Cleveland Street Residence

This three story courtyard residence in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago surrounds a south-facing raised stone terrace. A landscaped rear yard, also raised to the level of the first floor, abuts a garage with a rooftop deck that completes a series of interconnected exterior environments.

The facade of hand molded brick and dark steel framed doors and windows is deliberately understated. The pattern of masonry openings is repeated around the courtyard, allowing ample daylight to the surrounding rooms. The formal front wing accommodates the foyer, living room and study. The center volume houses the formal dining room which is flanked to the north by a small landscaped court and the informal rear wing houses the kitchen and family room.

The textures of the molded clay brick, french limestone paving, tin/zinc coated copper roofing, and hand scraped wood floors counter the machined quality of the steel framed window walls, flush anigre cabinetry, and stone counters. Subdued tones of the exterior walls, the inset sloping roof, and inset corners in plan minimize the mass of the house from the street.

An indoor pool is carved from the earth below grade and completely hidden from the street. Its construction required a below grade sheet pile coffer dam construction to keep the high water table at bay and caisson foundations to bedrock below to eliminate differential settlement.

Interior Design: Leslie Jones & Associates

Structural Engineer: The Structural Shop
General Contractor: BGD&C
Photography: Barbara Karant