Cermak Mixed-Use is a design vision by zpd+a for a seven-story, 30-unit mixed-use residential building in Chicago, Illinois. The concept integrates ground-floor commercial space, surface parking, and a public/private plaza within a development framework centered on universal design, community equity, and sustainability.

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The concept is built around three intersecting design frameworks: universal design, WELL Building Standard principles, and Passive House energy performance. Together these establish a building that is fully accessible across all ages and physical abilities, optimized for human health and wellness, and engineered to meet rigorous, quantifiable energy efficiency targets.

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The Cermak vision is rooted in Universal Design, supporting the full arc of residential life — from young families to aging in place. Rather than treating accessibility as a minimum code requirement, universal design is embedded as a primary driver: unit layouts, circulation, building systems, and amenity spaces are all conceived to accommodate evolving mobility needs without requiring adaptation or retrofit. The result is a building that serves residents across generations, supporting independence and quality of life as physical abilities change over time.

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The vision prioritizes neighborhood culture and history as active design inputs. The development framework is structured to deliver equitable, inclusive housing for the existing community — not as a compliance exercise, but as a core design goal rooted in the real needs of current neighbors.

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The concept incorporates sustainability principles from Passive House and the WELL Building Institute to create indoor environments that measurably enhance occupant health and well-being alongside high-performance energy efficiency, creating a project that supports the community within as well as the community as a whole.