DEPAUL RESIDENCE
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 2004

Located in the Depaul neighborhood of Chicago, this three-story single family residence was conceived as two independent brick volumes connected by a central glass-enclosed stairwell. Along with the convenience of the central scissors stairs, the subdivided volumes' intimate scale belie the 5,500sf overall size of the house.

In contrast to the repetitive punched openings of the understated facade, the rear volume's two-story window wall opens exuberantly to a raised patio. Encircled by terraced seating and landscaping that cloak an existing three-car garage, the patio extends the informal living spaces of the kitchen and family room to the outdoors.

The textures of the moulded clay brick, cleft bluestone, hand seamed zinc cladding, and scraped wood floors counter the machined quality of the neatly tailored steel window walls, flush elm cabinetry, and stainless steel counters.

Photos by Steve Hall, Hedrich Blessing. General Contractor was Fraser Construction - Mark Fraser, Superintendent. Interiors by Leslie Jones Interiors. System Integration by Baumeister Electronic Architects.

Rear Patio

Viewed while seated on the ell-shaped ipe bench, the two-story window wall opens the house to the exterior at the rear. The patio, bounded by a zinc-lad fireplace volume to the north, is marked by a single Japanese Lilac tree surrounded by bluestone paving.

Study

With a generous eastern exposure, the study is afforded an overlook to the family room below and a view of the upper deck of the rear yard.

Kitchen

The quartered elm- veneered study desk hovers above the stainless steel kitchen within the double-height family space. The zinc cladding of the fireplace volume engages with the two-story window wall to the east.

Family

Opposite the kitchen, the family room fireplace sits in a steel clad niche surrounded by wood cabinetry. A plasma video screen sits in the niche above the firebox.

Dining

The ranks of exterior windows are aligned faithfully with interior openings to afford long views through the entire house. Here, the rear patio can seen beyond the dining room table while seated in the front living room.

Living Room

The afternoon sun floods a seating grouping in front of the living room fireplace, which is tailored with a flush steel plate surround and hearth.

Scissors Stairs

With quartered white oak treads, two open scissors stairs interlock between the front and rear brick volumes. With the abundant daylight and exterior textures, the space feels more "exterior" than "interior".

Upper Landing

With bands of alternating frit on the insulating glass providing privacy, the window walls of the stair hall transition to a skylight above. A clear glass strip abuts the brick on either side, allowing a sliver of a view to the exterior.

Transparency

While atop the upper stair landing, a view to the street is afforded through the aligned brick openings.

Facade, Day

The entry door is marked with a subtle translucent glass canopy among the repetitive ranks of vertical windows. A black slate coping sits atop the machine molded brick walls.

Facade, Dusk

The same view at dusk.

Master Bedroom

An upholstered headboard insets into the elm-paneled bedwall, which is flanked by matching dressing cabinets. The bedwall, topped with an uplit translucent glass transom, encloses the master bath beyond.

Child's Bath

A full height curtain encircles an oval stainless steel tub sunken into the raised french limestone floor. Full height translucent glass walls partition the bath from the rest of the bedroom suite.

Media Room

Equipped with a dimmable lighting cove above, an elm-veneered cabinet anchors the lower level media room.