Program
This custom residence was created out of the basic elements in architecture-light, shadow, massing, color, transition and how we experience these things.
The residence is located on a tight urban lot in Chicago's older Bucktown neighborhood. It is bounded by an existing masonry building to the south and alleys to the north and west. It was for a young urban couple with two young children. The residence faces east. The size of the house was to be approximately 5000 square feet in area and comprise of 4 levels. The garden level required an office for the owners, a theater, den for the kids, an exercise room and spa bath. The first floor required a living room, dining room, kitchen and family room. The second floor was for the two kid’s rooms, a guest room and an open reading loft. The third floor required a master bedroom suite with an entertaining room that opened to a roof deck with views of the city skyline. The owners also requested a series of exterior spaces located on different levels; courtyard, garage roof deck and house roof deck.
The budget for the residence was $200 per square foot.
Solution
Due to its long and slender urban site, a courtyard was created in the middle of the residence, facing south. This allowed natural light to penetrate the interiors from the mid-point. To disguise the height of the home, the main living level is located at the second floor and is accessed by an ascending exterior entry sequence through this courtyard.
The southern and eastern (front) facades comprise of brick, ground masonry and stained cedar. All materials display subtle shades of charcoal and black surfaces. The alley exteriors are treated as sculptural compositions in masonry to maintain privacy from vehicles and to disguise the height of the alley wall. Thin slivers that are created as a result of the intersecting masonry planes are glazed allowing gentle light to the interiors at day while creating ghostly shadows of light on the exterior masonry plains at night.
In combination with natural light, exterior materials were extended to the interiors such as horizontal raked brick and ground masonry to tie the surfaces together and to provide a natural contrast.
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