ELGIN ARTIST HOUSING

ELGIN, ILLINOIS

• Creative adaptive reuse of former Sears department store and school

• Revitalized struggling downtown district

As part of recent efforts to revitalize the City of Elgin’s struggling downtown district and attract new residents, city leaders determined artist housing would be a catalyst for positive cultural change. The Elgin Artspace Lofts were designed specifically for artists in this community. They provide creative residents with a collaborative environment in which they can both live and work. The project combines the adaptive reuse of the vintage structure and a new three-story addition. The addition has a standalone appearance, while allowing beauty of the existing building to be experienced by the residents of the city. The buildings are united by a daylit one-story gallery space, which provides both exhibition space and an accessible entry to the units and courtyard.