Primera is excited to announce that our Lawson House redevelopment and rehabilitation project was recently honored with three prestigious awards – the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Illinois: Excellence in Historic Preservation Award, the Chicago Building Congress (CBC) Merit Award, and the Chicago Neighborhood Development (CNDA) Polk Bros. Foundation Affordable Rental Housing Preservation Award. Primera is incredibly honored to have been on the team for the project located on Chicago’s Near North side, which converted the former Chicago YMCA headquarters to studio apartments, providing accessible and affordable housing to the community.

The Lawson House project took a 24-story historic art deco building and created a modern residential building, redeveloping it to meet the needs of low-income renters. The building, built in 1931 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was transformed to fit over 400 micro-apartments, a gym, on-site laundry, rooftop terrace, and multiple residential lounges. Located in the heart of Chicago’s Gold Coast neighborhood, Lawson House is a unique yet affordable living option offering accessible amenities that are rare in the area. According to developers, Holsten Real Estate Development Corporation, and the Chicago Housing Authority, tenants at Lawson House will not spend more than 30 percent of their income on rent, in addition to other subsidies provided by other housing assistance organizations.

Primera provided commissioning services for the 250,000-sqft. building. Systems and equipment commissioned included the building’s automation systems, air handling units, boilers and cooling towers, water heaters, lighting & controls, and more. This consisted of identifying and logging issues resolved by the contractor, performing retesting as needed, preparing the final commissioning report, and assisting with U.S. Green Building Council LEED certification submissions. The building is pursuing LEED Gold certification.

The AIA Illinois Honor Awards recognize people and projects epitomizing the contributions of the architecture profession, the transformative power of design, and the dedication of individuals to service and excellence. All award winners have positively impacted citizens throughout the state of Illinois by helping create communities in which people are drawn to live and work, and to live healthier and happier. The Lawson House received the award for excellence in historic preservation with a project construction value over $5M.

The CBC Merit Awards have celebrated the building industry since 1956 by singling out outstanding projects in the greater Chicagoland area built during the past three years. Through the Merit Award program, Chicago Building Congress recognizes and celebrates the work that enhances communities economically, socially, and aesthetically. The Lawson House project was honored with this award in the Renovation & Adaptive Reuse over $20 Million category.

Established in 1995, the Chicago Neighborhood Development Awards (CNDA) recognize outstanding achievements of those working to build healthier neighborhoods in the Chicago metropolitan area. Each year, The Polk Bros. Foundation Affordable Rental Housing Preservation Award recognizes a developer for a specific real estate project in the City of Chicago that has preserved affordable rental housing. This award recognizes developers that have maintained the affordability of occupied rental housing in properties at risk due to expiring affordability requirements, gentrification or sub-standard conditions.

Primera would like to congratulate co-developers, Holsten Real Estate Development Corporation & Holsten Human Capital Development, Farr Associates, and the rest of the Lawson House project team and thank them for their support on this outstanding project!