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Architects: Interface Studio Architects, Sullivan Goulette & Wilson
- Area: 13000 ft²
- Year: 2013
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Photographs:Ranquist Development Group
Text description provided by the architects. This 8-unit townhouse development occupies a well located site in the emerging Logan Square neighborhood northwest of downtown Chicago, just two blocks from a major train station. The open floor plans and flexibility of the interiors reflect a sense of simplicity and respond to the needs of contemporary living. The exterior strategy uses fiber cement lap siding and large metal window projections in a composition that retains a sense of a coherent urban block while marking each home as unique.
Site
An 80’ X 166’ inner-city lot in the dense residential neighborhood of Logan Square. The property is bordered by the street on the North and East, a multi-family building on the South, and an alley on the West.
Organization:
Flexhouse is a new type of home that is tuned to the “new normal” of the twenty-first century. The modest, energy efficient, open-plan designs allow for seamlessness between work, live and play.
Interiors
The three-story homes feature an open loft like first floor with central kitchen and large transparent opening to a generous backyard. The second level provides two bedrooms and a full bath, with a third floor master suite featuring an open bath. A key feature of the homes are an exposed concrete first floor with radiant heat which give the spaces terrific wintertime comfort and a raw visual effect.
Exteriors
The exteriors were conceived to be individual, but connected as an urban block rather than just a series of individual homes. Two-story, custom fabricated stainless steel window wrappers jog vertically from house to house to create a visual rhythm across the façade. The overall cladding is fiber cement plank of varying width which gives the overall surface a contemporary, yet familiar texture. An eccentric painting scheme adds a layer of uniqueness to the project.
