|
By
design
|
|
|
The second thing that
stands out, and is closely related to the first, is the company’s
emphasis on design. There is not a “Ranquist look” – the
detached houses in Bridgeport are very different from the condos in River
North – but the projects are permeated with a thoughtful approach
to building that makes design a function of particular buyers’ needs
and lifestyles. Bridgeport Commons,
for example, a 21-unit single-family community located along a new extension
of South Canal Street, at 37th and Normal streets, acknowledges the fact
that urban families often need more space and privacy than that that afforded
by the explosion of new condos in the city. Designed by Morgante-Wilson
Architects, Ltd., the homes embrace the character of the historic housing
in the neighborhood with brick, limestone, stucco and wood detailing. “They reflect
the Arts and Crafts tradition and are really like two-story bungalows,”
says John Potter, of Morgante-Wilson. “They’re very oriented
toward families.” Ranging from 2,000
to 4,000 square feet, with three to five bedrooms and 2.5 to 3.5 baths,
the three-level homes come in five different styles and all have two-car
attached garages. The homes are priced
from $598,800, and at press time, approximately half of them were sold,
according to Karen Ranquist of Ranquist Realty, exclusive marketing agent
for all of the Ranquist developments. Construction of Bridgeport
Commons will begin in the fall of 2005 with delivery scheduled for summer
2006. “I am really
excited about Bridgeport,” says Karen Ranquist. “These are what
I would call Prairie style homes, and they fit so well in this neighborhood.
And another thing, a very important thing: these are very wide city lots,
so the houses are 30 feet wide, and that makes a huge difference in the
way the homes can be designed.” The extra-wide lots
allow for bedrooms and other elements to be side-by-side in floor plans
that have earned high marks for livability among Ranquist buyers.
Priced at $1.695 million
and $1.795 million, the homes are exquisitely finished and contain a long
list of modern conveniences, including an elevator. “I know it’s
a cliché, but these homes have to be seen to be appreciated,”
says Ranquist. “Even though they’re high end, they are so welcoming
and so easy to live in.” The look here is more
modern than in the Bridgeport homes, with clean lines and more vertical
space, but the limestone and brick exteriors and entrance detailing fit
the historic architecture of the street in the same way that the Bridgeport
homes match their context, according to Potter. Another Ranquist single-family
home project, this one in Ukrainian Village, at 2313-2325 W. Erie St.,
uses an innovative entrance for a design that has curb appeal and comfort.
“There is so
much I could say about these houses,” says Ranquist. “One standout
feature is the uninterrupted front elevations that were achieved by putting
the entrance to the homes on the side. They don’t have a boring front
stoop that leads to a front door, and there you are in the living room.
And the entrance on the side provides so much more design flexibility
in the living areas.” Designed by Wilkinson
Blender Architecture, these modern five-bedroom houses have three levels
and are priced at $1,059,800. At press time, three of the homes had been
sold, and all will be ready for delivery in late fall 2005. Some of Ranquist Development’s
most intriguing designs, however, are its condo projects. Ranquist hired
the Miller / Hull Partnership, a renowned Seattle firm and winner of awards
from the American Institute of Architects and others, to design a stunningly
contemporary nine-story, 11-unit glass and steel structure at 156 W. Superior
St., in River North. This condo building features a sheer wall of glass,
an expressed structure and articulated cross-bracing that, it’s safe
to say, will make it one-of-a-kind in a neighborhood with a lot of similar
product. Known as “Case
Study 2005: River North,” the building will have a lobby and indoor
parking on the ground floor and eight levels of condominiums above. Levels
two through five contain three-bedroom residences to the south and one-bedroom
flats to the north. Floors five through nine are single residences. At
press time, two of the 900-square-foot one-bedroom units remained for
sale, starting at $379,800. Also available are two full-floor penthouses,
priced at $1,470,800 and $1,530,800. Delivery is scheduled for spring
2006. Case Study 2006: Lincoln
Park, is Ranquist Development’s latest condo project and while the
name and focus on design are similar to the River North project, the look
is vastly different. The four-level glass and textured metal structure
has a much more horizontal emphasis. It shares crisp, modern lines and
elegant geometry with the River North project, but the setbacks, landscaping
and materials of this low-density development were chosen with this pocket
of Lincoln Park in mind. Scheduled for completion
in the summer of 2006, the seven-unit building, at 1750-54 N. Clybourn
Ave., will have two- and three-bedroom units, two of which had been sold
at press time. Prices start at $435,800, and indoor parking is available
at $19,800. |
Two
things stand out when perusing the latest offerings from Ranquist Development,
a force in city building with projects ranging from Bridgeport to Lincoln
Park. The first is the sheer breadth of product offered. Unlike signature
builders who reproduce essentially the same development over and over,
Ranquist Development currently has everything from traditional single-family
homes in Bridgeport priced from the $590s to cutting-edge condos in chic
River North priced from the $370s to $1.5 million. 
At
the higher end of the single-family market, Ranquist recently completed
construction of two 5,500-square-foot brick and masonry homes at 1230-1232
N. Hoyne St. that also have been designed with families in mind. These
designs, also by Morgante-Wilson, spare no luxury. The three-level houses
have five or six bedrooms, 4.5 baths, two-car garages, large open living
areas, bath spas with steam and sauna, and even a train room.