News

Thrilled to Share Our Role in New View

PAWS Chicago Golf Open 2025

Executive Spotlight: Edward Twohey

Meet Erin Morgani

2024 Summer Project Tours

Meet Nick Moorhouse

Habitat Build Day 2024

Meet Monica Musialowski

Can I Lower My Floor to Improve My Basement?

Bricks, Inc Tour + Demo

Mentoring Millwork Design

Collaborating on Luxury Kitchen Trends

Finding Famous Architecture in a Cemetery

Creating Outdoor Spaces

Aspire Design and Home Magazine

BBA Architects Continue to Educate

Habitat for Humanity Build Day 2022

Modern Luxury Interiors North Shore

Historic Shaw Remodel

Tribute to Broad Shoulders 2022

High Gables

Allison Henry Interiors Alliance

Elmhurst Historic Preservation Commission

New Homes on the Boards in 2021

Should You Hire an Interior Designer?

Pool House

De-code Electronics In Your Home

North Side River Home Taking Shape

Building Code Undergoing a Major Change

Golf Course Home Update

Tudor Kitchen Renovation

Building at the water's edge

North Center Craftsman

Employee Spotlight - Jennifer Hense, AIA

Renovate or Detonate

Urban Deep Dig #1

Raising the Roof

Home in Berlin, Germany Comes to Fruition.

Beer Tasting + Design Presentation

What is the Property Tax Assessment Freeze and How Can it Benefit Historic Homeowners?

Modern River Cottage

Columbus, Indiana Trip

Celebrating 30 Years of Inspired Spaces

Don’t Demolish that house. Dismantle it.

Deconstruct & Re-Use

Lincoln Park Transformation

Employee Spotlight - Erica Blawat, AIA

Classicist, No. 16.

Meet Maggie Willse

bba Architects Habitat Build Day

Meet Jack Callahan

Building a Traditional Jewel Box

Luxury remodel of Lake Geneva home

1880’s Historic Queen Anne

An Excellent Italian Adventure

BBA News Blog

(See full archive

November 2025

October 2025

September 2025

August 2025

July 2025

Erica Blawat on May 19, 2021

Modern River Cottage

Updated April 2022

This custom-designed home takes full advantage of its unique site.  Located along a forested portion of the Chicago River, the home offers urban convenience with an unexpected landscape.  From the street, a discrete entrance provides privacy and evokes a storybook charm, while the rear and river-facing sides of the home open up to a double height living space with floor-to ceiling windows framing the tree-lined riverfront views.  

This dramatic view, as well as the use of interior and exterior balconies, interior windows, and a welcoming terrace, blur the lines between interior and exterior.  A generous rooftop deck further blends indoor and outdoor spaces, offering panoramic views of the city and the dramatic skyline beyond.  

The stucco and siding exterior combines traditional forms with modern details to create a classic, timeless aesthetic with a refined vintage charm.  The interior of the home compliments these refined details and traditional materials of the exterior with similar detailing and the use of natural wood and stone finishes.  We look forward to seeing the remaining interior details and finishes come together as construction nears completion at this stunning, unique home. 

The design and planning approach for this project included several zoning relief triumphs, By taking advantage of multiple elements of the previous structure footprint, BBA successfully navigated the zoning to maximize the building envelope. The property is also within the jurisdiction of the Chicago Water Reclamation District, which had a voice in the building placement. Creatively positioning new components was essential to maximizing the potential on a lot with these overlapping jurisdictions. 

During the multi-stage permit process, the owners took advantage of the extra time by utilizing a deconstruction process of the existing structure. All of the lumber and other products were reused or recycled, saving a dozen or more dumpsters from ending up in a land-fill. 

To learn more about the deconstruction process in general see our article on this topic here.

Previous Post Next Post