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Evanston empty-nesters create an oasis with home addition

Architect Jereme R. Smith, AIA/ALA, shared with the Daily Herald a project his company completed for an empty-nest couple who wanted to remain in their Evanston home, but were looking for more space and luxury amenities.

Jereme R. Smith

Together, they expanded the primary bedroom suite to the rear of the house, creating a second story above the first-floor sunroom.

The addition created a large spalike primary bath big enough for a custom double-sink vanity and a large walk-in shower and foot spa chair, both facing a wall of one-way glass allowing a view of the oasis created on the rooftop deck.

Take a look at the project breakdown:

Project title: “Hive Deck,” Evanston

Area: 950 square feet

Team: Architect and design/builder, DII Architecture; general contractor, Irpino Construction; design, drafting and 3D support, Haas DesignWorks, LLC; photographer, Black Olive Photographic

Challenge: A small 1940 home needing a second-floor primary suite addition, office and green roof deck. The owners love the original house, but needed additional luxury and leisure spaces for retirement.

Outcome: A long renovation and addition was created, stretching from the existing primary bedroom. Light floods the new suite with floor-to-ceiling glass and other complementary new windows. The homeowners wanted the new deck walkout to feature a green roof and beehive towers for beekeeping and serve as a backdrop to the spa bath.

Other fun features include retaining the exterior brick on the inside of the new primary bedroom, as well as rain/chain scuppers that aesthetically channel water into planters and a rain basin.

Sustainability: This project has quite a few sustainable elements, including James Hardie fiber cement panels and trim, which have a very long life span with little to no maintenance. Additional sustainable materials include low VOC paints, LED bulbs, two new eco-flush toilets, Trex planks for the roof deck and double pane, low-E windows with argon.

Architect Jereme R. Smith, AIA/ALA, founded his company, Design Insight Inc., also known as DII Architecture, in 2002. Based in Prospect Heights, the company designs and builds custom residential and commercial architecture and high-end renovations in Chicago and the Northwest, West and North suburbs. Reach him at info@diiarchitecture.com, www.diiarchitecture.com or by calling (773) 209-1488.

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