The intention was to create a home that no matter the mood or frame of mind of an owner, it makes them forget even their worst day.
To create a light filled retreat in a tight urban setting.
To create a residential Light Box.
The residence is located on a narrow urban lot in Chicago's older Bucktown neighborhood. It is for a young urban couple. The residence faces east and is bound on its north and south by neighboring buildings as close as three feet, rising four stories. The size of the house was to be approximately 6000 square feet in area and comprise of 4 levels.
Because this house was to be sandwiched between other buildings, the major dilemma was how to bring in natural light to the interiors.
The main living level was to be located on the second floor, taking advantage of the garage roof as exterior urban space. The first level required an office for the owners, a den, an exercise room and a spa bath. The second floor required a living room, dining room, kitchen and family room. The third floor was for the bedrooms and an open reading loft. The fourth floor was for the master bedroom suite, and the roof level was for entertaining, including a full 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.
S o l u t i o n
The design solution started with an urban box and the notion of “light” and how to move light throughout the interiors of the house. The box was given carved openings on the ends in addition to a large hidden inner light court that introduces natural sunlight into the center of the residence interiors.
With the hidden inner light court, natural light explodes into each interior room from two ends of the residence creating a light filled interior.
In the main rooms, Kitchen, Living and Dining rooms, exterior finishes of white terrazzo faced masonry are extended to the interior surfaces to create subtle contrasting surfaces and blur the boundary between the exterior and the interior. In the living room, part of the exterior cedar was extended on the interior wall face to create a natural softening accent that plays off the plank wood flooring.
The interiors are clad in white to bounce light as much as possible and to provide a backdrop to the interior finishes such as the wenge finished Italian kitchen and the charcoal finished custom steel stairs.
The Master Bath walls are clad in a tinted glass tile that extends to an open shower which has a fill height obscure glass wall and a custom designed teak bench providing natural, private light into the shower and bath while blurring the “lines” between areas.
