5245 W Diversey

5245 W Diversey is a single story brick flex building on Diversey Avenue on the West Side of Chicago. It pairs a street facing office front with a deep rear workshop, a combination that suits a small manufacturer, repair shop or production business that wants to meet people at the front and make things in the back.

The street face is straightforward and commercial. Broad windows run across the brick front on either side of a central glass entry, which opens directly from the sidewalk. A sign band above the door gives the business a clear presence to the street, while the glass brings natural light into the rooms just inside.

Inside the front section, a series of smaller rooms opens off a central tiled area. Enclosed offices and work rooms provide places for administration, design or quiet tasks, while a kitchenette with cabinets and a sink supports breaks and cleanup through the day. One room is fitted with lockers and a counter, useful for staff storage and changing. The layout keeps daily office life close together, with short walks between desk work, conversation and break space.

The rear of the building changes in scale. A large open work hall rises to an exposed bow truss ceiling about 16 feet high, giving room for tall storage, long work surfaces and movement of materials. Wall mounted racks show how the width and height can hold both benches and supplies. A rear vehicle doorway allows a truck or van to pull inside for loading, which simplifies deliveries and pickup of finished work.

Together, the two parts read as one working building. Clients and office staff can use the bright front rooms on Diversey, while production stays in the high open shop behind, with the kitchenette and storage rooms in between supporting both sides.