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Good Design is for Everyone

LBBA is a Chicago-based architectural practice established in 1987 that is distinguished by its community-based approach. An innovative leader and hands-on champion of affordable housing and neighborhood planning, LBBA believes good design should be available to all. Together with clients and community stakeholders, LBBA co-creates inventive, inviting, and sustainable spaces and places that transform lives, revitalize neighborhoods, and regenerate cities.

Elm 551 at Parkside

As a part of the Chicago Housing Authority’s “Plan for Transformation” on the site of the former Cabrini-Green housing project, Elm 551 at Parkside of Old Town shifts the old high-rise public housing model to one of midrise and low-rise mixed-income housing. The goal of the project design was for community based, urban, sustainable, and well-designed buildings that say “housing”...

Lucy Gonzalez Parsons Apartments

Situated in the heart of Logan Square, Lucy Gonzalez Parsons Apartments provides high quality affordable rental housing, ensuring that long-time residents continue to call the neighborhood home.

Developed by Bickerdike Redevelopment Corporation, this equitable transit-oriented development (etod) spans from two to seven stories, the heights are staggered and the building is set back from Emmett Street so that the building fits in with the neighboring residential structures.

Ruth Ellis Clairmount Center

The Ruth Ellis Clairmount Center (REC Center) is a mixed-use development in Detroit’s Piety Hill neighborhood that will create 43 units of permanent supportive housing for LGBTQ+ youth experiencing homelessness within a larger mixed-use development offering social services, health care, and employment opportunities.

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News + Events

Groundbreaking Celebration — The Anchor at Mariners Inn

LBBA was delighted to celebrate the groundbreaking for The Anchor at Mariners Inn. The project has been in the works for a while and the excitement surrounding this significant development was communicated throughout speeches from Detroit's mayor, Mike Duggan, the ...

Ribbon Cutting for Brookwood at Antioch Opening

Last Friday marked the grand opening of Brookwood at Antioch, a 66-unit mixed-income community in Kansas City, MO. Two of our architects on the project, Jeff Bone and Andrew Arkell, were able to attend the ribbon cutting and meet all ...

South Suburban Senior Housing Apartments Ribbon Cutting

South Suburban Senior Housing Apartments in downtown Harvey, also known as the YMCA building, had its celebratory ribbon cutting last Thursday. Mayor Christopher Clark, Toni Preckwinkle, POAH's Vice President of Real Estate Development for the Midwest Region, Bill Eager, and ...

April Baby Shower

March showers bring spring and summer babies. Congratulations to Alexis, Ashley, and Jennifer. We can't wait to welcome more babies to the LBBA family!

Women’s History Month: Maya Angelou

As Women's History Month comes to an end, we're taking the opportunity to highlight Maya Angelou, an author, poet, and civil rights activist whose words have inspired generations. One of her best-known writings, "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings," ...

Firebird Community Arts

We had so much fun at Firebird Community Arts' hot shop yesterday, where we got the chance to craft glass-blown paperweights and bowls with the help of the Firebird artists. Firebird Community Arts is a wonderful organization that supports individuals ...

March Lunch & Learn: Design Committee

One of our favorite parts about being back in the office? Our lunch & Learns, especially if pizza is involved. This week, the Design Committee led an office-wide charrette to gather new ideas for a current project. This not only ...

Women’s History Month: Lucy Gonzalez Parsons

Today's highlight for Women's History Month — Lucy Gonzalez Parsons. A fierce activist and leading figure in the early Chicago labor movement, Parsons is known for her striking prose and unwavering political efforts. Parsons fought for the rights of the ...

2023 Illinois Affordable Housing Forum

Earlier this week we had the exciting opportunity to attend the 2023 Illinois Affordable Housing Forum. During the two-day event, panelists discussed issues surrounding affordable housing for marginalized groups, homelessness across Illinois, and the proposal for a new state tax ...

LBBA News + Events

CHICAGO HAS A SOLID COMMUNITY WORKING IN PUBLIC INTEREST DESIGN. LBBA IS ALWAYS AT THE TABLE.

KRISANN REHBEIN, MANAGER OF COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS
CHICAGO ARCHITECTURE FOUNDATION

LBBA Studio