The recently opened 198-unit Optima Lakeview luxury rental apartment building in Chicago is bursting with amenities such as the region’s first year-round rooftop pool, contact-free in-home package delivery, housekeeping services, on-site room service, fitness programming, and a virtual personal assistant. Emphasizing wellness and outdoor space, Optima designed the building with setbacks providing multiple residences with private outdoor landscaped terraces, complete with trees, built-in grills, and fire pits. Terraces range from 67 sf to about 1,600 sf.
Most shared amenities are connected by the seven-story atrium running through the building’s core that is topped by a skylight. Natural light floods this space including strategically placed planters on various floors surrounding the atrium that will form a hanging garden when the plants mature.
A rooftop sky deck offering views of Lake Michigan, Wrigley Field, and the Chicago skyline is equipped with fire tables and heaters suitable for the city’s colder climate. The 35-by-25-foot rooftop pool will stay heated and swimmable year-round. Residents can use the rooftop’s spa, theater, lounge seating, and a dozen grills and kitchen stations. The rooftop also includes a glass-enclosed party room appointed with TV, various seating arrangements, and a full chef’s kitchen. Residents’ pets can enjoy the outdoors in the building’s 2,000 sf heated dog park.
An indoor basketball/pickleball court, sports lounge and golf simulator are all located near the main entrance and are flanked by street-level windows. Upstairs, residents have access to a fitness center with state-of-the-art equipment, a yoga/stretching room, sauna, pet spa, and a children’s play area with an emphasis on active gross motor play. Additionally, a residents’ club, game room, and chef’s kitchen provide space for parties and events.
Those working from home have access to two wired conference spaces and a business center, along with several indoor and outdoor seating areas. Multiple technology providers offer residents with choice for digital connectivity. The building recently became the first North American residential development to earn WiredScore Gold Rating for Digital Connectivity.
The building’s modern exterior uses a sophisticated palette of warm-toned exterior materials, including transparent bronze glass and rich, dark brick that complements the architecture of the surrounding neighborhood. One-, two- and three-bedroom units come with high-end finishes and smart home technology. Private balconies or terraces are per plan.
Units average 1,053 sf with enough space to give residents flexibility to dedicate space for a home office, bar, children’s play area or pet area. Custom wardrobes with built-in shelves and drawers for clothes and storage convey more natural light to the interior. Rents start at $2,500 per month.
On the building team:
Owner and/or developer: Optima, Inc.
Design architect: David Hovey Sr., FAIA, CEO and Founder of Optima, Inc.
Architect of record: David Hovey Sr., FAIA, CEO and Founder of Optima, Inc.
MEP engineer: F.E. Moran (HVAC); IMEG (Electric); Warren F. Thomas Plumbing (Plumbing)
Structural engineer: WSP USA
General contractor/construction manager: Optima, Inc./Matt Cison & Mike Schwerzler
Related Stories
| Aug 11, 2010
10 tips for mitigating influenza in buildings
Adopting simple, common-sense measures and proper maintenance protocols can help mitigate the spread of influenza in buildings. In addition, there are system upgrades that can be performed to further mitigate risks. Trane Commercial Systems offers 10 tips to consider during the cold and flu season.
| Aug 11, 2010
Reed Construction Data files corporate espionage lawsuit against McGraw-Hill Construction Dodge
Reed Construction Data (RCD), a leading construction information provider and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Reed Elsevier (NYSE:RUK, NYSE:ENL), today filed suit in federal court against McGraw-Hill Construction Dodge, a unit of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MHP). The suit charges that Dodge has unlawfully accessed confidential and trade secret information from RCD since 2002 by using a series of fake companies to pose as RCD customers.
| Aug 11, 2010
Jacobs, HOK top BD+C's ranking of the 75 largest state/local government design firms
A ranking of the Top 75 State/Local Government Design Firms based on Building Design+Construction's 2009 Giants 300 survey. For more Giants 300 rankings, visit http://www.BDCnetwork.com/Giants
| Aug 11, 2010
Brad Pitt’s foundation unveils 14 duplex designs for New Orleans’ Lower 9th Ward
Gehry Partners, William McDonough + Partners, and BNIM are among 14 architecture firms commissioned by Brad Pitt's Make It Right foundation to develop duplex housing concepts specifically for rebuilding the Lower 9th Ward in New Orleans. All 14 concepts were released yesterday.
| Aug 11, 2010
Gilbane's Fox Network Center earns National Excellence in Construction Award
Gilbane Building Company’s work on Fox Network Center in Houston, Texas, has earned the company an Eagle Award in the Commercial - $25-million - $100-million category of ABC’s Excellence in Construction Awards. Gilbane’s representatives received the award during the 19th annual Excellence in Construction Awards celebration.
| Aug 11, 2010
NAVFAC releases guidelines for sustainable reconstruction of Navy facilities
The guidelines provide specific guidance for installation commanders, assessment teams, estimators, programmers and building designers for identifying the sustainable opportunities, synergies, strategies, features and benefits for improving installations following a disaster instead of simply repairing or replacing them as they were prior to the disaster.
