House was a great success, so it seemed to make sense to do another single family residence.

The new property had a house on it that had been sitting fallow for decades, filled with junk, infested with animals and contaminated with mold making it beyond repair. We designed a new single family residence and began to market it. An ideal buyer contacted me about the purchase and it was taken off the market while he lined up a job for his relocation back to Chicago where he attended college and medical school. My ideal client ended up not getting the job he was seeking and I was back to square one, trying to figure out if I still wanted to proceed with a single family residence.

Edgewater is a typical neighborhood in Chicago with lot sizes that are 25-35 feet wide and 125 feet deep with an alley in the rear. Housing types range from 2 story single family residences to 2 and 3 flats to large multi family structures that are usually 3 1/2 stories high. The particular block where my property sits is primarily multi-family and is positioned within a block from a major commercial street and a fixed rail train stop.

With the thought of putting one unit on a lot that legally could be 4 units, so close to transportation as well as goods and services, the choice now seemed obvious. I did not want to contribute to the further loss of population in the area with such an ideal multi-family location. I also did not want to design 4 identical units, so I decided on 4 different unit designs which included a two level Owner’s unit on the first floor and garden level, a two bedroom, 2 1/2 bath 2nd floor unit and (2) 1 bedroom units on the top floor. The Owners unit is 3,000 sf, the 2 bedroom 1,550 sf, and the two 1 bedroom units are 750 and 800 sf. The reason for the variety of units had to do partially with economics, partially for flexibility. The economics had to do with the fact that I could have done 3 total units instead of 4 units with 2 duplex units on the upper floors instead of what was built, but 1 bedroom units command a higher yield per square foot than larger 2 bedroom units. Also, the occupants of the one bedroom units would be more likely to not have a car due to the convenience of the location within a short walk of bus, fixed rail train, Whole Foods, dozens of restaurants, a gym and just about anything else a resident would need. The building was conceived as a single owner building which could be utilized as a multi-generational homestead. The one bedroom units could conceivably be occupied by grown children, the 2 bedroom unit by the grandparents and the Owners unit by the middle generation. Imagine dinners in the courtyard and easy care for the grandparents. This is an old idea, but it probably is even more attractive now that ever due to the challenging job market and an aging population. Also, given the high quality of the units, the building could be split into condominiums and sold individually.

All units have covered balconies which are 9’x12’ which function as “exterior rooms”, expanding the unable space per unit when the weather is right. The Owners unit has a private sunken landscaped courtyard adjacent to the kitchen, living and dining spaces, extending the functional space encouraging alfresco dining and providing more space for entertaining. Energy saving features include geothermal heating and air-conditioning at the Owners unit, high efficiency air-handler technology on the other units, closed cell spray foam on the entire building envelope. argon filled, low E double glazed windows, water saving dual flush toilets and a white reflective single membrane roof among other items.

Peter Nicholas
peter@nicholasdc.com
nicholasdc.com

Courtyard

View from Courtyard into Living/Dining/Kitchen

3rd Floor Apartment

Balcony, adjacent Living Space and Bedroom

NDC named top Multi-Family Architecture Firm in Chicago

Chicago Architect Magazine Has named NDC as among the top Multi-Family Architecture Firms in Chicago. We are honored to have received this award to go along with our being named one of the top Design-Build firms, top General Contracting firms and top Residential Architecture firms.

Our approach of being involved in all levels of design and construction in each of our projects has been successful for decades. We continually strive to refine the process on each project by embracing the latest technology, construction techniques and energy efficient design to achieve the optimum results.

Go to this link to see the article Chicago Architects Top Multi-Family Architects

Cool Accessibility

Cool and Accessibility are two words that are rarely put together. When one thinks of an accessible building, cool is the last thing that we think of. The U.S. Census Bureau report that covered the period 2008-20012, 40% of people 65% and older had a at least one disability. With the median age of the population growing every year in the U.S., the need for accessible housing is only increasing.

I have several friends and clients who have moved from their Chicago homes that require climbing steps to houses in the suburbs that are primarily on one floor. I have found that this typically means a “ranch” type of home usually built in the 1950’s or 60’s in need of significant work. These homes are usually still a few steps above grade, so not barrier free or accessible with narrow hallways and doorways and inaccessible bathrooms. If you are seeking to have a house that your want to live in barrier free, get ready for a major renovation project.

I have witnessed my father becoming aged and eventually passing while living in the family home, that was build in 1965. Lucky for him that his son is an architect because I know what it would need to make it at least marginally accessible so that he could live his final days in comfort. It was marginally accessible and definitely not barrier free. It was also costly and time consuming to modify. With so many friends and loved ones around me entering this phase of life, it seemed to me that the market was not responding to this need. Highland Park Modern is my attempt to respond to this need.

Master Bedroom

Highland Park Modern is a 4 unit attached single family home project which addresses that need but without an institutional feel. The homes are “barrier free” with the residents and guests being able to enter the home without encountering steps. Residents are able to move with wide door clearances and ADA compliant thresholds at exterior doorways and a curbless master shower. Solid blocking will be installed in the walls at the master shower and toilet area so that if a resident has the need to install grab bars, it is an easy installation. If a buyer wants the kitchen to meet ADA requirements in the Kitchen pre-construction, those needs can be accommodated. The master suite is on the first floor as well as the laundry, so residents can choose to “age in place” if they so choose.

South facing first level and courtyard

The project is located within 3 blocks of downtown Highland Park, close to the beach and within 1 block of exceptional K-12 schools. They are open plan, spacious and modern with floor to ceiling windows that front onto large (29’ x 40’) private courtyards. The second floor has 2 bedrooms and a double vanity bathroom as well as a 600 sq. ft. roof deck. There is a 1,700 sq. ft. basement that buyer can choose building out to accommodate an additional bedroom, bathroom, recreation room and large storage room.

Construction will be starting soon and we already have one unit presold. For full information go the project website at Hpmodernhomes.com

Peter Nicholas
President
Nicholas Design Collaborative
NCA Build Ltd.
Domain 3 LLC
peter@nicholasdc.com
312 267-1185 direct

Highland Park Modern

Periscope House hits the market and is featured in Crain's Business

One of our favorite projects, the Periscope House is up for sale. Located in the Edgewater neighborhood of Chicago, the project was designed by NDC, built by NCA Build and developed by Peter Nicholas in 2014. The Owners and my good friends Tim Cross and Jamie McGinnis have decided to move to San Diego, which just happens to be my home town. It took several months for them to make the final decision to sell because they have become so attached to the house. It is offered for $1.23m and if the original sale of the project is any indication, there will be many buyers looking to buy.

See the article in today Crain’s Real Estate

Peter Nicholas
peter@nicholasdc.com

NDC featured as top GC in Illinois by General Contractors Magazine

General Contractors Magazine has named Nicholas Design Collaborative (NDC) and our Design Build entity NCA Build as the top rated General Contracting firm in Illinois. We are thrilled about the recognition we are receiving for this business model and it confirms our faith in the execution of the buildings we design.  Primarily, we are honored to have clients that allow us the opportunity to design award winning architecture as well as being the General Contractor to ensure the our projects are built to the exacting standards by which they are designed.  Our involvement as both architect and builder ensures the highest quality results. Although we still work on some projects as just the architect, we are finding that the majority of our clients are now choosing to have us work as Design-Builders.

To read the article, follow this link to Best General Contractors in Illinois.

Peter Nicholas
peter@nicholasdc.com

A Signature House

New clients of ours, both professors at the Kellogg School of Management are currently living in a high-rise condo in downtown Chicago were looking to establish a home closer to work, preferably within walking distance to work and school for their 2 year old child.  Being urban dwellers, and a bit uncertain about what a suburban lifestyle looked like,  they were hoping for a location that had easy access to the city and had many of the conveniences that they enjoyed living in Chicago.  They wanted either to build a new house or to significantly add to an older home in order to commission a unique contemporary home.  They started looking for property in Evanston, where they work and were able to find a vacant lot steps from the university campus and an older house in an established neighborhood, but a significant distance from campus and not within walking distance.  Both properties were rectangular in shape and on streets with traditional homes within well established neighborhoods.  Evanston has a vibrant downtown, was located on the lake and has strong transportation ties to the city with both an extension of the Chicago Transit Authority train line and a link to the Metra commuter line.

Just north of Evanston is the Village of Wilmette which is also an older,  inner ring suburb north of Chicago with beautiful homes, the highest ranked public high school in the state, a smaller but still vibrant town center and a fixed rail train link to Chicago. A much smaller community, about 1/3 the size of Evanston, but still with many of the advantages they were seeking.  They had found a vacant property that had been languishing on the market for many months.  It is considered a large size, 15,000 square feet, is on a quiet street at the end of a cul-de-sac, and is next to the fairway of a golf course that is lined with trees which screen the property. 

The downsides are that the shape of the lot, which is triangular and it is within eye-shot of the back of a 3 story school. It seemed to me that there were advantages to what many may perceive as negatives.  Responses to limitations are can lead to great design solutions and we saw the shape of the lot as an advantage in this regard.  The lot was big enough to fit the size house that the client wanted, so it was just a matter of integrating the design of the house to fit the shape of the land, to subdivide it in ways that weave indoor spaces with outdoor spaces.  We wanted the house to address the street in a formal way, but not necessarily reveal what was happening beyond the approach.  Distribution of outdoor space was not treated simply as front and back, but a way to distribute the interior spaces within the landscape.  Circulation through the house is treated as a procession through a variety of spaces with different orientations and views into courtyards varied in function and repose.  

We are just getting started, finishing up the permit drawings and the harrowing pricing process.  We are going to be doing this one design build with NDC's Design+Build entity partnering with KellyISmith Construction.  We are very excited to get started.  Stay tuned, more to come soon.

Peter Nicholas
peter@nicholasdc.com

NDC IS NAMED IN TOP 10 CHICAGO DESIGN-BUILD FIRM LIST BY CHICAGO ARCHITECTS WEBSITE

Online website Chicago Architects has named NDC and our Design Build entity NCA Build as one of the top 10 Design Build firms in Chicago.This is the second top 10 design build list we have been named in within the past 6 months and we are thrilled about the recognition we have received for this business model.  Primarily, we are excited to have the opportunity to design award winning architecture as well as being the General Contractor to ensure the our projects are built to the exacting standards by which they are designed.  Our involvement as both architect and builder ensures the highest quality results. Although we still work on some projects as just the architect, we are finding that the majority of our clients are now choosing to have us work as Design-Builders.

To read the article, follow this link to Chicagoarchitect.org

Mystery House 3 update

We have some new renderings of interior spaces and the side courtyard as we work on getting the interior colors and materials right.

Construction of Limestone, Stucco, and Curtainwalls are all progressing as we race to get the exterior envelope enclosed.  Once the exterior is buttoned up, we will insulate and drywall!

Stairhall under construction

Front Facade Rendering

Kitchen rendering

Kitchen rendering

Family Room from Kitchen rendering

Master Bath rendering

Side Courtyard rendering

Living Room rendering

Front Facade, Limestone in place construction photo

Family Room rendering

NDC Ranked as Top Design Build Firm in Chicago, but why Design Build?

We are pleased to report that NCA Build Ltd., the Design-Build entity of Nicholas Design Collaborative was ranked as the top Design-Build firm in Chicago by Buildzoom Magazine. But what is Design Build, and why would a client want to build their home employing this construction delivery method?

TRADITIONAL DELIVERY: COMPETITIVE BID
Traditi.nal delivery is when the property owner hires the architect to design the project under one contract and a general contractor to build that design under another, separate contract.  Contractually, under AIA form contracts, the architect acts as the Owner's agent during the course of construction, making sure the building is being constructed as designed.  The architect designs and details the drawings and the contractor builds the building, but the contractor may have different ideas on what they want to build and how they want to build it.  This means that the architect must ensure that the GC build the project the way it was designed which can lead to conflict.  Some contractors are architect friendly, others don't want to be told what to do, especially from a "know it all" architect.  The latter typically leads to architect and GC working against, not with each other.

Most clients I encounter these days want to "bid out" the drawings we produce in order to build their houses.  This means getting a collection of 4-6 GC's to go through the process of bidding out to their subcontractors, highly detailed drawings for a nuanced, one of a kind home.  Generally GC's are given 4-6 weeks to complete this task.  Its a lot of work, and it takes a lot of time.  Because of this, and without the guarantee of being awarded a contract, many GC's do not want to participate, which usually, eliminates most of the competing GC's.

Lorel Park

Influencing this process is the fact that most of the good subcontractors are already busy and have little incentive to be competitive (or timely) with their bids.  This is because many of the contractors and subcontractors in the Chicagoland area who came here from other countries went back to their home countries during the great recession and have not returned to the US.  Presently, we are back to pre-recession levels, and the bulk of the of the departed contractors have not returned, creating greater demand for the contractors that remain, thus driving prices higher.  Typically, this means that the remaining GC's,  get inflated contractor pricing and they don't have time to get competing bids in the limited bid time frame. In some cases, they may not have received any bids for some trades, which means they will need to plug in a high number just to cover themselves.  This will generally result in inflated bids from the remaining GC's  The Owner will need to choose one of them, most likely based solely on price.  The total cost of the bid or Guaranteed Maximum Price is what is binding in the contract that the Owner signs with the GC, with no ability to negotiate after signing. After the Owner signs the contract, the GC has the right to bid out all of the sub trades over the course of the project and potentially gain hundreds of thousands of dollars for their own benefit, NOT the Owners.  If the bid comes in well over budget, the owner does have the opportunity to "value engineer" with the architect and builder in order to come up with a lower budget prior to signing the construction contract. This means coming up with changes in scope that is painful for all involved.  The Owner must take out parts of the project that he or she originally wanted, the architect needs to make changes to the drawings and the contractor needs to re-bid to subcontractors in order to bring it to a reasonable budget.  This can delay the start of the project not to mention the Owner's disappointment of not getting what they wanted originally, and loss of revenue to the architect and contractor due to extra time spent

In the currently overheated construction climate, if an owner wants traditional delivery, I would rather that they find a GC with a good reputation and engage that contractor in negotiated bid than putting the project out for bid because there is a commitment to that builder, who knows he/she will be getting the job and that their efforts will not be potentially futile.

Sawyer

DESIGN-BUILD IN GENERAL

Design-Build is a streamlined process that has become increasingly popular in large commercial, municipal and institutional projects as well as residential.  It saves time and money because the design and construction team are assembled early and utilize their collective knowledge to work together with the Owner and get the project to construction efficiently.  Architect and contractor are under contract with each other (one of which is the project leader) and the Owner signs a contract for construction with the design-build team. Because the pricing process begins early in the course of the design process, contractor and architect work together for several months prior to construction in order to determine the budget and details for the project.  This helps to give the Owner a good idea of the budget early in the process and avoiding "value engineering". By the time the drawings are complete and the permit approved, the Owner will have a clear idea of what the budget will be.  Any design changes and budget decision necessary will have already been done and a last minute budget crisis avoided.

Because the contractor and architect are under a single design-build entity, the Owner has one point of contact, and because the contractor and architect have a common interest, cooperation instead of conflict between the parties results. 

DESIGNER LED DESIGN-BUILD VS. CONTRACTOR LED DESIGN-BUILD

Design build, either designer or  contractor led,  is essentially putting the responsibility of the entire project with one entity that handles the entire project from the beginning of design until the end of construction.  Some people call it "turn-key".  The owner signs one contract with the Design Build Entity and if something isn't right about the project, that entity must resolve it to the Owner's satisfaction.  

With contractor led design-build, the GC is in charge and will hire an architect as a subcontractor.  Although not necessarily in all cases, my experience with single family residential projects, as an architect hired by the contractor, price can be the sole determining factor.  The architect is often treated as a commodity, and our services are limited to producing enough to get a permit and nothing more.  This gives the contractor the ability to build it however he/she sees fit without any architect oversight during the course of construction.  The contractor will pick finishes with the owner during the construction process. In most cases, the contractor does not have any design training.  

At NDC+, we produce one of a kind, high quality, durable homes. Clients hire us because of our ability to execute our buildings the way they were designed.  With Designer Led Design-Build, design execution and quality are paramount. Because we have the construction team in place early, bidding starts early in the design process and continues until the construction starts, and during the course of construction.  During that bidding process, competition is created by bidding out to multiple subcontractors, sometimes 3 or more per trade.  There are exceptions to this, such as when a GC is self-performing some of the trades or the subcontractor selected is someone with a long track record of quality and value with architect or contractor.  When building a custom house , getting details precise and correct is the difference between a "builder quality" house and a "custom" house.  It is even more important when building a modern house because there is not trim to hide errors. Everything is exposed, lines are often continuous and long and if something isn't straight, it is very obvious.  With designer led design build, the architect is embedded as part of the design team and will be on site daily in order to make sure that the details are being executed as drawn.  Responsibility is shared between architect and contractor.  At NDC/NCA Build, we handle the relationship with the client, pick and order finishes, and handle construction administration including payout requests, change orders and schedule management.  The contractor is relieved of those responsibilities and left to focus on managing subcontractors and building the project.  We are able to select contractors that we have had a long relationship with, who we know can produce the quality that we expect.  They in turn understand what we expect and are not surprised with that expectation.  They understand our details from past projects, which streamlines our drawing process.  We draw less because they know more, which results in savings for the owner.  In summary, the contractors are able to focus on building, while the architect is most deeply involved in the design from start to finish.

We have had great success in producing superior results when delivering project using the design-build  delivery method and we have many clients that will attest to these positive outcomes. Award winning design deserves award winning construction and we have been recognized to have the ability to do both.

Peter Nicholas
President
NDC+/NCA Build

peter@nicholasdc.com

Highland Park Modern approved unanimously by City Council

The Highland Park City Council voted unanimously to approve the development of our four house single family development at 2107-13 St. Johns Avenue. The project has received unanimous approval at every level of government scrutiny and no public opposition.  We can now move forward with building permits and ultimately the start of construction, which is expected to start this fall.  

Private Courtyard at each residence

House Entries

Livning/Dining

Accessible Master Bath

The sales team has been busy with inquiries and as pre-construction sales are in full swing. Buying pre-construction assures that the design team will work with buyers to select finishes that exactly meet their tastes.  These are custom level houses designed and built by a company that primarily designs custom houses for individual clients.  Buyers have been maneuvering for position, and we expect to sell out before the start of construction.  Several people, including members of the Highland Park Zoning Commission have commented that this highly unusual and distinctive design will one day "be on the historic register".  It combines privacy, accessibility, energy efficiency with manageable indoor and outdoor space with award winning California influenced design that cannot be found in the area.

Peter Nicholas

peter@nicholasdc.com

Interviews can be scheduled with architect/developer Peter Nicholas along with the sales team, Linda Levin.

Selling architecture in the real world

5250 Brown Ave. in Skokie, Illinois is a 4,800 square foot (plus a 2,700 sf built out basement) single family house built in 2009 for some good friends.  The house is about to go on the market for $1.45 million.  It has 5 generously sized bedrooms and 5 1/2 baths, with 2 master suites, one on each of the first and second floors.  The exterior is built of stone, stucco and some stained cedar with copper gutters and a slate roof.  The interior has wide plank walnut flooring and large format (2'x 4') porcelain with radiant heat underneath it in the heavily trafficked kitchen, family room and mudroom.  Kitchen cabinets were fabricated in Europe and the rest of the cabinetry and wood paneling was custom built by craftsmen in Chicago.  I could go on, but you get the idea.  

Master Bath

This is a 100% custom house, impeccably designed with high quality finishes, designed and built by my firm. The landscape has matured beautifully and the house fits the site like a glove, with spaces oriented towards Lorel Park, the local neighborhood park.  It has been meticulously and lovingly maintained, like new.  

Dining Room and stair

All that being said, they will not be getting close to what they should be getting for it.  The house was built in a lovely, but lower valued area.  Due to appraisal standards, evaluation of comparative property values can only be determined by sales that have occurred on public record. What this means is that if a custom house is built in the area, and the Owner's stay in the house for a period of time, it doesn't exist to the appraiser until it is sold.  The seller of a custom house does not get the benefit of considering other custom houses in the area as "comps", thus lowering the appraised value of the sellers custom house.  My friends, who knew that they were building above the value in the neighborhood, expected to be leaving the house "feet first", so it was more of a lifestyle decision that an economic one.  Plans change, so the economic concern has become more relevant.  Fortunately, they are sanguine about their position and although a little melancholy about leaving this wonderful house where they raised their children, but they are ready to sell.

KItchen with family room beyond

The house is listed by Earl Ruthman and Mark Ahmad of Century 21 Affliated. This same house in other, more valuable North Shore Communities or some Chicago neighborhoods would sell for over $3 million. Having raised my own children in Skokie, I can tell you that it is a wonderful community with high quality public schools, unequaled public services, an award winning park district and a diverse demographic.

Side yard

Its a steal!

Peter Nicholas
peter@nicholasdc.com