Portfolio of Architectural Projects

1. 300 North State Street Apt 4805
Chicago, IL 60654
Tel: 312 329-0629 Mobile: 312 952-1637 email: bobabell@mac.com
ROBERT ABELL A.I.A.! ! ! ! ! PORTFOLIO

2. View from Parking Area
Site Plan
Buffalo Grove Bank & Trust
Community Bank: 10,000 SF
Village of Buffalo Grove, Illinois
As Project Manager/Designer, I supervised staff and coordinated engineering consultants
from design through construction. I worked with the owner and contractor to ensure that the
project was completed on schedule and budget including expediting foundation and structural
steel fabrication work prior to completion of the final construction/permit drawings.
Construction was staged to allow a temporary bank facility to continually operate on site
View from Buffalo Grove Road
during construction.

3. Drive-thru Banking Area
Banking Lobby & Teller Area First Floor Plan Buffalo Grove Bank & Trust:
Village of Buffalo Grove, Illinois

4. Second Floor Financial Services Area
with Central Skylight
Buffalo Grove Bank & Trust:
Masonry Detail at Roof Parapet Second Floor Plan
Village of Buffalo Grove, Illinois

5. Masonry Detail at Roof Parapet
Buffalo Grove Bank & Trust:
Village of Buffalo Grove, Illinois
Supervised and trained staff with
preparation of contract
documents, including drawings
and specifications. Managed the
construction administration of
projects including: maintained
owner, architect and contractor
relations; prepared contractor
bidding documents; reviewed
owner/contractor contracts;
reviewed the conformance of the
construction with the contract
documents; reviewed contractor
Wall Sections
pay and change order requests.
Masonry Detail at Base

6. Goldberg Kohn Bell Black Rosenbloom & Moritz
Law Office: 40,000 SF
Swanke Hayden Connell Architects
Chicago, Illinois
Architecture Office: 50,000 SF
New York City, NY
Corporate Interiors Projects:
These corporate interior projects
are representative of the work I
completed as a Technical
Coordinator/Project Architect at
Swanke Hayden Connell Architects
and Lieber Architects. I supervised
staff and coordinated engineering
consultants from construction
documentation through construction
administration. I worked with the
owners and contractors to problem Del Monte Corporation
solve challenging technical issues Corporate Office: 20,000 SF
and ensure projects of high-quality.
Coral Gables, Florida

7. Libertyville Bank & Trust
Community Bank: 15,000 SF
Libertyville, Illinois
Prairie View Metra Station
Commuter Train Station
Prairie View, Illinois
Commercial & Transportation Projects:
As Project Manager/Designer, I supervised staff and coordinated
engineering consultants from design through construction. Managed
the construction administration of projects including: maintained
owner, architect and contractor relations; prepared contractor bidding
documents; reviewed owner/contractor contracts; reviewed the McHenry Bank & Trust
conformance of the construction with the contract documents; Community Bank: 10,000 SF
McHenry, Illinois
reviewed contractor pay and change order requests.

8. Residential Projects:
These residential projects are
representative of the residential
work I completed as a project
architect at Melichar Architects.
As Project Manager/Designer I
supervised staff and coordinated
engineering consultants from
design through construction. I
worked with the owners and
contractors to problem solve
challenging technical issues to
ensure that the projects were
completed on schedule, budget
and of high-quality. Fort Sheridan, Illinois Residence
Renovations and Addition to Historic Home: 7,000 SF
Lake Forest, Illinois Residence
New Mediterranean Style Home: 7,000 SF

9. Historic Old Main College Building
Site Model
View of Proposed
Residential Development
Barat College Redevelopment
Lake Forest, Illinois: 23 Acres
Site Plan
As Project Manager I worked directly with the
firm principal, developer, municipal officials,
land planners, civil engineers, consulting
architects/engineers and staff to develop a plan
for a new residential neighborhood, consisting
of 35 townhouses, 35 single-family houses and
the rehabilitation of the Historic Old Main into a
50-unit Condominium Building. Organized
around a system of formal open green spaces,
including a natural ravine, traditional land
planning was used to knit together the
Georgian Old Main building and the new
residential homes. The project was granted
preliminary approvals for zoning, site planning
and building planning from the municipal
Old Main Building
regulatory commissions. The recent economic
Third Floor
downturn has put the project on hold.
Proposed Condominium Layout Plan

10. New Accessible Ramp
to New Accessible
New Accessible Parking & Ramp Building Entrance
New Monument Sign Main Entrance
Techny Towers Conference & Retreat Center: ADA Accessibility Upgrades, Facade Rehabilitation, Exterior Tower & Site Lighting, New Monument Sign
Techny Towers is a historic, multi-use religious facility with a Chapel, meeting rooms, dining facilities, business offices and overnight accommodations. ADA accessibility
upgrades included a new exterior ramp to a new accessible entrance and accessible parking. A new elevator was also added to supplement the existing single elevator
that had served the entire 150,000 SF complex. The new elevator was situated to share a lobby area with the existing elevator and located in the complexquot;s rear
courtyard as a tower addition allowing construction to be staged to minimize disruptions to the business operation of the conference and retreat center. As Project
Manager, I supervised staff and coordinated engineering consultants from design through construction. I managed the construction administration of project including:
maintaining owner, owner representative, contractor and architect relations; preparing contractor bidding documents; reviewing the conformance of the construction with
the contract documents; reviewing contractor pay and change order requests. The project was successfully completed on budget and schedule.

11. View from Boston Harbor
Fan Pier Great Lawn
Fan Pier Bathing & Pool Pavilion on Boston Harbor
View from Diving Pool
Boston, Massachusetts
I completed this project as my final design thesis for my studies
at the School of Architecture, University of Waterloo. The
proposal was a glass and steel Bathing and Pool Pavilion located
at Fan Pier on Boston Harbor. The Pool Pavilion was conceived
as a pier type building that was surrounded by water. Steps lead
down to the water edge on two sides while the balance of the fan
shaped pier was dedicated to open park land. Patrons could
enjoy spectacular views of the Boston skyline and Boston
Partial Building Section Harborquot;s nautical activity while bathing in the pool pavilion or
enjoying picnics on the great lawn.

12. BALCONY
LIVING
&
DINING AREA
Kitchen Window into
Living Area KITCHEN
Entry Hall Storage
ENTRY HALL
Kitchen
BEDROOM
DRESSING BATH BALCONY
Marina City Condominium Renovation
Chicago, Illinois: 750 SF
My wife and I renovated this condominium for ourselves. We had lived in the original Bertrand Goldberg
designed apartment for 10 years prior to starting renovations. I retained the original spacial
relationships but I adapted the spaces so that natural light is maximized and the apartment is more
efficient for us. The kitchen was reorganized with an U-shaped countertop and corner sink so that we
could cook together comfortably. A window to the living area was provided that allows natural light to be
borrowed but retains the privacy between the two spaces. Metal kitchen cabinets were recycled and
utilized as additional storage in the entry hall. The door from the entry hall into the bedroom suite was
shifted from the dressing area to a shared hall between the bedroom and dressing area giving the
bathing area total privacy. Sliding and pocket doors were utilized for an easier flow between rooms. The
Dressing Area
bathing area was completely gutted and renovated into an open shower that borrows natural light from
Bathing Area
the bedroom and living area through glass block walls. We now fully enjoy lovely natural light that
warms the entire apartment and the tremendous views cannot be beat.