Westhaven Park
Chicago, Illinois

As part of the Chicago Housing Authority’s comprehensive redevelopment of the Henry Horner Homes neighborhood, Westhaven Park is the first affordable, market-rate residential mid-rise in the city of Chicago. Creating a large multi-resident building with a “sense of place” was a focus of this project as well as providing safety, durability, and efficiency in a cost effective, high quality design.

The 9-story building incorporates a mix of affordable rent-assisted homes and market rate homes in a cohesively designed environment. The residences consist of one- and two-bedroom units that feature high ceilings, generous storage, and a contemporary aesthetic. The building includes many amenities associated with more expensive residential mid-rise developments, such as on-site management, 24-hour security, an exercise and fitness room, a social and meeting room, recycling center, ground landscaping, private parking, and separate private storage areas for each residence.  All units have a comfortable, contemporary design and feature abundant natural lighting and outdoor terraces.

The design for Westhaven Park prominently features “green” architecture, including a planted cornice overhanging the entrance and trellises above the upper balconies. Inspired by the Mayor’s commitment to “green” design, this is among the first public buildings to incorporate living plants as a major architectural feature. The rooftop plantings help to naturally cool the building and they are sustained by collected rainwater and condensate from the rooftop condensers.

Although the building is a block long, the façade articulation and articulation of the masonry and cast stone visually reduces its scale. The abstracted green-stain cast-stone, loosely inspired by Wright’s Midway Gardens, flanks the entrance and is reminiscent of wall ivy, a plant which will eventually overtake it.

Cordogan, Clark and Associates worked closely with the development team, the Mayor’s Office, and the CHA to create this design that will enhance people’s lives and the surrounding neighborhood. Westhaven represents a shared commitment to highest-quality affordable housing design.

Westhaven received a PCI Design Excellence award for “Best Hi Rise Multifamily Building”.