Palmer Plus
“This proposal sets a new standard for creative design that compliments the historic structure & maintains the density of multi-family housing, preserving the building & the character of the neighborhood for generations to come.”
Logan Square Preservation
Architect-as-Developer
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Architect-as-Developer ❌
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Chicago's First CLT Residence
🪵 Chicago's First CLT Residence
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Palmer Square (Chicago), Illinois
6,700 sf / Historic Renovation + Mass Timber Addition
Completed 2026 -
What's old is new. What's new is something Chicago hasn't seen before.
Palmer Plus is Chicago's first CLT residence — an unconventional blend of historic preservation, inventive engineering, and architectural sleight-of-hand. Designed and developed by Via Chicago, the project transforms a vacant Logan Square two-flat into three distinctive homes, presenting a new way to build in a city that doesn't always welcome doing things differently.
Located on a prominent corner just two blocks from our studio, the project began with a familiar Chicago dilemma: how do we preserve the character of our historic neighborhoods while making room for more people to call them home? Rather than convert an aging two-flat into another oversized single-family house, we saw an opportunity to do something more interesting. Playful brick detailing anchors the new addition at street level, while metal cladding at the third floor expands the visual language of the original two-flat's historic cornice into a much larger architectural gesture.
Designing within a landmark district meant that every move mattered. Building on a tight urban site meant that every inch mattered, too. Cross-laminated timber (CLT) floor panels reduced the floor structure by more than 12", allowing us to give that space back to the rooms above. The resulting composition balances old and new without pretending they're the same thing — a confident addition that respects its historic neighbor without disappearing behind it.
Via Chicago served as both architect and developer, taking the project from an ambitious idea through the considerable complexities of construction and into its next chapter as a completed building. Along the way, we introduced an innovative structural system, increased housing density in a highly desirable neighborhood, and demonstrated that thoughtful preservation and forward-looking development can be part of the same conversation.
A familiar Chicago corner. A completely different way forward.
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Architecture & Interiors: Via Chicago
Developer: Via Chicago
General Contractor: VMR Group
Structural Engineer (Addition): TYLin
Structural Engineer (Renovation): Woods Residential Engineering & Inspection
CLT Fabrication: Sterling Structural
MEP Engineer: STREAM Engineering
May 2025 > October 2026
Familiar tune + contemporary beat
Design rendering @ East elevation (Albany Avenue)
Design rendering @ townhouse kitchen
Site Diagram
Design rendering @ northeast corner
CLT panel installation
Redevelopment Concept
Design rendering @ townhouse entry
“Weeping mortar” detail at the new recessed entry
Preserve + Advance
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Preserve + Advance 〰️
Palmer Square Park
CLT + Chicago Common
Corbeled masonry in-progress
Conceptual Sketch
Check out that good-looking crew 👀
Install of powder blue windows
Original Conditions (February 2025)
Property sold “as-is” …
Palmer Square
Two-flat interior demo
Historic Context (c. 1985 )