DePaul, IIT And Kent State Students Presented Competing Models For A South Side Senior Citizen Housing Complex

Three teams that featured a mix of graduate business students from DePaul University, architecture students from Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) and graphic design students from Kent State University were recognized for their senior citizen housing development proposals during an innovative juried real estate competition sponsored by the Real Estate Center at DePaul Jan. 28.

A total of eight teams vied for top honors at the competition, which was the culmination of an interdisciplinary, multi-college course sponsored by the Real Estate Center. The challenge was to present architectural models, design schematics, financing and marketing plans for a Chicago senior housing development to a panel of judges from the real estate and senior living industries.

The competition’s scenario was based on a real South Side site, where developers Davis Group LLC, Kimball Hill Homes, Walsh Construction and Mesa Development LCC plan to build a senior citizen home. The developers said they will review the winning student teams’ proposals for potential ideas for the facility they will build near 39th Street and Michigan Avenue.

“Whether or not the ideas are used, the course and competition provided students with a practical lesson in the real-life challenges of real estate design and development, including issues involving demographic and market analysis, architectural design, subsidies and financing, and marketing and branding,” said Associate Finance Professor Susanne Cannon, director of the Real Estate Center.

The course–which was taught from September through December via live, Internet video-conferencing technology that linked the three universities–was led by Cannon, Assistant Professor Thomas Gentry of IIT’s College of Architecture and Associate Professor David Middleton of Kent State’s School of Visual Communication Design.

As part of the project, students studied real estate financing, development and the market for senior citizen housing on Chicago’s South Side. They also learned about the rich history of Bronzeville, the neighborhood around the site. Students incorporated this knowledge into the names, branding and overall concepts of their development proposals.

The Best Financing award went to 84-unit “The Sonata,” by student development team Mike Burton (Kent State), Shirley Cho (IIT), Vesna Dodevxski (IIT), Ken Hejduk (Kent State), Carliss Jackson (IIT), James McMahon (DePaul) and Stella Moy (DePaul). Using the metaphor of sonata, a “musical composition in three or four contrasting movements composed for a soloist or an ensemble,” the team proposed an “independent/congregate care living choice where residents are able to choose to be soloists or part of the ensemble of residential life.” The team proposed a financing plan that utilized Housing and Urban Development Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, Illinois Housing Development Authority grants, City of Chicago tax increment financing and Federal Home Loan Bank loans, as well as income from retail offered in their mixed-use building proposal.

The Best Architecture award went to “Silver Maple Place,” proposed by the student team of Dave Cook (DePaul), Bryn Cargill (DePaul), Anna Ninoyli (IIT), Derya Civelekoglu (IIT), Sean Wang (IIT) and Amir Khosravi (Kent State). Their proposal for a 90,000- square-foot, senior living development featured a modern, four-story glass and steel design. The plan incorporated a community center and retail on the ground floor, 100 assisted andindependent living units and a rooftop garden.

Best Graphics/Environmental Design went to the student proposal for “The Ellington,” a mixed-use senior living development consisting of independent and assisted living units facing an atrium garden, as well as first-floor retail and a daycare center. The name of the building honored the musical heritage of Bronzeville, where Duke Ellington and other jazz and blues artists performed regularly at community venues.

The Ellington’s graphics and marketing materials reflected musical images. The student team members were: Alex Chu (IIT), Ernie Fesco III (Kent State), Nirup Jayanth (IIT), John T. Millin (Kent State), Jennifer Ng (DePaul), Brett Padberg (IIT) and Matthew Tramel (DePaul).

Students who participated said they learned a great deal from the interdisciplinary, multi-college approach to the course and competition, which allowed business, graphic design and architecture students to work together on the development projects.

When asked by the judges how she enjoyed working with architecture students from IIT and graphic design students from Kent State, DePaul MBA student Jennifer Zellner said: “The experience was valuable because MBA students like me learned that it’s not all about the numbers. There’s a give and take involved, and we were able to mesh our talents.”

The Counselors of Real Estate’s James E. Gibbons Educational Development Trust Fund provided a $19,000 grant to fund transportation and lodging for the out-of-town students involved in the competition as well as the project materials used by all students.

The competition’s jury included Lucien LaGrange, architect; Samuel Asefa, deputy commissioner of urban design and planning for the City of Chicago; Peter Beltemacchi, associate professor, College of Architecture, IIT; Kelly Kolar, owner, Kolar Design; Gabrielle Schubart, graphic designer, The Grillo Group; Frank Muraca, president, Arch Consultants Ltd., and director, senior housing, Urban Land Institute; and Robert E. Miller, senior vice president of Applied Real Estate Analysis, Inc. The students had an opportunity to network with the jurors after the competition ended.

PHOTOS OF STUDENT TEAMS:

The “The Ellington” proposal was chosen for Best Environmental/Graphic Design. Team members were, left to right, back row: John T. Millin (Kent State), Alex Chu (IIT), Nirup Jayanth (IIT) and Jennifer Ng (DePaul); front row: Ernie Fesco III (Kent State) and Matthew Tramel (DePaul). Not pictured: Brett Padberg (IIT).

The “Silver Maple Place” proposal was chosen for Best Architecture. Team members were, left to right, back row: Bryn Cargill (DePaul) and Dave Cook (DePaul); front row: Anna Ninoyli (IIT) and Derya Civelekoglu (IIT). Not pictured: Sean Wang (IIT) and Amir Khosravi (Kent State).

The “Sonata” was chosen for Best Financing. Team members were, left to right: Mike Burton (Kent State), Ken Hejduk (Kent State), Stella Moy (DePaul). Not pictured: Shirley Cho (IIT), Vesna Dodevxski (IIT), Carliss Jackson (IIT) and James McMahon (DePaul).