KLEO Art Residences / JGMA

The KLEO Art Residences is an affordable housing project intentionally challenging stereotypes in housing typologies. It represents the first of its kind in Chicago construction where polycarbonate panels represent the majority of the exterior envelope. The building is one piece in a greater comprehensive strategy for reinvigorating the Washington Park community on Chicago’s South Side. The inspiration for the Art Residences project emerged from KLEO’s mission, Keep Loving Each Other, but most importantly by continuing the legacy of Kleo Y. Barrett, who was a victim of a domestic violence incident that took her life. Her name and legacy will continue to inspire the project and encourage families affected by domestic violence. JGMA used the opportunity to meet with a lot of the artists in the community to understand what living means to them. The common denominator in the study was to provide daylight, an element that is often overlooked within affordable housing complexes.