This Logan Square home had a third-floor outdoor patio that seemed like a luxury when the homeowners bought the place, but reality set in quickly. Chicago weather meant the space sat unused eight months of the year. Snow piled up in winter. Spring and fall were too cold. Even summer had maybe 60 truly comfortable days. The patio represented nearly 250 square feet of potential living space going completely to waste while the third-floor unit felt cramped with no home office, inadequate storage, and a layout that didn't work for how the family actually lived. The challenge was converting outdoor space to conditioned interior square footage in an older building with structural considerations, weatherproofing requirements, and the reality that this needed to feel like original interior space, not an obvious add-on.
We designed a complete patio conversion that transformed unused outdoor space into a bright, functional home office and storage room. Structural engineering confirmed the existing patio structure could support interior buildout with proper reinforcement. We fully enclosed the space with energy-efficient windows that maximize natural light while providing insulation, installed proper weatherproofing and moisture barriers critical for converted exterior spaces, extended HVAC from the main unit to ensure year-round comfort, and added electrical with dedicated circuits and ample outlets for office equipment. The new space features luxury vinyl flooring and finishes that match the existing third-floor space so the conversion feels seamless rather than tacked on. All work was coordinated with the homeowner and completed in compliance with Chicago building codes for converting exterior to interior space.
The completed patio conversion added nearly 250 square feet of highly functional, climate-controlled living space to this Logan Square home. The homeowner now has an expanded space with abundant natural light, and the whole unit functions dramatically better with room to grow. Instead of an outdoor space used 60 days a year, the family gained an interior room they use 365 days a year. This whole home remodeling Chicago project demonstrates how creative space conversion can add serious square footage and value to Chicago multi-family buildings without the complexity and cost of ground-up additions.
