We peeled back 70 years of dirt, grime and funky looking remodelings of a historic Traverse City opera house to restore its original luster and charm. The result is Brew,  a coffeehouse and gastropub with a mighty list of local beer that uses repurposed elements to connect the city with its roots. Brew occupies the bottom floor of the 100-year-old opera house, whose maple floors, yellow masonry and rustic tin ceiling have been rescued from years of neglect. Windows that were obstructed by more recent construction work are incorporated into the new design to flood the space with natural light.

It’s not just the centenarian opera house that gives Brew it’s ultra-local construction: leftover wood from a nearby bowling alley forms sturdy tables, and wood from a old barn features in the design. Mid-century furniture lends the café a cozy, living-room feel. Pieces like the reclaimed pendant light fixtures echo the region’s sawmill history, while an old school 18-inch zinc bar with a galvanized pipe footrest rounds out the historical design elements.

A café by day (featuring locally roasted beans and a custom built pour over stand) and a tavern by night, Brew also offers food and spirits sourced from local farmers, artisans, distillers and brewmasters with continually evolving menus, cocktails and craft beer pairings.  Photos and project info inside.

before. Yikes!

before. Double Yikes!

The enlightened man’s entertainment center can hold your treasured classics and cherished vintages. Designed by moss and fabricated by Demeter Millwork, our new wine and book storage shelf is constructed of materials sourced from within 100 miles of Chicago. The wood is reclaimed Walnut (framing members and siding) from a demolished barn in Northern Indiana.  The mortise and tenon holes, nail marks, and other graces of time are visible on the piece.  The base is a 4-door cabinet (designed to store 5 carboys and 1 5-gallon stock pot) with adjustable shelf and the upper storage is half book shelf and half wine storage, capable of holding about 6-8 cases.  As installed at moss HQ the wine shelf portion acts as a guardrail for the adjacent stair mid-landing, so you don’t fall off after enjoying too much of the wine.  Similar to our other wood furniture, no fish were harmed in the making of this piece. Photos inside.

photo courtesy of CS Interiors

Curbed Chicago has named our Erie Street Loft project the best home renovation of the year!  Thanks, Curbed!  Relive the magic here and and in video form here.  This project was also featured in CS Interiors Magazine, Apartment Therapy, and Curbed Chicago.

The existing rear entry vestibule (which provides access to the basement) was extended up and received a new roof to match the new roof line of the second floor addition.  The second floor roof and 3′ overhangs were designed so the summer sun would be shaded while allowing it to passively heat the bedrooms in the winter.  The window openings also allow for hot air to rise in the space and exhaust out of operable transoms, while still maximizing glazing for views to the west.  The exterior walls received 5″ of spray foam insulation with rigid insulation at the exterior to prevent thermal bridging.  The roof was sprayed with 8″ of closed cell insulation resulting in an effective insulation value of R-48.  The siding is a recycled wood composite material with metal corner caps (to avoid those ugly trim boards).  All new interior and exterior lighting are LED fixtures.

existing

got bored white waiting for sun to set

Merging Sustainable Agriculture and Modern Architecture.

We wanted the design to speak to the industrial and traditional roots of the Chicago food industry, while responding to the unique mission of 2 Sparrows.  Similar to how a sparrow builds a nest by collecting building elements from nearby, we assembled the space for this seasonally driven, gastro-brunch restaurant with building components collected from Chicago.  This approach resulted in an industrial farmhouse aesthetic rooted in Chicago restaurant classicism perfectly calibrated for food production and enjoyment.  The architectural design echoes the sustainable agriculture ethos of the restaurant and complements the food and products from local farmers, artisans, distillers, and brewmasters offered at the restaurant. Product list and photos inside.

Our design took the 100-year-old limestone building and gave the interior a functionally modern aesthetic while highlighting the existing historic elements.  The dark innards of the former eyeglass shop were strategically stripped to expose the building’s natural structure of concrete columns, concrete floors, plaster, and clay tile ceiling.  We wanted to bring new life into the building for this restaurant, so we opened up the interior to increase the amount of natural light to accentuate its beautiful natural attributes.

Owners Greg Ellis and Steve Fladung, both formerly of Charlie Trotter’s, charged us with creating the design of the restaurant to match its mission of sustainable agriculture with a creative use of reclaimed materials and industrial-modern aesthetic. In response we utilized reclaimed hickory for the ceiling and wall finish, salvaged glazing panels from the ReBuilding Exchange, and even created a bar top crafted from a felled urban tree sourced from Horigan Urban Forest Products .  The sustainable design effort also leveraged the creativity and craft of local Chicago artisans.  The blown glass pendant light shades and restroom sink basin (which rests upon a reclaimed wood counter) were created by Prodigy Glassworks in Oak Park, IL.  All the custom steel and cabinetry was also crafted in Chicago. The inventive ‘Charcuterie Bar’ is constructed of waste pieces of hickory, stainless steel, and a custom hot rolled steel footrest. Meanwhile, the reclaimed leather and wood custom banquette seating was used to reinforce the classic Chicago dining tradition.  The design collaboration between client, architect, and artisans resulted in a modern aesthetic with sustainable materials and design practices to create a uniquely eclectic space.

People/Products

General Contractor: builder
Downlights:    Juno, Lithonia
Directional spotlights:    WAC Lighting
LED cove lighting:    Versa bar
Monorail lighting:    Tech Lighting
Pendants:    Custom glass shade by Prodigy Glassworks
Banquette:    Custom designed by moss Design
Main bar counter:    Salvaged honey locust from Washington Park via Horigan Urban Forest Products
Charcuterie bar:    Stainless steel
Bar footrests:    Custom designed by moss Design, hot rolled steel
Bar fronts:    Custom designed by moss Design, Patterned Reclaimed Hickory
Kitchen doors:    Chase
Door hardware:    Baldwin, Schlage
Wood cladding:    Reclaimed Hickory
Kitchen equipment:    True, Imperial
Plumbing fixtures:    Toto
Restroom sink basin:    Custom glass fixture by Prodigy Glassworks
Restroom counter:    Reclaimed Hickory
Reclaimed glass:    ReBuilding Exchange
Shelves:    Hot rolled steel
Restroom tile:    The Tile Shop
Signage:    Custom designed by moss Design

photo courtesy of Ryan Moore Photography

photo courtesy of Ryan Moore Photography

Full issue here.

UPDATE (10/03): Passed health inspection today!

UPDATE (09/30): Opening date is Monday, October 10th!

Best of all, this is a project you can help make happen!  Take this one question survey to support the plan for open space at 3400 Paulina.

Over 250 Artists and Businesses in 50 venues are participating in the 10th Annual Tour of Arts & Industry in the Ravenswood Corridor.  This self-guided tour of open studios, galleries and spaces along the historic Ravenswood Corridor is the kick off to the Annual Chicago Artists Month.  Be sure to check out the other great events during RAW weekend, including a rooftop lounge and sculpture garden, film screenings, lectures and live performances.  A free trolley, with guided historical tour by a member of the Ravenswood – Lake View Historical Association, will transport visitors from one end of the event to the other.

In addition to our architectural work and new furniture creations, we will be featuring four other artists and designers who echo our sustainable ethos:

Lynn Basa
Heather Mullins
Devin Shea
TJ Thomas of Studio Murmur

We are reclaiming urban public space for people on PARK(ing) Day, Friday, September 16, 2011 from 9am to 5pm.  The designed “PARK(ing) spaces”, metered parking spaces converted into temporary green parks, will be located in front of Southport Grocery, 3552 North Southport Avenue.  The ‘park’ will feature a bicycle repair station, live music, and a lawn for dining and enjoying the day.

In 2009 and 2010, moss Design converted parking spaces into temporary public space, which will be expanded this year to highlight the need for bike infrastructure and open space in Lakeview.  Earlier this year moss Design unveiled a sustainable master plan, prepared for the Lakeview Chamber of Commerce and SSA 27.  Part of the plan was a call for more unique and accessible public open space.  This year’s PARK(ing) Day theme is a “Bicycle Comfort Station” featuring free food, live music, bike parking and repair, and relaxation areas.  Think of it as the mini-mart of the future.

With a higher percentage of street space currently allocated to vehicles and gas stations, and only a fraction allocated to the public realm, the bicycle comfort station is the biker’s non-gas, rest stop.  moss Design will “lease” several parking spaces for the day and convert them into a bike and pedestrian friendly oasis.  The oasis will be sponsored by Southport Grocery and SSA 27, complete with trees, shrubs, and grass, donated by Grand Street Gardens, Farmers Market Garden Supply, Lake Street Landscape Supply, and a mobile food installation by Truck Farm Chicago.  Bike repair will be donated by Pedal to the People.  Live music performances by Josh Rosen, Carpetbaggers Local 606, Adam Fallon, and Ashley Andersen.

The concept of PARK(ing) Day is based on the idea that putting money into a parking meter one is “renting” urban public space.  The range of possibilities for the short-term lease of the metered parking space is limitless.  Our thought is, what if, tomorrow, there were no more cars on the road; what would we imagine the street to be?  This sparked our imagination, and being active bikers and stewards of the environment, the goal was to create a useable, temporary park; a park that bikers riding along the Southport bike lane could turn into, refuel, and relax.

See our treatise on parking here and Chicago’s parking meter deal here.