This story was originally published in Multifamily Executive.

Constructed along Chicago’s Milwaukee Avenue, two complementary mid-rise apartment buildings by local firm Wheeler Kearns Architects rose from a once-burdened site to add to the corridor’s rapid expansion and the city’s plan to densify using transit-oriented design principles.
While the project’s location benefits from a nearby mass-transit station, the 216-unit development—known as MiCA—sits on an oddly-shaped site, described as a “flattened bow tie.” The firm initially explored a single, low-rise building extending the length of the site, but the result walled off the neighborhood behind it. To maximize light and views, the team split the volume and arranged each building at either end of the vertical lot, leaving a large public space in between.
Due to the proximity of the two structures, the team decided it would be beneficial if the buildings shared systems. Chilled water for air conditioning, fire protection supply, sanitary systems, and domestic water supply are fed from the north building to the south building via an “umbilical cord” of five pipes. The pipes were anchored on top of concrete beams and encapsulated in lean concrete to prevent movement.
Thanks to the elimination of duplicate equipment from the project, the owner saved enough money to develop the public plaza, and the south building gained additional space to use for amenities and retail.
This story was originally published in Multifamily Executive.