Condo Community Reminiscent of Late 19th-Century New England to Open This Summer

By Erika Schnitzer, Associate EditorHinsdale, Ill.–Hinsdale, a suburb of Chicago known for its historic residential architecture, will soon have a new condominium/townhome community that will seek to blend in with the existing neighborhood.GSH Development, a partnership of Wexford Development of Hinsdale and HJH Homes of Oak Brook, worked with BSB Design to create three- and four-story buildings using the Shingle Style, a design reminiscent of late nineteenth-century New England.Located near downtown Hinsdale, the Hamptons of Hinsdale is one block from Hinsdale Central High School and two blocks from Elm Elementary School.“It was kind of a friendly style that we liked, as opposed to a more urban, nondescript style,” says Don Price of Wexford Development. Shingle Style “makes the condominiums feel more like single-family homes, and we made the condos architecturally consistent to the townhomes.”First deliveries for the first and second condominium buildings will begin in summer 2008 and the end of 2008, respectively.As per the village of Hinsdale’s provisos, the buildings must all be less than 50 ft. tall, a stipulation that will not greatly affect the architectural design of the community, which includes 93 condominiums and 26 townhomes.“We designed everything for fear of zoning approval, so one condo was affected,” notes Price. “To account for that, we articulated the front of the roof.”  Additionally, in each building, the fireplace chimneys are placed in the front, rather than the rear, in order to integrate them into the rooflines.Nine designs are available for condo buyers, and each unit includes one or two bedrooms, one-and-a-half or two baths, a living room or great room, and a balcony. Dens, dining rooms and breakfast areas are also offered. The units are between 2,473 and 2,817 sq. ft. and range in price from $395,000 to $749,000.