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Architects: Studio Gang
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Photographs:Hedrich Blessing
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Manufacturers: Endicott, Hansgrohe, Bega, VELUX Group, Ann Sacks, Arcadia Inc., Belfer, Benjamin Moore, CornellCookson, Halo, Hohmann & Barnard, KWC, Kohler, SelKirk Specialty Wood
Text description provided by the architects. The “Brick-Weave” House sits on the footprint of a century-old stable in Chicago’s West Side. With a modest budget, the owners hoped to salvage the entire building until hidden fire damage was uncovered. Strategically cutting away damage and weaving in new construction allowed 30% of the original structure to be reused. Front walls and roof were removed, creating a garden surrounded by a porous “brick-weave” screen that demonstrates a sensibility in the use of traditional materials in new and surprising ways.
Variation in ceiling heights and floor levels weaves together the two-story garden at the front of the house with the single-story volume at the back through a cascading section.
The screen animates the garden and interior with dappled sunlight, establishing a visual connection to and from the street. Rectangular voids in the screen throw hexagonal patterns of light inside. At night, the pattern reverses: the screen becomes a lantern.