Montclare Senior Residences of Lawndale

Forward-thinking, sustainable solutions for senior living

While its brick masonry and cast stone facade and classic neighborhood scale pay homage to traditional Chicago residence typologies, The Montclare Supportive Living Community of Lawndale goes beyond typical, representing a forward-thinking approach to affordable senior housing and a significant win for the neighborhood. The project adds 120 units of affordable assisted living senior housing in a contemporary, vibrant and healthy environment to Chicago’s Lawndale neighborhood, reusing a formerly vacant site and creating an enhanced urban living experience. 

The site, originally a landlocked parcel that lacked street access for vehicular and pedestrian traffic, was reconnected to the surrounding community via a street and sidewalk extension.  Careful siting of the building and graceful design now creates a welcoming presence in the neighborhood that includes a lively outdoor space. Designed to be responsive to the site, the structure opens to a wide southern exposure, embracing a 30,000 square-foot, landscaped outdoor area and enhancing overall sustainability by maximizing passive solar design.

The resulting outdoor space creates a rich connection to the outdoors for residents, with open seating, recreation areas, and a covered patio; while making the most of its adjacency to a community pocket park, which extends the green space and allows interaction with nearby residents. With the building entry facing the new street extension, the project has helped establish robust connections to the neighborhood and injected new life into a once-vacant site.  

Inside the building, 101 single occupancy and 19 double occupancy units are enhanced by advanced building technology, including WiFi in every dwelling, as well as sustainable features such as Energy Star-rated high-reflectance roof membranes, high efficiency LED lighting, and use of low-VOC interior paints and materials. Insulation and mechanical systems were designed to boost energy efficiency with the goal of lowering utility bills, making units even more affordable, and the project has achieved an Energy Star score of 98 out of 100 based upon the City of Chicago Energy Benchmarking program.  The project has also achieved LEED for Homes Certification, Silver Level.

Bringing smart, forward-looking design and a high standard of living to senior residents in Lawndale, The Montclare Supportive Living Community serves as a landmark in the neighborhood, encouraging future development and contributing to a self-sustaining community.