Creative outdoor spaces with Hardie^® siding

The vibrant Wicker Park neighborhood in Chicago is home to many historic buildings and landmark districts, which can present challenges to homeowners who want to breathe new life into their building while preserving the beautiful vintage details that make it special.

This 1880s building had most recently been used as an office space but was left abandoned for over 40 years. The new homeowners wanted to transform the former office space into an inviting home fit for their growing family. They worked with Joshua Hutchinson, principal of 34-TEN Architecture, an award-winning Chicago firm specializing in Chicago-style conversions and full renovations.

Chicago’s long, narrow city lot size, the smallest in the country, comes from a history of building in the row house style. While space-effective, this can lead to ‘landlocked’ units not receiving much light. “You have to think of the building as a tube,” Hutchinson explained. “You either are getting [light] from the front end or at the alley [backend].”

To rectify this, Hutchinson’s team converted interior living space into two interior courtyards, which both lets in light and provides private outdoor living space — a premium in a dense city. The patios are framed by the exterior brick wall of the adjoining building, with the inner patio walls utilizing Hardie® plank lap, “We specified Hardie® plank siding and trim for [this] courtyard project… because it is resistant to harsh weather conditions, hurricanes and more,” Hutchinson said. “It's also fire resistant and carries a 30-year warranty.”

Hardie® siding is designed to stand up to harsh winter weather, and is more durable to resist damage from wind, rain, freezing temperatures and hail. Only Hardie^® fiber cement exterior products are Engineered for Climate^®, designed specifically with your climate zone in mind for optimal performance.

“I work with a lot of historic homes, and this is a type of product that is ideal in any type of historic preservation application, particularly when you're dealing in a landmark district,” he said.

The Wicker Park courtyard house was awarded AIA Chicago’s Interior Architecture Honor Award in 2023. AIA Chicago’s Design Excellence Awards honor the outstanding work of AIA Chicago members and their firms, reinforce the value of great architecture, and excellence in design, sustainability, and social justice.

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