The Chicago Housing Policy Task Force, convened by Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago, announced in July the selection of the Adaptable House by Perkins & Will architect Greg Tamborino, AIA, as the winner of the Disruptive Design competition from among over 130 submissions. Tamborino’s design for a single-family home that could also be used as a two-flat will be the prototype for construction of two homes in City of Chicago-owned vacant lots, one in Bronzeville and one in West Humboldt Park, by developer Related Midwest.

Woodstock Institute was part of the design competition initiative to encourage the development of new homes that would be affordable to working families in Chicago and provide opportunities for family members with mobility challenges and disabilities to stay in their communities and live in accessible homes. Beyond the construction of the two homes by Related Midwest, it is hoped that the models created for the competition will be used at a bigger scale to transform Chicago’s vacant lots into affordable and accessible homeownership opportunities. These homes could prove to be the next iconic Chicago house, like the Chicago Bungalow.

The Tamborino design met the competition requirement that the home must cost not more than $300,000 to buy, not including the price of the land and utility hookups. If the homeowner used the building as a two-flat and rented out one space, the home would be affordable to a family with a $75,000 annual income. For more information about the competition, see www.disruptovedesign-chi.org.