Location: 108 W. Germania Pl., Chicago, Illinois

Program: Modern Office & Historic Preservation

Status: In Progress

This beautiful Chicago landmark building, built 1889, is full of amazing details and even a stained glass window from Pavilion of Fine Arts at the 1893 Worlds Fair.  The building has been used for various purposes since the Germania Club closed its doors in 1986, most recently a wedding venue.  The goal of this project was to create a modern office space while preserving the beauty of the buildings amazing interior.

The renovation consists of thee floors and the 1st floor lobby that serves both the office and a daycare center.  The mezzanine level between the 1st floor and Ballroom level is not as tall as the ballroom spaces above but is full of light and beautiful details.  Throughout the interiors, we emphasised the historic meets modern theme by creating a harmony between the two.

The upper levels of the building are centered around two ballrooms that create a dramatic open office space.  The scale of these large volumes is broken down in the adjacent rooms, providing places to meet, private offices, a lounge, and breakout/quiet spaces.

Location:  2353 N. California Ave., Chicago, Illinois

Program: Ice Cream Store and Production

Status: Complete

We knew right away when we met with Dana Cree and her partner Michael Ciapciak about the Pretty Cool Ice Cream Flagship Store that it was something we wanted to be involved with. Their excitement for the project was palpable and we could tell that this was going to be a great experience.

The vision for the store revolves around creating a sophisticated and fun place that can accommodate an array of different guests. To set us apart from your standard fare ice cream shop, the team focused in on reinventing the guest experience. Light and playful colors paired with bamboo and dark gray flooring and wainscot create an interesting dichotomy that can be appealing to kid and adult alike.

Patrons interact with the staff (and more importantly, the ice cream) through a jewelry-style display case that is low enough for kids to peek into to see Dana’s beautiful creations. The ‘shell’ around the case is made of a multicolored, thermoformed solid surface, curved to evoke a feeling of melting-ice-cream-deliciousness.

An array of options are provided for people to inhabit the store. You can sit on the sculptural tiered seating element or stand and look out onto California Ave. Built-in banquette seating is also available for patrons that prefer a more traditional respite, as well as those with special needs.

The shop is filled with places for people to interact with each other, both digitally (social media), and physically.  Everyone is encouraged to leave their mark, on the large magnet board in the rear of the space adorned with magnetic letters.

The hallway toward the back of the store leads to restrooms, a kiddy size drinking fountain/hand-washing sink, and a large viewing window into the production area.

The project was done entirely in 3d, from design to construction documents.  This allowed Dana and Michael to see the visions of the space so that they really understood what was happening with the design before it was built.  On the fabrication end, Tumu provided detailed 3d models for the construction of geometrically complex items.

Location: 2840 W. Armitage Ave., Chicago, Illinois

Program: Restaurant and Brewery

Status: Complete

Middle Brow is doing exciting things in the world of beer.  Their brew is sophisticated and approachable.  The owners are a great inspiration and designing their new home base for their business was fantastic and rewarding.

The existing building that Bungalow occupies was once a dark room for the camera store next door.  The space was long, narrow and dark. The design team met that challenge by opening up the building and providing a sequence of spaces that take advantage of the length of the building by creating a series of experiences.

The front area of the restaurant is designed as an informal, café like space. This area is used in the mornings to serve breakfast, coffee, and artisan bread that is made fresh on site. The scale of the space creates a relaxed environment and hosts a piano for those that may fancy a go.

A small retail area and a beautiful open bar and kitchen greet patrons when they walk into the building. Because the menu was kept simple (and delicious) we were able to keep most of the active kitchen out font, where people could watch the chef work.  The kitchen and bar are organized into two zones in order to keep things moving along smoothly.

Location:  355 East Riverwalk South, Chicago Riverwalk, Illinois

Program: Riverwalk Concessionary

Status: Design Development

Design Team: Tumu Studio (Architect), Element Engineering (MEP), Goodfriend Magruder (Structural), Eriksson Engineering (Civil)

Island Party Hut currently operates out of several modified shipping containers on the Chicago Riverwalk.  Tumu has been hired to expand their capacity by adding a new restaurant, restrooms, and riverfront bar to their existing facilities.  The project is currently under design and is planned to open in the spring of 2019.

The project is located on the southern side of the main branch of the Chicago River.  The site spans the riverwalk between the Columbus Drive Plaza and Bridge on the west and the Vista Tower riverwalk plaza on the east.  Using prefabricated modules as the main component of the building structure will allow the project to be constructed over the winter and shorten the construction schedule allowing Island Party Hut to make the most of the summer season.

Location: Chicago, Illinois

Program: Quick Breakfast, Restaurant, and Bar

Status: In Progress

Batch is an exciting new concept restaurant opening soon in Chicago. The restaurant is designed to accommodate a changing functionality over the course of the day: a coffee shop and breakfast spot in the morning, a restaurant in the afternoon and evening, and a bar at night. Light, natural materials and a clean, crisp aesthetic bring liveliness into the dark existing space and create a modern and cozy atmosphere.  An oversized wood pegboard bar back and ceiling, linear wall garden, and an open biscuit-prep counter provide several pleasant focal points throughout the space and seamless transitions from day to night operations.

Mood boards created during concept design.

The material palate for the restaurant was selected with comfort in mind.  Light natural wood, whites, and soft textures are used throughout the space.  A great amount of attention was paid to the detailing and suitability of all materials used.

A planted wall and biscuit-prep counter bring nature and activity into the main seating area.

The ceiling and back bar help to differentiate the various areas in the restaurant.

Location:  Fermilab, Batavia, IL

Program: Architecture, Office, Research Facility

Status: Complete

Located on the Fermilab campus of the U.S. Department of Energy this 83,000 square foot, state-of-the-art facility houses offices, a technical lab, a 175 seat lecture hall, and educational space to study and create cutting-edge accelerator technologies. Tuned to the environment, the building features many sustainable practices including underfloor air distribution, sustainable materials, and optimum design for daylighting and views. The building was awarded LEED Gold Certification.

Tumu Founder, Ross Barney, worked as Project Designer and Architect for this project while at Ross Barney Architects.