RESIDENCE: EVANSTON, IL

FDA designed the conversion of this 1904 church into a wonderful single-family residence. The existing brick and limestone facades were restored with great care, and the characer and brick detailing of the addition (two garage spaces below two bedrooms) match the original church building. This home has received a 2008 City of Evanston Preservation & Design Award, in the category of "Adaptive Reuse".

The existing corner tower serves as the entry to the home and was reconfigured as an open two-story space which allows light to filter down and creates views up to the stained glass windows. A new steel and wood stair ties the main living space to the lofted master bedroom suite that is suspended from the ridge beam above and a study that is open to the space below. The lofts allow the dramatic openness of the original sanctuary to remain creating a dynamic family living space.

FDA integrated a sophisticated uplighting system and many "green" design elements into the home. The glulam roof beams, black steel railings and exposed brick create an exciting mix of old and new materials. The rooms in this house are modern, light-filled and dynamic, yet the home maintains a strong memory of the church that it was for over a century.

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