Houzz Tour: A Three-Story Barn Becomes a Modern-Home Beauty
With more than 9,000 square feet, an expansive courtyard and a few previous uses, this modern Chicago home isn't short on space — or history
Houzz Contributor. I am an architect and writer living in New York City. I have Bachelor of Architecture and Master in Urban Planning degrees, and over ten years experience in architectural practice, split between Chicago and NYC. Currently I'm focused on writing and online pursuits. My daily blog can be found at http://archidose.blogspot.com
Houzz Contributor. I am an architect and writer living in New York City.... More »
Chicago has often been described as a city of neighborhoods, and one of the most desirable neighborhoods is Lincoln Park, just over 2 miles north of the Loop. The neighborhood's proximity to the lake is certainly desirable, but so is the old, low-scale building stock, made up of residential and other building types. The Mid-North Residence, as Vinci | Hamp Architects call it, is the transformation of a 19th-century commercial building into a large house oriented around a courtyard. Let's take a tour of the house, from the outside in.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A family of 5
Location: Chicago
Size: 9,100 square feet of living space
That's interesting: The repurposed building was once a barn (circa 1875), later used as a dairy distribution center and then art studios and galleries.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A family of 5
Location: Chicago
Size: 9,100 square feet of living space
That's interesting: The repurposed building was once a barn (circa 1875), later used as a dairy distribution center and then art studios and galleries.
The brick exterior exudes Chicago: It is solid and has some decoration but is not overly flashy. The reuse of the building and its new function are signaled by the new door and transom on the right.
Minus this elevation and a facade on the narrow alley around the corner, most of the existing exterior had to be taken down and rebuilt. From this the architects created a modern residence that has a dialogue with the historical aspects of the site.
Minus this elevation and a facade on the narrow alley around the corner, most of the existing exterior had to be taken down and rebuilt. From this the architects created a modern residence that has a dialogue with the historical aspects of the site.
The wood door and opaque sidelight don't reveal what lies behind the door, but the transom helps bring light into the entry space.
Upon opening the door, one is confronted with the courtyard, the heart of the residence.
Upon opening the door, one is confronted with the courtyard, the heart of the residence.
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| At the back of the courtyard is what was the three-story barn — the one-story entry dates to 1900 and was a commercial space for the dairy center — and at left is a one-story volume, also part of the 1900 building. The taller volume is on the north side of the property, so this outdoor space receives plenty of sunlight. The giraffe was purchased from sculptor John Kearney, the property's tenant from 1950 to 2007. The artist is known for the Tin Man in nearby Oz Park. I remember seeing his "steel bumper" sculptures in the area, even a giraffe peering over a fence, when I lived in Lincoln Park. |
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| The ground-floor plan and north-south building section help with orientation as we go inside the house. The entry is at the left, as is south; north is to the right. An open living area comprises the area on the west, the top part of the plan. Atop the kitchen, dining room, garages and other spaces on the right are four bedrooms (second floor) and the master suite (third floor) — those floor plans can be found here. |
This view within the courtyard shows how open the house is toward it. The ground floor has sliding glass walls connecting inside and outside, the stair core has plenty of glass facing south, and a series of terraces on the second and third floors face the courtyard as well.
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| The living room, which occupies the west side of the courtyard, is a simple, open space split into two zones by a large stone fireplace. Even though the space is simple, there are some things happening that are very smart: Clerestory windows face the alley on the west, bringing in light while maintaining privacy, and the ceiling along the walkway is lower than the adjacent ceiling, responding to the slope of the roof but also helping to further define the spaces. |
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| Moving north along the walkway, one arrives at the stair that connects all three levels. The firm of John Vinci and Philip Hamp is well versed in stair design; the team actually inserted an old Mies van der Rohe stair in their design of the Arts Club of Chicago. The stair appears to magically float — free of visible supports at this level. The glass guardrails and open risers help keep the space at the back of the house very open. |
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| Beyond the stair and family room of the previous photo is the kitchen, a large space with two islands and a large table toward the courtyard. |
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| As mentioned, most of the spaces are oriented toward the courtyard, such as the eating area in the kitchen. Very nice. |
On the second floor, the stairs bring one to a large terrace that also overlooks the courtyard.
And on the third floor are more terraces, one serving the master suite. Cutouts in the roof help bring even more light to the rooms set back.
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| This view from the third floor shows the orientation of spaces toward the courtyard, as well as how the building works: The entry is beyond, the living room (with a fireplace and chimney) is at right, and the second-floor terrace is in the foreground. Vinci, Hamp and team in essence have created a self-contained world for the family. |
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| As in the living room and kitchen, the finishes in the upstairs rooms are quite minimal. Yet as this children's room hints at, the spaces are a canvas for the family's things. The way the wood trim is carried through to the bunk bed railing and ladder is a nice touch. |
The bathroom incorporates the various materials and finishes found in the house: stone, wood and white. Within the old brick buildings, Vinci | Hamp Architects has crafted something resolutely modern.
Ideabook published on Sept. 26, 2012.
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However, as the wife of a plumbing/heating contractor, I too question the drainage system of the courtyard.
Also I always wonder how the heating systems are designed and especially with this one, how the residents are going to fair when the Chicago winter brings -10 degree temps and 40 mph winds?? Perhaps there is a new glass window product being manufactured that has superior insulation properties over the old that I am not aware of ?
I suppose if you can afford this home you will not be disturbed by high heating costs.
The inspiration for this home is from Korea...their traditional housing is called a "hanok".
Here are a few links I had found quite some time ago...
http://www.han-style.com/english/hanok/meaning.jsp
(several links on this page)
http://iaste.berkeley.edu/pdfs/03.1f-Fall91Lee-sml.pdf
(76 page PDF comparing traditional courtyard housing with modern Korean dwellings)
(YouTube video on Korea's Traditional Architecture, Hanok)
I'm writing this partly because some of these comments are familiar (the space is cold, unlivable, etc.), but mainly because I've also seen this house photographed for the interior designer: The furnishings are a warm counterpart to the white walls; some bright furniture punctuates the various rooms; large rugs cover the wood floors; dark curtains hang from ceiling to floor; and some walls are painted in earth tones. Unfortunately the photos are not for sharing, and they are not on the interior designers website (http://swohlnerdesign.com/), but I think there would be less comments about the coldness of this house if it were presented with these other photos. It would be good to focus on such a thing in a future Ideabook to illustrate the potential in modern spaces.
Would love to see the Interior Decorators photos,
perhaps you can convince them to share on HOUZZ?
I am one of the several on this forum who wish the design hadn't erased much of the historic character of the space. The architect and clients could see it totally differently, but may appreciate feedback about, and perhaps, incorporate some original elements of the building while not sacrificing the contemporary nature of it if they wish. I find no comment on here as nasty; it seems more that people are just expressing their opinions on it. I think we can all appreciate their efforts on the house without giving false flattery in an effort to maintain honest feedback. I can't imagine any architect or designer wouldn't find respect for that honesty.
So many good ideas in this structure. The traffic flow through the spaces, the glass, the lightness of everything......any chilliness can and will be cured with textiles, furnishings.
Love it!
But you are so correct, Your New Home LLC, we need to keep the nasty knee-jerk comments to our computer screens but not to the comment page because that doesn't encourage the photo story offerings.
And please don't say, if you can't stand the heat.
By the way, I forgot to mention that I love the kitchen layout-concept in this house - but yes, I'd change the cabinetry were I so lucky...
thanks
It seems to me that the building next door offers ideal viewing for the neighbors to watch your every move through those giant glass windows. Like living in a fishbowl.
How is the drainage solved in the court yard with the elevations being the same on three sides and a wall along the fourth?
The only thing that wouldn't work for me, is that there are no blinds or drapes on any of the floor to ceiling windows going up the staircase or in the dining room. That's definitely beautiful during the day, but a little creepy at night, especially with a three storey building right next store.
I renovated and decorated a cabin up in the wilderness of British Columbia, in the middle of winter and had to live there for almost two weeks with nothing on the windows.
I'd never even thought about it before, but I couldn't stand the feeling of sitting there watching TV, surrounded by the forest at night wondering if someone is looking at me, I think I'm still a little traumatized!
Besides that I think it's beautiful!!
vancouverite, et. al. - The glass wall in the living room has curtains, they just weren't installed at the time of these photos. That's something I was referring to in my previous comment.
maxmackenzie - You're too nice! I hope some of my other ideabooks, and future ones, live up to your kind words!
Agreed. It's a shame that someone used the term 'ugly' after I made my comment that any negative comments were just constructive criticism. There is certainly nothing ugly about this space.
I second the commenter who complimented John Hill's articles, they are always excellent.
It's called COMMENTS, not COMPLIMENTS.
These comments were made by houzzers who have posted no design credentials. It is obvious they do not know how to respond to an article in an appropriate manner. Positive or negative opinions should be presented in an intelligent, polite and sensitive way.
It isn't just this article that draws mean spirited comments. This manner of communicating ideas, which we all have read in other discussions, indicates either anger, jealousy, passive aggressive behavior, or just plain ignorance.
I am not proposing "if you have nothing good to say, don't say anything at all", I'm suggesting if you have nothing positive to say at least say with kindness.
If tables were turned, how would your home hold up to scrutiny?
Would love it in SoCA though!!
My understanding: this forum is available to people who want to share their ideas, pictures, comments (pro or con) and ask for help. Not one of us deserves a snide remark...ever. Should someone choose to respond in an unpleasant manner, using words that simply are inappropriate in this venue, e.g. "stinks", I do indeed want to know on what basis a person thinks I would even consider accepting that comment as credible.
John Hill is introducing me to something he thinks has value, would interest and educate me. It is beyond rude to jump in and hurl insults at any contributor who has worked so hard on a project and is willing to share, so generously, with Houzz.
Yes, sadly, there is plenty of rudeness in this world. However, that will never make it acceptable nor will it accomplish anything.
On another note, why don't you share something about yourself? Why are you on Houzz; why are you interested in design; what is your style; what project are you working on; what have you worked on in the past; what ideas can you share? Post your info. You will be delighted to find Houzz is a family.
and can I also add, that perhaps the building may have some cold elements, remember this wasn't a building designed from scratch. An architect has had to work really hard to work around the existing structure, turning it in to what it is now. Secondly, coldness can easily be corrected by a good interior designer so architecturally it is really amazing. Im an Interior design student, and I would LOVE to get my mits on this place. I could definitley warm it up!!! Credit to all who worked on it!!! x;)
John HIll: Do you know how the courtyard drains etc?
Although the rear three story building was a barn that held cows, I suspect that it was a milking facility (not a farm) and the one-story part was the administrative space. This is a former industrial site which is why there are no "barn" features to leverage in the design. The roof is flat on the three story part -- not what you would expect from a conventional dairy barn. The brickwork outside is definitely commercial -- not from a family farm or home.
Keeping the original industrial facade of the structure while creating a modern home with outdoor living space was a tall order. The design is brilliant in my view!
When the magazine came on the stands, as you would expect, I couldn't wait to see my home showcased. ( i prayed the toilet seat was down.) When I opened the magazine, I couldn't believe my eyes! That house was mine? I actually lived there? It was so perfect. "Well, judyg," I said to myself, "not too bad." I received lots of compliments (at least to my face), but I'll bet the cat there were more than a few remarks made questioning how my family could live in such a sterile environment.
Fast forward a few days...I walked in the back door, looked around and was quickly brought back to reality. Who left yesterday's newspaper open by the wilting flowers on the table. Was that darn cat on the counter again? When did that 10' spider web appear? Nothing had changed; the house was mine once more.