A LIVE Design Competition.

The First Annual Traditional Building Design Challenge took place during the Traditional Building Exhibition and Conference in Chicago, April 2006 at Chicago's famous Navy Pier. 

Project Description

Design a "new old" house for one of Oak Park's three nationally recognized historic districts - The Ridgeland/Oak Park Historic District, the Frank Lloyd Wright Prairie School of Architecture Historic District, and the Gunderson Historic District.  Some common styles within these districts are: American 4-Square, Prairie Style, Bungalow and Victorian.  Recommended Era: 1880-1920.  The three districts are quite different in character and the most appropriate styles might be different in each.

Site Description:

The site is a 50 foot wide by 125 foot deep rectangular interior lot with an alleyway at the rear.  The site is located in an R3 Single Familiy District (See Oak PArk Zoning Regulations).  The average ront set back of adjacent lots is not more than 20 feet.  Building set backs, total square footages, and lot coverage must be calculated and listed as a part of the submission.  Conformity with the community regulations is required. You may choose to locate your site in either of the three districts within the Village. Please indicate on your site plan which district

Function and Scope Design for upper-middle income neighborhood.  The clients are a recently retired couple with family that visits from time to time and they enjoy entertaining at home.

Square Footage: 2200 to 3200 square feet of heated space

The 2006 Traditional Building Design Challenge Competitors:

Click to view Winning Designs

1st Place:

Jonathan Miller

Jonathan Miller Architects                                                      

2606 Greenway Dr., Ste 301

Knoxville, TN 37918

Ph: 865-219-7809

2nd Place:

Leonard Baum

Leonard J. Baum Architect                                              

218 Grand Ave.

Cranston, RI   02905

Ph: 401-941-1650

3rd Place (tie)

W.A “Bud” Lawrence

Morales Keesee Design Associates

941 S. Orange Blossom Trail

Apopka, FL 32703 

Ph: 407-880-2333

Wayne Visbeen

Visbeen Associates, Inc.

4139 Embassy Drive.

Grand Rapids, MI 49546

Ph: 616-285-9901

Congratulations to all Finalists:

W.A “Bud” Lawrence

Morales Keesee Design Associates

Apopka, FL

J.R. Ruthig    

Dominick Tringali Architects

Bloomfield Hills, MI

Wayne Visbeen

Visbeen Associates, Inc.

Grand Rapids, MI

David Jurina   

Avid Architects PC

Elgin, IL

Jonathan Miller

Jonathan Miller Architects     

Knoxville, TN

Bobby Morales

Morales Keesee Design Associates

Apopka, FL

Leonard Baum

Leonard J. Baum Architect       

Cranston, RI     

David Kulick

David Kulick Architects   

Stillwater, OK

For more information please contact:

Steve Mickley

The American Institute of Building Design

Phone: 1-800-366-2423

Email:  steve.mickley@aibd.org

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