Selected Projects by Becker Architects

595 Elm Place, Suite 225 Highland Park, IL 60035 info@beckerarchitects.com T 847.433.6600 F 847.433.6787 W beckerarcchitects.com

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Introduction

Your House Could Be Better

We’ve tackled an interesting variety of projects in recent years, from rehabs to additions to new construction. The following projects are just a few of the hundreds we have designed since 1982.

Every client has different goals and preferences. Each project you’ll see here has been built by different general contractors and designed by different teams within our firm. But there are common themes that unite all of them: A clear, straight-forward plan. Simple, but elegant detailing, whether traditional, transitional or modern. Beautiful materials that will endure. Well chosen fixtures (Yes we do most of our interiors, sometimes collaborating with interior design firms). Some of these projects were done in the 90’s but we think all of them have aged well.

Good design involves listening to clients and helping them prioritize goals and refine the design collaboratively so that the final product is as much about them as it is about us. We believe a successful project is one that not only looks good, inside and out, but one that exceeds our client’s expectations.

Great design = A more valuable house. And provides an environment that will enrich you and your family’s lives.

RB

Becker Architects Limited. All Rights Reserved.

Brochure is Set in Erik Spiekermann’s Meta Graphic Design: Jack Becker

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Copyright © 2008

HIGHLAND PARK, IL

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gable home for this family of four had a one-car garage, a cramped kitchen

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Gabled Addition

this formerly non-descript single

and breakfast area and a tight entrance.

After securing a zoning variation for side yard relief, the old garage was removed and a two car garage added to reinvent the front elevation with a series of gables, one of them upstairs for a child’s bathroom. The wood trellis signifies the new entry. A rear yard addition allowed for a new Kitchen, Breakfast Room and Mud Room/Laundry Room. Interior reconfiguration as part of the front yard addition created an Entrance Gallery and enlarged Powder Room.

Credits: Richard Becker AIA, Nancy Becker AIA, John Crittenden General Contractor: Basil Crittenden LLC Cabinetry: Lamico Woodworking Photography: HNK Architectural Photography

A Garage B Kitchen C Entry

A Garage B Laundry Room/Mudroom C Kitchen d Breakfast Room e Entry d

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Ravine Retreat

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HIGHLAND PARK, IL

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conceived as a ranch house for an

nearly every room.

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Residential Projects

empty nester couple, this home has a second level with two bedroms and

Our clients wanted a low-maintenance

a playroom for their many grandchil-

home so materials were selected with

dren. The Master Suite features a

that in mind: brick, stone, architectur-

home office, two walk-in closets, a

al, concrete, structural steel, standing

master bathroom and a bedroom with

seam metal roofing, an anodized alu-

views of Lake Michigan.

minum glazing system and stainless steel railings. Inside, major finishes

The home is comprised of a series of

include brick, limestone and oak

interlocking pieces: one and two-story

flooring, plaster and wood paneling.

masonry elements and a glass and steel pavilion. The irregular plan is the result of restrictive ravine setbacks (which had made the site “unbuildable� and kept it on the market for years prior to our involvement). The jogs in plan create corner views from

Credits: Richard Becker AIA, Nancy Becker AIA, John Jacobs General Contractor: Becker Builders Cabinetry: Exclusive Woodworking Photography: Hedrich Blessing Photographers & HNK Architectural Photography

A Garage B Family Room/Informal Dining C Kitchen d Living e Dining f Office g Master Bathroom h Master Bedroom

A Playroom B Guest Room 1 C Guest Room 2

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Modern Makeover

with separation defined by cabinetry,

1960’s home. One of their children

ceiling heights and in one area, a

used a wheelchair so the rehab and

series of floor to ceiling glass panels

addition was designed to make her life

hung from a recessed track. The front

easier: an elevator, an accessible bath-

Living Room is an adult space with a

room, an Endless Pool™ for therapy

new polished plaster fireplace and bar.

and a kitchen with low counters so she could help with food prep. This

Also in the project, included expand-

project improved the quality of her

ing the bedroom areas on the second

home life in many ways. This is one

floor to provide a new Master Suite.

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Residential Projects

HIGHLAND PARK, IL

issues of accessibility plagued this

of a half dozen projects we’ve done for families with special needs. These types of projects involve integrating a lot of technical details. But they have to look good too.

The entire rear portion of the first level was reworked into a series of connected spaces including the Kitchen, a Breakfast Area, a Home Office, a Family Room and a Dining Room. These spaces are all open to one another,

Credits: Bert Boldizsar AIA, Richard Becker AIA, Nancy Becker AIA General Contractor: TLC Construction Cabinetry: Ayre Woodworking Photography: HNK Architectural Photography

A Garage B Study/Informal Dining C Kitchen d Family Room e Dining Room F Living Room

A Garage B Kitchen C Family Room d Foyer e Dining Room F Living Room

b a

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Empty Nester

this 60’s home was tired, from its

HIGHLAND PARK, IL

awkward floor plan. We reworked the

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plan, creating a Library with glass pocket doors in the location of the former Dining Room. We blew out the ceiling in the back inserting a tall transom over

Residential Projects

mirrored foyer to its unimaginative and

the once-short glass doors flooding the space with light. Now there is drama where there was once the standard 8 foot ceilng. Freestanding cabinets of koa veneer divide the various areas creating separate Entry, Dining and Family zones. The Kitchen and Bathrooms were also gutted and rehabbed with a total recon-figuration of the Master Suite.

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A Entry B Library C Kitchen/Breakfast Room d Family Area e Dining Area f Master Bedroom

d

Introduction

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e

f

c a b

after

A Entry B Dining Room C Kitchen d Breakfast Room e Family Room f Living Room g Master Bedroom

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Credits: Richard Becker AIA, Nancy Becker AIA, Sheree Dittmer AIA General Contractor: Rizzolo Builders Exclusive Interior Designer: Linda Strusiver Cabinetry: Ayre Woodworking Photography: HNK Architectural Photography

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HGTV Dream House RIVERSIDE, IL

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featured as a 13-episode reality

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show on hgtv, this series chronicled the adventures of our clients as well as our firm and builder in the design and construction of their Dream House. They had spent a year working with another architecture firm and weren’t able to arrive at a design that was buildable (or affordable). We came up with a new plan, a new look and a way to respect their budget. Millions of viewers nationwide followed along, all the way to moving day.

Credits: John Crittenden, Richard Becker AIA, Nancy Becker AIA General Contractor: Creber Builders Photography: HNK Architectural Photography

A Covered Entry B Dining Room C Kichen/Breakfast d Family Room e Studio f Study g Garage

A Roof Deck B Master Bedroom C Laundry d Children’s Bedrooms

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Modern Lakefront

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a double parcel and designed so that virtually every room has a lake view.

It features an undulating ten-foot high glass wall that mirrors the contours of the bluff; as well, these panels define a series of public spaces including Family, Dining, Kitchen, Informal Dining

Residential Projects

HIGHLAND PARK, IL

this lake michigan home was built on

and Study. This continuous space runs north-south with dramatic vistas in multiple directions.

A sixty-foot indoor pool and spa structure anchors the south end of the home. The north end of the ground floor contains two master suites for the owner’s teenage children. Upstairs, the main Master Suite features a dramatic sleeping porch on the lake as well as a Yoga room with private roof terrace.

A guest suite anchors the south end of this floor.

The home features maintenance-free materials: brick, 3 coat-stucco, aluminum clad fir windows, copper metalwork and aircraft cable railings. This house is fully accessible, including ADAcompliant bathrooms and a three-stop elevator.

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Introduction

A Deck B Meditation C Master Bedroom d Screened Porch E Guest Suite

a b

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floor II A Garage B Foyer C Dining d Kitchen/ Breakfast e Great Room f Pool G Master Suites f

e d c g

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Credits: Bert Boldizsar AIA, Richard Becker AIA, Nancy Becker AIA General Contractor: Tiedmann Enterprises Cabinetry: Artcraft Kitchens Photography: HNK Architectural Photography

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Big Red on Vine

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bump-out which had contained a kitchen and garage as well as bedroom and two baths above. In its place, we built a two storey addition perpendicular to the remaining house in order to maximize natural light as well as views of the front and rear yards. The wings

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HIGHLAND PARK, IL

we demolished a rear two-story

extend as a backdrop to the original home, highlighting the new versus old.

The new portion contains a Mud Room and two-car garage as well as Kitchen/ Informal Eating/Family Area at the west end with glass exposures on three sides. Upstairs the addition has a Master Suite (also with three exposures), two children’s bedrooms, a bathroom and laundry room.

The front portion (the original home from the late 19th century) was renovated including a new loft space in the existing attic; the exterior 2nd floor was re-clad in cement shingles creating a positive-negative color play between the old and new portions of the home.

Other major building materials include HardieBoard ™ cement panels and batten strips, standing seam metal roofing and new color-coordinated half round gutters and downspouts. The rear deck is constructed of Trex™, a recycled material.

The entire house has new finishes, electrical, plumbing and zoned HVAC systems.

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Credits: Richard Becker AIA, Nancy Becker AIA Sheree Dittmer AIA, Omar Gutiérrez General Contractor: Becker Architects Cabinetry: McNulty Kitchens Photography: Richard Becker

becker architects

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floor IIi

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Published Work

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1997 House Beautiful

1999 Better Homes & Gardens

becker architects

2001 Beautiful Baths

1998 Traditional Home

2000 Home Plan Ideas

2001 Better Homes

2001 Traditional Home

2002 Chicago Home

595 Elm Place, Suite 225 Highland Park, il 60035 info@beckerarchitects.com 2004 Bedroom & Bath

2007 Builder/Architect

2007 Shelter

T 847.433.6600 F 847.433.6787 W beckerarchitects.com

595 Elm Place, Suite 225 Highland Park, IL 60035 info@beckerarchitects.com T 847.433.6600 F 847.433.6787 W beckerarcchitects.com

SELECTED

PROJECTS

BECKER ARCHITECTS