Commercial
dRA provides architectural services for commercial projects of all scopes and types. In his long professional career Dennis has experience ranging from retail stores, to offices, to restaurants. Dennis will gladly provide a complimentary consultation to any client investigating a new commercial project.



Prarie Houses Apartments
A new apartment building was designed on a site on the west side of Chicago, bordering Oak Park which is the birthplace of Prarie Style architecture and many buildings by Frank Lloyd Wright. The apartment building is entered at the corner of the site, with an inner courtyard where garages and tenant parking are located. […]
Chicago Restaurant – Speakeasy design theme
A restaurant designed in remodeled space on the ground floor of an historic masonry building. A small addition on the side of the building provides vestibule and entry space for the restaurant. The palette of materials and crisp detailing allow the restaurant to create a separate identity from the rest of the building.
Office Interiors remodeling – Insurance Company Offices
An office building floor of approximately 35,000 s.f. was designed for an insurance company. The office space is characterized by open office areas at the perimeter of the space, providing daylight for open office workstations, surrounding glass-fronted closed offices and conference rooms. Executive areas of the floor boast custom designed mahogany desks and workstations.
Kinko’s store build-outs in the Chicago area
My experience includes the design and build-out of 28 Kinko’s stores in the greater Chicago area. The Kinko’s work started out doing one-off stores designed to uniquely suit the buildings in which they were located. Later, the stores were designed around a standard palette of cabinetry and display fixtures.
Corporate Offices build-out – Chicago
A full floor, approximately 20,000 s.f., was designed for the corporate offices of a firm whose core business was leasing shipping containers. One of the owner’s requests was that the design include in some way the use of the corrugated steel of which the shipping containers were constructed. The design solution was to create “columns” that organize the space, the columns being fabricated of sandblasted steel, the corrugated panel overlayed by a perforated sheet creating a wainscot effect and further set off with an accent of polished brass acorn nuts.
Retail Store Build-out – Chicago
A retail store designed to display the varied products for sale, both the fanciful as well as the functional. The space was a storefront in an old building, narrower and deep, with a separate small space at the rear which was separated from the main part by a brick bearing wall. A new opening in the brick wall allows glimpses into the space beyond that encourage shoppers to explore further.
Showroom Remodeling for a Furniture Company
A showroom for a commercial furnishings manufacturer in the Merchandise Mart in Chicago. The showroom was designed to create a dramatic environment in which the chairs and tables made by the manufacturer are the highlighted “actors” on stage in a variety of settings.