von Weise Associates

Bushala Residence

vwa1 — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 18:13:16 +0000

Located in the Lakeshore Historic District and situated next to the Dempster / Greenwood Street Beach in Evanston, this private residence was defined by several conceptual considerations. Among them were stunning views of the lake, critical site relationships to adjacent neighbors, and a desire for a 21st c. expression of living for a young family of five.

Bushala Residence Case Study

Carton Residence

vwa1 — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 17:00:09 +0000

This project is a 3,600 square foot casual vacation home for a family that entertains often. The main house and guest house are arranged to frame the main view of the lake. In the same way the main volumes are composed, a series of smaller framed views occur throughout rooms in the house that capture small snapshots of surrounding trees, lake, and ravine. Both houses sit high on a stone plinth near the lake and become suspended in the bowl-shaped ravine as it moves back into the site. Modern re-interpretations of the Japanese aesthetic are done with the heavy wood timber framing and detailed joinery. The client’s desire to blend the new houses into the landscape resulted in low-profiled green roofs that also allows for views over the house as one enters the site.

Educare

vwa1 — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 16:00:02 +0000

This 7,800 square foot structure is an addition to an existing facility (originally designed by architect Stanley Tigerman) on Chicago’s South side. The new addition will house family education and early childhood development programs for lower-income/at-risk children and families. Working within a tight $2 million budget, the design team combined economical and durable materials, as well as natural daylight, to create a facility that aims to inspire those that pass through its doors while keeping future maintenance/operational costs to a minimum. This project is set to break ground in Spring 2010.

Newark Visitor’s Center

vwa1 — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 14:00:31 +0000

This proposal expands the competition program to provide not only a visitor’s center, but also a much-needed model for responsible large-scale development in downtown Newark. Public and private spaces merge to create a common zone of interaction in stark contrast to Newark’s sordid history of racial and socio-economic polarity. Using under-utilized blocks to the south, the Visitor Center connects back to the local neighborhood. Subterranean parking for both locals and visitors feeds big box retail as well as a public promenade flanked by gallery spaces, public parks, a community center, local enterprise, and mixed-income housing.

A tessellated canopy weaves throughout the project’s varying spaces and integrates photovoltaic energy modules and air-filtering plant systems. This tapestry symbolizes the coalescence of Newark’s diverse permanent and transient populations while providing shade for market/festival space along the central promenade. Through this symbolism and pointed urban renewal, the proposal stitches the Visitor’s Center into the fabric of the city, thereby creating a nexus for interaction and dialogue among all of Newark’s nationalities and socioeconomic classes.

The Buckingham Dormitory

vwa1 — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 13:00:17 +0000

Designed to house students of a small fine arts college in downtown Chicago, the Buckingham embodies the essence of creative urban living while maintaining the formal comfort of a dormitory. Our interior design was driven by a respect for the historic Holabird and Root structure, built in the 1920s and still retaining much of its art deco roots. We strove to create a large dormitory that preserved the sense of individuality in its creative student body. Using lowered ceiling planes and groups of pendant lights we broke up large, characterless spaces and gave them focus, and introduced a color palette that gave identity to individual dorm apartments while unifying them within the dormitory at large. Student lounge spaces were designed to evoke the feeling of luxurious metro living and provide a variety of mixed uses within large single spaces. Total cost of construction including furniture, fixtures and equiptment was $38 million.

The Buckingham Dormitory Case Study

Montgomery Residence

vwa1 — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 12:00:06 +0000

Each pod of this 5,000 square foot summer house located on Lake Geneva in Wisconsin was designed with a distinct use in mind. The central pod is a glass pavillion that creates a seamless transition out into the landscape. A rich yet subtle material palette accentuates the detailing of this project which was generated using a nautical theme.

CS Interiors (Summer 2009)

Mobarak Residence

vwa1 — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 11:00:46 +0000

This project involved renovating an existing landmarked row house on Astor Street into a family residence with a garage at the back. The major design challenges included the garage, finding space for bedrooms for a growing family and bringing natural light into a narrow and completely land locked site. In order to accommodate the garage, the rear of the house needed to be raised a half story higher than the existing front façade and first floor. To resolve this elevation change, we designed a central atrium and light well off of which the house changes from front to back in half story increments like a London townhouse. This space serves as the major feature of the house both in terms of circulation and architectural interest. All of the major spaces flow directly off of the stair volume and tie the house together vertically. It also brings large amounts of natural light down into the house.

Chicago Home + Garden (July/August 2008)

Belden Residence

vwa1 — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 10:00:49 +0000

This 4,200 sf single family home is a renovation and addition to an 1880’s land marked Italianate house. The project splits the house into two sections by inserting a new stair and bay window at the center of the house. This lateral move in the plan mediates between the front of the house which is restored to its vintage character, and the back of the house which is modern. This visual difference correlates both to uses (public and private) as well as sensibilities (formal and informal) and emphasizes an integrity in expression toward the way we inhabit older structures in our current age. As such, the dialogue between old and new within the project is a metaphor for our current urban and human condition.

Belden Residence Case Study

Metropolitan Home Magazine 2004

Silken Tent Spa

vwa1 — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 09:00:48 +0000

Silken Tent is a 10,500 sf luxury wellness day spa that focuses on healthy aging, spirituality and personal growth. Each well-educated, well-traveled, well-read woman deserves a space in which each moment is tailored to her individual needs and point of view. The layered materials throughout the spa represent the complex needs of these sophisticated women. These subtle sensual contrasts are created by layering natural, provocative and serene images that allow for personal interpretation. Sustainable materials and methods were used to compliment the Silken Tent’s mission of healthy natural aging and inner makeovers. The spa consists of integral program elements including; 12 treatment rooms, spa lounge, water ritual area, nail salon, yoga studio, cafe, and retail.

Silken Tent Spa Case Study

Design Presentation

Columbia Centre

vwa1 — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 08:00:04 +0000

The Columbia Centre is a commercial campus located in the suburbs of Chicago, consisting of three separate commercial buildings and two parking structures. Currently all the various campus structures are fragmented and disjointed. The overall site lacks the unifying cohesions necessary in any campus environment. Building access points are poorly identified both for pedestrians and vehicles. The proposed design establishes a new entry for the site as well as reconnects the existing structures physically and visually through various interventions. New materials are inserted into the existing pallet softening and contemporizing the overall look of the interior and exterior spaces.