The City of Chicago and the Chicago Housing Authority have announced the selection of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), Perkins + Will and John Ronan Architects to lead in the design of three new ?co-located? affordable housing and library developments in the Chicago neighborhoods of Little Italy, West Ridge, and Irving Park.

Initial renderings for the Roosevelt Branch, designed by SOM. Image Courtesy of The Chicago Housing Authority

The City of Chicago and the Chicago Housing Authority have announced the selection of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), Perkins + Will and John Ronan Architects to lead in the design of three new ?co-located? affordable housing and library developments in the Chicago neighborhoods of Little Italy, West Ridge, and Irving Park.Selected from a shortlist of nine firms, the three Chicago-based teams were chosen for their ?innovative ideas that will ensure that each community will have a design that best reflects its needs.? The practices will work intimately with their respective communities to develop their designs.?We are fortunate to have award-winning and internationally recognized firms designing the next great civic projects here in Chicago,? said Mayor Rahm Emanuel. ?We are one of the first cities using this type of model between housing and libraries to benefit and beautify our neighborhoods.?The competition invited 32 firms to submit initial proposals for the three projects, and were judged on the criteria of quality a...