Masonry for an Urban Residence - Chicago, Illinois
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This
house is an atypical solution to building on a double lot in the
city as well as a response to some unique programmatic requirements
of the owner.
Constructed of block masonry using a masonry cement mortar, this
house avoids the obvious temptation to build one structure the full
width of its oversized lot. With the exception of the bedroom/porch
structure at the front of the lot and a one-story garage at the
back, the entire house occupies a linear masonry structure on the
western half of the lot. This results in a building that respects
the scale and rhythm of the neighborhood and allows the eastern
half of the lot to become a garden.
The
owner had some unique requirements resulting from the urban pioneering
aspect of her location. Among them were: the provision of three
interior parking spaces, a minimum of windows on the ground flood,
and security gates on living room doors leading to the deck that
could be easily operated from the inside.
Traditional
locations of the kitchen and living room are reversed, so that the
owner can have ample viewing of the street from the kitchen, and
the living room can have privacy at the back of the house.
The owner requested a variety of exterior spaces: a garden through
which one passes to get to the front door, a screened porch off
the kitchen that overlooks both the street and the garden, a decked
area off the garage, and the roof, later to be developed into a
sundeck. Ground face and spit face units provide contrasting texture
to the masonry.
Execution
of the design was assured through the construction management of
Ron Piekarz from our office. Excellent craftsmanship by Lolly Masonry
is exhibited in the appearance of the completed structure. As the
principal architect in charge of design, it was especially gratifying
to see the success of this team effort recognized by its receiving
the 1994 Excellence in Masonry Gold Medal Award from the Illinois
Indiana Masonry Council.
by Frederick Phillips, President of Frederick Phillips and Associates
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