Coen + Partners

Location: Chicago, Illinois

Collaborator: Brininstool + Lynch Architecture

 

The Wood House is an uban infill project located in an iconic neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. This modernist home complements, rather than competes, with the gritty historical character of the late 1800’s residential street. The site is an unusually spacious lot on a densely populated street, where opportunities for privacy and immersion in nature are elusive. The design includes dynamic exterior spaces for both entertaining and quiet contemplation, an interior courtyard, outdoor kitchen, garden furnishings, lighting, perimeter privacy screen and gate, streetscape, outdoor circulation network, and green roof.

 
Extensive exploration of sight lines, fencing and tree allée configuration along the front property line was executed, producing a custom-designed fence and gate structure that allows light and movement throughout the property while obscuring specific direct views from the street into the home. Landscape materials were chosen to complement the time-worn patina of adjacent structures and integrate the residence into the architectural vocabulary of the neighborhood. It was imperative that the site design be maximally functional while still creating a statement landscape; gracious, coherent, and thoughtfully detailed.