OUR ARCHITECTS, YOUR VISION
Your house is so much more than just walls that surround you. It’s where you connect and where you relax. It’s where you entertain friends and raise your family. It’s where you live. And it should reflect everything about you. Together, we will design your home to fit your life, your goals and your passions within a collaborative, informed and lively process.
We will walk you through the design of your custom home – step by beautiful step.
Home Design Videos
Design Process
Deconstruction and Redesign
Inside a Remodel’s Walls
Framing Tour
Lakefront Architecture
Lakefront Renovation
STEP 1: INSPIRATION
We’ll get a great idea of the kinds of surroundings and objects that will shape your build from the things that inspire you. At our first meeting we will look to you to share magazine clips, Instagram posts, Houzz Idea Books, homes of interest from our portfolio, even pieces of fabric or photographs – really anything at all – to start the ideas rolling.
Here are some favorite architecture and design ideas from our Instagram account.
STEP 2: SKETCHES
Every project that we do is completely personal. We don’t use the same plan, we don’t use the same finishes, we’re designing from the ground up for your family and how you see your lives unfolding in materials and forms and spaces. At our project brainstorm we’ll create rough ideas with hand-drawn, free form sketches to outline space uses you want to prioritize. Have a look at some before and afters moving from architectural plans to finished custom home.
STEP 3: RENDERINGS AND MODELS
We’ll create 2D renderings and 3D models to show you what your choices will look like when they come together. This is another stage where you’ll have the option of making changes that get us closer to a final vision. These will eventually lead to the construction plans that we will get permitted for you.
Watch a time lapse from rendering to room of a Wilmette Pool House project.
STEP 4: SELECTIONS
We will pull samples and take you to our favorite suppliers until, together, we have created a cohesive and beautiful palette of materials for your home design. This will include things like countertops and cabinetry, tile, wood, light and plumbing fixtures, appliances and all the details that will bring the feeling you are looking for in your family home.
STEP 5: THE BUILD
We meet with clients every two weeks to make sure that the process is flowing smoothly, that everything that you have envisioned on paper is occurring before your eyes, as we build it. We will guide you, protect you and inspire you all along the way. On move-in day we want you to walk in the front door and pinch yourself.
MAXIMIZING THE FUNCTION OF ARCHITECTURE AND HOME DESIGN
Architecture and design offer so many ways to infuse a home with a sense of joy and wellbeing. These are some of our favorites.
Framing the Views
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Creating Symmetry
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Infusing Utility
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Energizing Materials
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ARCHITECTURE AWARDS AND RECOGNITION
- BuildZoom Top Design and Build Firms in Chicago
- Designer Kitchens of the North Shore Kitchen Tour, featured architect
- A Kitchen Tour de Force Sheridan Road Magazine, architect feature
- Transforming the Traditional: The Work of Cohen & Hacker Architects Images Publishing, architecture book
- Their Turn Chicago Home + Garden, architect feature
- Adorned in Detail Better Homes and Gardens Special Interest Publications, Beautiful Kitchens
- Ben Nicholson: Thinking the Unthinkable House The Renaissance Society at The University of Chicago, Architecture
The SSDB Design Process with Amy Berka
CUSTOM HOME DESIGN STYLE
Our architects work in all different styles – from modern home design to historical restoration – and are deft at designing to what’s on-trend with enough flexibility to keep spaces ready for changes as your needs evolve.
BLACK + WHITE
ARCHITECTURAL CEILINGS
KITCHENS + COOKING
LIVING AREAS
PRIMARY BEDROOMS
WORK FROM HOME
OUTDOOR ROOMS
BATHROOMS + POWDER ROOMS
DINING + ENTERTAINING
RECREATION
MODERN FARMHOUSE
STAIRS + HALLS + ENTRYWAYS
ARCHITECTURAL SERVICES
We will bring an award-winning architecture acumen and extensive craftsmanship experience to your build. On your project we will form a united partnership that includes our licensed architects, builders, project management team, long-standing subcontractors, suppliers, craftspeople and – most importantly – you.
Construction Services
- Lot Feasibility Studies
- Bidding + Negotiation
- Permitting
- Construction Management
- Cost Control
- 3-year Warranty
Architecture + Design
- Interior/Exterior Architecture + Design
- Space Planning
- Lighting Design
- Furniture, Fixture + Equipment Selection
- Stormwater Management
LEED Consulting
- Sustainable Strategies
- Life Cycle Cost Analysis
- LEED Design
- LEED Certification Process
- LEED Consulting
Historic Preservation
- Research
- Tax Credit Application
- Renovation
- Historic Guideline Implementation
- Awards + Recognition
Building and Job Types
- Single Family Homes
- Condominiums
- Co-ops
- Townhomes
- Residential Lofts
- Loft Offices
- Adaptive Reuse
- Renovations + Remodels
- Additions
- Historic Preservation
- Green Building
- Interior Design