COURTYARD HOUSE
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 1989
A courtyard house was designed for this south facing double lot located in the Sheffield neighborhood of Chicago. An existing three story house on the north lot was gutted and rehabilitated. A new two story pavilion, topped by a roof deck, was added on the southeast corner of the lot. A pair of two-story telescoping wood bay windows were added on the south side of the existing house, opening up large apertures for daylight to penetrate the formerly dark interior.
A tandem garage was constructed to the west to preserve as much courtyard as possible while still providing two parking spaces on the alleyless, shallow city lot.
The house's neutral interior palette defers to the Owner's extensive print collection. The exterior common brick of the original house and the split faced concrete block of the garage were painted with a burgundy colored masonry paint.
Photos by William Kildow.
Side Elevation
A view of the project from the south with the tandem garage to the left, the pair of new bay windows in the courtyard and the pavilion to the right. A slotted wood fence completes the courtyard at the sidewalk.
Corner View
A view from the street intersection, illustrating the front entry of the original house to the right.
Kitchen
A view of the kitchen looking out through one of the two story bays into the courtyard. Gris perla granite, semi-custom white cabinets, and a whitewashed red oak floor comprise the palette.
Living Room
A view into the living room, as seen from the courtyard at night.
Courtyard, Day
A view of the courtyard during the day, facing east. One of the two-story bay windows appears to the left.
Courtyard, Night
The same view at night.
Detail, Pavilion
The pavilion's front facade is composed of an opaque curving wall the is pulled away from the remainder of the massing to introduce daylight while preserving large artwalls in the interior.
