This remodeling project in the lower level of this home in the established neighborhood of Dundee, used design and urbanism strategies to create a warm, inviting place for the family, their kids and their friends to enjoy each others' company, hang out and have a good time. With the basement's long and narrow horizontal space, low drop ceiling and existing structural columns, the room seemed cramped and dark. After ripping out the knotty pine paneling, removing the drop ceiling and the floor tile, designers removed two existing columns and created new ones hidden within two small wing walls. Leaving the joists exposed in the ceiling created an illusion of more space, with lighting fixtures hidden within. Deliberately creating a rhythmic design along the wall opposite the large windows, from right to left vertical lines were "broken" to create a natural transition to the horizontal lines of the bookshelf. Large, floor-to-ceiling windows allow natural light from the backyard to flood the room, and overrun carpet inventory from a local mill and plywood cabinetry finish this environmentally sustainable design.