2150 Clay Street

GID Multifamily, owners of the Element 47 Apartments in the Jefferson Park Neighborhood approached Points West to assist in re-imagining an existing 4,000 sf, single story retail building designed as a public-facing component of the Element 47 apartment community. Despite it’s frontage on Clay Street facing Jefferson Park, the retail space has never been completely leased since it’s completion in 2007. Considering the apparent lack of retail viability, Points West examined how to repurpose and re-position this small structure to promote better utilization for GID. Program alternatives ranged from a full conversion to residential units to a combination of residential and co-working or retail.

Without triggering significant, costly structural changes, the modifications refresh and simplify the existing building facade design better utilizes and engages exterior spaces to compliment interior uses. The end result is a more sophisticated and quiet design approach that presents a more timeless face to the neighborhood while achieving flexibility in planning for GID.

The project delivers creative residences cost-effectively to extend the use of this existing structure. In addition, improved indoor-outdoor connections engage neighboring Jefferson Park and a co-working space revives a previously dead corner within this urban neighborhood.