A late Victorian/Italianate architecture with Greek Revival exterior details has experienced an interior and exterior restoration led by 563 Design.

Originally designed by renowned architect Fredolin Herr, the home was built in 1872 by influential Dubuque resident, William L. Bradley. Bradley and his family enjoyed the property for several decades during a time of great development of the city of Dubuque in the late 1800’s. Bradley and his children were involved in many significant land sales and businesses of that time and found great success in the blossoming city.

The Historic Bradley House went on to move in and out of single-family ownership, then became a boarding house, an antique shop, and back to single-family ownership. In 2014, the McCready family, owners of 563 Design, purchased the property and have been immersed in its restoration since then.

The restoration has included all new building systems and infrastructure (hvac, electrical, and plumbing), extensive masonry repair and structural re-stabilizing, complete front porch restoration, and extensive interior remodel including historic window restoration.

The first floor is home to 563 Design’s office, the upper floors are living space for the family. This project has used Secretary of Interior Standards throughout the restoration in order to properly preserve and maintain the beauty and architecture of the home for generations to come.

Preserve Iowa Award Winner: Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs, State Historic Preservation Office. Judith A. McClure Award 2023

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Historic rehabilitation of the Graham’s Department Store in Maquoketa Iowa.

This property was nearly demolished after years of vacancy, a failing back wall, and a leaking roof which all allowed for spiraling destruction of the building’s structure and interiors. 563 Design, and our spin-off development company, 563 Properties, designed and developed this property through a full rehabilitation.

The first floor is retail space, with 2 apartments above.

After a fire devastated the Lacoma Golf Clubhouse in January 2019, the family-owned business began to work with 563 Design to re-imagine a new space for their golf patrons. Their previous building had experienced many additions over the years and the layout and function had become challenging and inefficient.

In designing their new space, their focus was ease of wayfinding for patrons, efficiency for staff, and the ability to provide even more hospitality through an elevated dining, bar, and outdoor seating experience.

The new clubhouse features a full kitchen, an outdoor patio, a pro shop and a banquet space to serve 100 people.

The design intention for the Rose Garden Senior Living Apartments is a comfortable atmosphere, quality finishes, and thoughtfully designed layouts. Together with the building owner, we've designed each detail with residents in mind. This 41-unit apartment complex is scheduled to open in Spring/Summer 2019 in Dyersville, Iowa.

563 Design also designed the Rose Garden Senior Living Apartments website, www.rosegardenliving.com, associated marketing materials, and coordinated the logo design by Honeycomb Studios.

Community projects often find success when the right group of people come together at the right time with a clear vision and passion for progress. Working closely with Jackson County Economic Alliance, the City of Maquoketa, and downtown Maquoketa building owners, we designed 20 facade improvements in order to apply for grant source funding. The project was successfully awarded the grant source funding in July 2018 and the design and construction process for several buildings will be complete in 2020.

Service is their bedrock. With superior customer service and a culture of employee and community investment, we are bringing Wending Quarries a new office space to exemplify their corporate identity.

The new office addition includes a new clearstory entrance and showroom emerging from a raked limestone exterior. The showroom, home to quarry product displays and the infamous 1947 Studebaker truck, the very first of their fleet. On parade days, the Studebaker can easily exit the showroom floor though a bi-folding glass door seamlessly integrated into the transparent storefront. The existing office building will be re-skinned in metal panel and stand behind the new addition.

A mixture of offices, workstation pods, and collaborative areas are spread throughout the building bringing ultimate function and flexibility to the space. The existing earth-tone aesthetic is complemented in the new areas with accents of bold color and lively patterns. Wendling Quarries’ new space is a vital tool to assist them in their strategic mission of effective teamwork and industry excellence.

"I love it! I couldn’t have dreamed up this look before we started, but I am very pleased with the direction we’ve gone. Can’t wait to step inside next year!" ~ Rob Manatt, Wendling Quarries

The Driftless - A Multi-Layered Event Venue, located in the former Avery Railing building in Dubuque’s Millwork District, is a stunning event venue, bar and restaurant, and airbnb.

Created for intimate gatherings and accommodating groups of up to 300; the space, surroundings, and amenities are exquisitely crafted to make every experience bespoke, by-design. Have the wedding of your dreams, a beautiful gala, bridal shower, holiday party, corporate meeting, or premier multimedia event.

563 Design (architecture) and Living on Main (interiors) partnered for this gorgeous renovation project.

Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque is a multi-faceted, dynamic, and growing organization which was in need a larger, more flexible, and vibrant workspace. Located in the historic Roshek Building, we worked collaboratively with the CFGD team, Saxton Inc, Eikamp Arts, and Conlon Construction to expand and renovate their existing office space. The project introduced a new stair connecting two stories, flexible workstations including sit/stand desks, a variety of collaborative areas, a refreshed aesthetic, and original artwork and custom donor wall. 

Our renovation of this 1900's building re-imagined a local favorite bar from the 1970's. The transformation brings both new life and nostalgia to the popular downtown business known once again as The Dungeon.

Dubuque Main Street Award Winner - Best Adaptive Reuse Project for 2016. 

The City of Dubuque and Dubuque County Historical Society have long preserved and managed this mid-Victorian homestead built in 1857. Open for tours and special events, the large antebellum home reflects a popular enthusiasm for this eclectic architectural style.

Our team is currently investigating the building to understand the underlying cause of deterioration. Upon completion we will recommend solutions, document the necessary repairs per the standards of the Secretary of Interiors, and create a plan for future care and maintenance.

Our work is focused on developing preservation solutions that last 75 years or more — with a level of craftsmanship that mirrors the original building. 

For the rehabilitation of Five Flags Theater, a centerpiece of downtown, we focused on understanding the causes, not symptoms, of building deterioration. Our work includes an investigative survey, drawings and documentation to repair the masonry, address roof leaks, and repair the existing exterior fire escape. 

We honor the materials and assemblies that have worked well over the past 106 years and pinpoint the repairs necessary to keep them in excellent working order. This will not only save money during construction, but also in long-term maintenance.

Our solutions uphold the standards of the Secretary of Interiors and give the City of Dubuque a project to be proud of for years to come.

RSM US LLP, formerly McGladrey LLP, moved from its Dubuque Main Street location to a tenant space within the historic Roshek Building just a block away. This new space allowed RSM to continue their company's growth without business disruption by moving in two phases and working closely with our team, Pigott, and Conlon Construction.

Young-Uns Preschool and Child Care Center had outgrown its facility and land-locked leaving no room for expansion. When an adjacent property became available for purchase, we worked with them to determine if an expansion was possible. The new property contained a 3 building commercial retail strip and parking lot. We designed a site master plan to accommodate a building expansion connecting their building to the new property through a phased construction process, as well as completed the design of 4 new classrooms. 

Once known as the finest hotel in Dubuque, Iowa, Jefferson House served Midwestern travelers and local patrons from 1854-1915. Since then, it has been renovated for use as a Sanitary Dairy, light industrial mechanics, and warehouse storage. Today, the building has come back to life as a gathering space known as The Smokestack.

The Smokestack is a gastropub, performing and visual arts venue, lounge and dance club, public and private events venue inspired by the New York music scene. This flexible urban venue lies at the crossroads of downtown Districts; Millwork, Port of Dubuque and Main Street and begins to create connectivity between these redeveloped districts.

Our team designed the interior floorplan and restored the original first floor layout for the kitchen and restrooms which created tremendous efficiencies and wonderful flow throughout the space. A new custom-built bar and stage and dance floor was created to adapt to the new life of the building as The Smokestack.

Future plans for the building include renovating the second story and creating outdoor patios and green-roof lounges.  

Dubuque Main Street - Challenge Grant Winner 2015

Carnegie-Stout Public Library desired a new space for all ages to gather, create, invent and learn. Functioning as both a do-it-yourself and mentor-led learning environment, this Maker Space is host to a variety of activities including 3-D printing, audio/visual production, jewelry making, and sewing. Our collaborative design process brought together a team of librarians, technology experts, and community leaders to create the Maker Space.

The Gym’s move to the Geisler Building on 12th & Washington became a rebranding and relaunch for the downtown Dubuque fitness center. In staying true to their vision - a fitness experience to challenge, inspire, and continually motivate their members - they emerged as TRUE. Life | Fitness upon the completion of their relocation and renovation. Program offerings include personal training, focused small group sessions, CrossFit, group fitness classes and gym memberships. We collaborated with the owners, trainers, and fitness professionals to layout the new space to create a high-energy flexible space that engages and inspires members. Complete with a juice bar, roll up garage doors between training rooms and that open to the exterior, and turf training field ideal for athlete trials.