Buffett Place, Chicago, IL
Fred and Pamela Buffett Place seeks to define a new paradigm for sustainable preservation as it relates to affordable and supportive housing in Chicago. Engaging residents and the community to capitalize on local assets, inspiration, and potential, the project ultimately sets a new standard by creating a welcoming and therapeutic environment that promotes health, happiness, and well-being.
Buffett Place, formerly known as the Diplomat SRO, is a 51-unit green residential and transit-oriented development which provides affordable housing and supportive services to individuals with mental illnesses or at risk of homelessness. The major renovation required the dramatic removal of a one-story structure to create a protected courtyard, bringing light into the center of the building where trained staff provides mental health and wellness programming. The construction–although challenging in a dense urban area–presented an opportunity for inventive rehabilitation. Salvaged wood joists and framing material were used to produce interior furniture and fixtures and a permanent community art installation in the lobby. The emphasis on resident health extends from the rooftop garden to the ground floor, where a social enterprise flower shop invites neighbors to participate in the revitalization of this building and the recovery of the individuals who reside within it.
Lakeview, Chicago, IL
Status
Completed 2014
Unit Count
51
Client
Consultants
dbHMS (MEP)
Carsello Engineering (structural)
Prism Engineering (civil)
Photography
Since I moved in to Buffett Place, I feel like I’m born again. I go out, and I have a place to come home to, and I’m getting my life on track.
Awards
2016 American Society of Landscape Architects, Merit Award
2015 Chicago Association of Realtors, Bruce Abrams Award
2014 Multifamily Executive, Affordable Housing Merit Award
2014 Charles L. Edson Tax Credit Excellence Awards: Green Housing Honorable Mention