Wicker Park Cottage

VISIT WOODTIN BUILD

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

The Wicker Park Cottage is a historic 1870 workers cottage within the Wicker Park Landmark District. Over the years a series of haphazard additions have made the home claustrophobic and disjointed. The owners wanted a more open and inviting home but one that would complement the historical workers cottage and adjacent raised coach house that exist on the property.

The solution was to remove the non-historic additions between the buildings and return the site to its original massing configuration – creating exterior patio and landscape zones around the historic buildings. The additional program is then cut into a newly excavated basement under the coach house and joined to the primary façade through a new glass connector which opens all the primary spaces to each other, wrapped around a new exterior courtyard space. Working closely with the Chicago Historic Preservation Department, we were able to create a new living experience that highlighted the unique configuration and construction of the original buildings while introducing new light-filled living and kitchen spaces within the confined footprint.