The Leavitt Residence is an extensive transformation of a 1920's mercantile building into a single family residence in the Bucktown neighborhood of Chicago. The 3-story existing structure consisted of heavy timber framing, with brick cladding at the exterior. An effort was made to respect the existing building while at the same time inserting dramatic new design gestures. The most significant insertion was to add an expansive window wall which extrudes upward and flows over the roof to create a highly transparent penthouse serving as the master bedroom. The window wall provides connection to a private yard, a valuable asset in this dense urban setting.

The second major undertaking in the building renovation was to replace the east façade which was determined structurally unstable. The solution aims to replicate the rhythm of the existing masonry columns while also announcing a modernist influence at the second level.

Mirroring the triangular footprint of the building, a 3-story triangular shaped atrium is at the heart of the home, giving way to massive timber staircases surrounded by cedar and glass. The original beams and exposed brick juxtapose the modern kitchen, fitted with Italian cabinetry, that echoes the same tension between old and new that's created by the steel and glass window wall addition. At the ‘prow’ of the structure floors were cut out to create a two story garden court featuring a single tree. The vertical slot opening in the end wall highlights the contrast between the tree and the heavy masonry.