Chinatown, Chicago, IL

2004

When the Eisenhower Expressway cut its path from the city to the western suburbs, the considerable displacement was eased in part by a group of city–state housing developments called “Courts.” Archer Courts (one of eight Court projects), was built in 1951 on the corner of Archer and Princeton streets in Chinatown. It consisted of 2 seven story, seventy four unit buildings. The buildings were built of concrete frames, masonry infill, steel windows, and a single-loaded corridor or “gallery” which was exposed to the weather. Each corridor had 4’-0” high chain-link fencing along its entire length, typical of many public housing projects of the time. To the west of the buildings, there was an empty lot which was used for parking and recreational activities. Archer Courts Phase I explores the reuse, rather than destruction of, older public housing buildings. Archer Court Phase II tests a relatively under-explored affordable building pre-cast system and furthers the discussion of prefabrication in building and housing.

The Archer Courts project as a whole presents an interesting and successful case study of an economically, racially, historically, and architecturally mixed development.

Driehaus Foundation Award for Architectural Excellence in Community Design 2002
Distinguished Building Award from the Chicago Chapter of the American Institute of Architects 2002
Good Neighbor Awards 2001

Chicago Community Development Corporation

Burling Builders, Inc.

Raths, Raths & Johnson (Structural)
McKay Landscape Architects
Creative Systems Engineers (MEP)
SPACECO (Civil)

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