The clients of Searl Lamaster Howe Architects had searched five years across four states to find a site for their weekend home that spoke to them. This retreat was to be everything that their Chicago residence – a lofted space nestled within the attic trusses of a converted church – was not. The loft is in the heart of the bustling Wicker Park neighborhood; they sought serenity and a slower pace. The loft features a highly curated collection of sleek European contemporary furnishings; they were inspired by the idea of a sanctuary with a modern sensibility but also rooted in its place with hand craftsmanship felt on scales big and small. The loft’s views of the downtown skyline are finely calibrated to maintain a sense of privacy in the dense neighborhood; they sought an abundance of transparency and a direct connection to nature.
Apart from the exterior which is defined by two materials – cedar (both untreated and charred) and obsidian lap siding, an acute concern for materiality extends to the interior. Naturally clefted black slate floors are a constant, lending a layer of organic texture to the organizing module. The untreated cedar roof overhangs extend directly inside where a warm glow is provided by a series of barely visible suspended light fixtures. Most of the home’s cabinetry, built by local craftsmen, is also untreated cedar. In the three-story stairwell, the ash steps wrap around an ebonized oak screen. The contrast of the stairwell’s white walls to the randomly spaced screen battens was influenced by the character of the site in winter – dark tree trunks amongst the snow. The main windows of the master bath overlook a small deck and the trees beyond. In its shower a skylight highlights the variated texture and coloring of the handmade tiles that clad its walls.(Published with Bowerbird).
Photography : Tony Soluri
