Team Tapped For Major ‘House of Tomorrow’ Renovation

(Credit: Hedrich Blessing/Chicago History Museum)

The team tasked with restoring an iconic home in northwest Indiana is now in place. Five firms from Chicago will provide services for renovating The House of Tomorrow through a $2.5 million process that Indiana Landmarks Northern Regional Office Director Todd Zeiger describes as "from the ground up." The building was moved to a site that is now part of the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore after being displayed with four other "Century of Progress" houses at the 1934 World’s Fair in Chicago. The property has fallen into disrepair over the years and Zeiger says "there won’t be any part of the house that won’t be touched" by the restoration.

In an interview with Inside INdiana Business, Zeiger says, even in its current state, the property is more than just a draw for tourists. "It doesn’t matter the weather, the time of the year, there’s always somebody stopping in front of these Century of Progress houses," he said. "These houses houses attract attention, they attract tourism, they attract economic development around it." The House of Tomorrow is the last of the five Century houses to undergo big renovations. The others are owned by the National Park Service and leased to Indiana Landmarks. The nonprofit has sub-leased the properties to residents over the last 15 years in exchange for the sub-lessees taking on the costs associated with restoration, which exceeded $1 million per house.

The team includes:

• Architecture and Interior Design – bKL Architecture – led by Charles Hasbrouck
• Historic Preservation Consulting – Bauer Latoza Studio – led by Edward Torrez
• Structural Engineering – Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates Inc. – led by Michael Ford
• Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing Engineering – Willoughby Engineering – led by Thomas Willoughby
• Sustainability Consulting – HJKessler Associates – led by Helen Kessler

You can connect to more about The House of Tomorrow and fundraising efforts by clicking here.