Highland Park Modern - Completed, Occupied, Award Winning

Our 4 unit attached single family house project in Highland Park is has been occupied for about a year now. The landscape has matured, the kinks have been worked out and we are pleased to announce that it was just named a design award winner by the Association of Licensed Architects.

Pedestrian walkway to primary unit entries

Street Elevation

It has been years in the making and it wasn’t an easy process. Through the death of both my development partners, three different design schemes, Covid 19 and the associated supply chain issues, reduced construction worker staffing, astronomical and labor material increases, its was a miracle that I am able show the completion of this remarkable project. It was exhausting, but in the end rewarding to have persevered.

Private Courtyard

Interior unit private courtyard

The site is located between two unattractive multifamily structures on a narrow site considered to be unremarkable by several past attempts by other developers to envision a successful project. The long and narrow proportion of the site made it necessary to orient the project toward the long side of the project, facing the south and one of the neighboring buildings. This was no doubt a marketing challenge due to privacy concerns during pre-construction and the construction process, but by designing a “green wall” of columnar Arbor Vitae trees on the property line and additional landscape screening within each private courtyard, would over time, eliminate the issue. Convincing potential buyers that this would be the case was challenging to say the least.

One of the ideas of the design was to create a small community of homes with private, compact walled gardens that were manageable for the residents and an extension of the interior living spaces. The primary user group was imagined to be empty nesters looking for a manageable property, however, these homes also work for families with children with K-12 schools within 2 blocks of the site. The site is also a short walk from downtown Highland Park and the Metra commuter train to Chicago. In the end, 3 of the 4 homes were purchased by empty nesters, and the 4th home was purchased prior to the start of construction by a couple that are lovers of the modern aesthetic.

Another idea that reinforced the need to accommodate the “aging in place” community was accessibility. The primary bedroom suite is located on the first floor as is the laundry and of course, living and dining spaces. Each unit is accessible from the street with ADA compliant thresholds as is access patios overlooking private courtyards. Primary showers have curbless entries and wood blocking within walls were installed in the event that grab bars are needed. All first floor doorways are wide enough to accommodate wheelchair access. Despite all of these measures,, these units do not feel institutional in any way, but the accommodations are there if the need arises. Other bedroom spaces are located on the second floor and in the basement to serve children, grandchildren of the Owners, or home office needs.

Trellis at Roof Deck

Roof Deck

These houses include many of the design features that are the hallmark of NDC’s projects; abundant natural light, indoor-outdoor space connection, orientation that allows sunlight to be minimized to be controlled in the summer and maximized in the winter.

Stair from ground floor Patio to Roof Deck

Master Bedroom facing courtyard

Living/Dining Area

Special thanks goes out to Gavin Bardes and Christina Giordana from NDC and Dave Smith and Mike Kelly from Kelly - Smith Construction

Peter Nicholas

peter@nicholasdc.com

Kitchen Area

5830 N. Broadway gains Aldermanic approval in Edgewater

We are pleased to announce, that our planned development at 5830 N. Broadway has been approved by Alderman Leni Manaa Hoppenworth for a zoning change. The project will be a Transportation Oriented Development that will contain 20 apartment units, including 4 studios, 4 one bedroom and 12 two bedroom units ranging in size from 533 to 1211 sf. There will be 4 affordable units and 8 fully accessible units. 16 of the 20 units will have private outdoor spaces and there will be a community roof deck with an adjacent community room for parties or lounging away from the tenants apartments. The ground floor has 1,400 sf of retail space. The project was designed by NDC, and developed by Peter Nicholas.

The street elevation is clad with a variety of composite materials for durability

The project is located in the middle of the 5800 block of Broadway and balances the block which is bookended by a 6 story building on the north corner of the block and a 5 story building on the south corner of the block.

A variety of plane and material changes add depth to the front facade

2 colors of corrugated metal clad the sides and rear of the building

The project is currently in Process for a zoning change from B1-2 to B2-3. We expect to start in the summer of 2025.

Peter Nicholas

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

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

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

Magnolia Flats - A new take on an old housing type

Magnolia Flats

Magnolia Flats

Original House

Original House

First Idea - New Single Family

First Idea - New Single Family

Periscope House

Magnolia Flats - Street Elevation

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

Courtyard

View from Courtyard into Living/Dining/Kitchen

View from Courtyard into Living/Dining/Kitchen

3rd Floor Apartment

3rd Floor Apartment

BVI_685-F_WU.JPG
Balcony, adjacent Living Space and Bedroom

Balcony, adjacent Living Space and Bedroom

NDC named top Multi-Family Architecture Firm in Chicago

IMG_8063.JPG

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

Master Bedroom

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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

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

Highland Park Modern

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NDC featured as top GC in Illinois by General Contractors Magazine

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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

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