BCA was the materials consultant for 1328 North State Parkway in Chicago, Illinois. Architect Andrew Rebori designed the property in 1936 as two separate houses connected by a central courtyard. The artist Lillian Florsheim purchased the property in 1946 for herself and her daughter, Nancy. In 1949, Florsheim began working with architect Bertrand Goldberg to renovate the property, a process that lasted until 1957. The most notable alteration was the installation of a “bridge” that connected the two buildings in 1952. Florsheim was the primary occupant of the house from 1946-1988, and the house remained largely unchanged throughout her life. The current owners purchased the house in 2021.

BCA was retained to examine the house’s early finishes, from both the Rebori and Florsheim ears, and original brick mortar to inform the current restoration project. BCA removed paint samples from interior spaces of both the front and rear buildings as well as the exterior. Using paint sample analysis, photographic evidence and oral history, BCA was able to associate the paint evidence with different periods of ownership to help understand the appearance of the building at different points in time. BCA then provided color matches of the original paint colors of the Rebori period, the period of most interest to the current owners. The mortar analysis documented the original mortar mix, and recommended a replication mortar that is compatible with the the original mortar.