The Cortez Street House breathes new life into a former Chicago butcher shop with a modern extension. The original building is a two-story structure built in 1905 from Chicago Common brick. Its lower level is now a main living area and a workshop for the owner where an antique Bromann Brothers cooler found in the property was restored, providing a partition between spaces. Off of the upper level, a weathered cube houses the master suite. Full-height glazing leads out to a private balcony created by a recessed wall. The cantilevered deck offers shade to the terrace below while its roof acts as a water collection system for the garden. Clad in Corten steel, the rusty attachment adds a contemporary contrast to the traditional existing masonry facade.