Zion Woods
Deerfield, Illinois
In partnership with a sponsoring religious institution, Zion Lutheran Church, Zion Woods is a twenty-five-unit workforce affordable housing project. Once complete, Zion Woods will help its north shore community fulfill a commitment to diversify its housing stock, including accessibly priced homes for residents in the service industries currently supporting the community and residents with disabilities that can live independently.
A mixture of 1, 2, and 3-bedroom units will accommodate various family structures. The site comprises two buildings, scaled to match the houses on adjacent properties. The residential architecture is inspired by the church building that shares the site.
Located along the north branch of the Chicago River, the project will include two significant stormwater management basins designed to detain stormwater runoff and provide compensatory storage meant to replace construction fill within the flood plain. These basins will be landscaped to minimize their visual impact and appear to be natural extensions of the river itself.