It’s rare and perhaps significant that an

It’s rare and perhaps significant that an architecture critic reviews something as utilitarian as a new supermarket, as Blair Kamin did recently in the Chicago Tribune. The reason: in place of another conventional big box, the new two-story Jewel-Osco store on Roosevelt Road and Wabash Avenue combines urban site planning, upgraded materials, and a design by Camburas+Theodore Architects that mirrors nearby loft buildings, Kamin says. Such a building costs 5 to 20 percent above the norm, Jewel-Osco officials estimate — but the expense is expected to be recouped in faster approvals and increased patronage.