Welcome to our gallery focusing on the intricately crafted Claremont House Project by Brininstool-Lynch Architecture.
This striking, work of minimalist design has a traditionally built structure of brick, concrete, limestone, steel, and zinc, forming a decidedly non-traditional home. The home was built on the north side of Chicago, in the heart of the US.
Resisting city conventions, the home unites the front and back yards via a visual transparency, through massive sheets of glass on both ends of the open-plan home. At first glance, it’s the most defining feature here.
The three story volume of millwork separates each floor from the vertical circulation of the massive stairway, containing storage and equipment. This clearly delineates the functional aspects of the home from the open social spaces.
The kitchen, on the first floor, is a stark experience in wide open minimalism. The stainless steel island for cooking and dining is the sole object built into the open space here.
The first floor overlooks a courtyard and the corresponding green roof of the garage structure, while the ground floor houses both the guest room and family room. This level is framed by the massive sheet of glass, inviting the visual presence of the courtyard into the interior of the home.
At daytime, the interior is flooded with natural light through these massive glass panels.
An exterior stairway runs from the kitchen to the courtyard, wrapped in perforated zinc panels. This drops shaded southern light into the courtyard, offering warmth and privacy. The bedrooms and private areas of the home, where the family of four rests, are located on the top floor.
The home itself was built with green and sustainable features in mind, one of which is that the concrete on the lower level provides natural cooling in warm weather and is distributed across the interior by operable windows in alignment with the stairs.
With the open risers of the stair design, the stairway acts as a natural turbine for moving cool air upward from the lower level, while in winter, the warm air generated can circulate just as well. The house’s heating and cooling alike are mostly taken care of passively.
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Here’s the full front view of the home, at street level. The minimalist cube shape is wrapped in traditional red brick, but barely conceals its innovative nature, glowing outward through massive windows.
A close look from the rear courtyard of the home reveals the first and lower floors in startling detail. From here we can see both the family room and the kitchen, highlighted by the massive stainless steel island.
The kitchen is a broad, open stretch of natural hardwood flooring and stainless steel, with an island big enough to house cooking and dining space. Metallic cabinetry helps set the high contrast tone.
At the top of the massive staircase, we see a skylight above, pouring more natural light into the structure. The private rooms on this floor are some of the only closed off spaces within the home.
Looking down the vertiginous volume, we get a sense of the scale of the home, with each volume accessed off to the left of this singular stair void. Natural light can be seen spilling forward through the steps.
With open risers, the staircase remains an open visual space, full of light. At the bottom, the wood panel walls form into a friendly bench and storage space, perfect for an entryway.
Here we see the living room, where more light wood wall paneling meets a set of bespoke modern furniture. A pair of angular deep blue club chairs face a wood and steel bench, surrounded by modernist detail.
An expansive, glossy surfaced dining table shares the space on this floor, furthering the sleekly minimalist atmosphere of the home. The contrast between sharp lines and natural materials gives this home a sense of vibrancy.
The massive open volume ends at a full size window, absolutely blurring the line between interior and exterior spaces as the nearby foliage fills the frame of view. More contemporary seating options join the minimalist space, next to a wall-size built-in bookshelf.
The midcentury modern look of the furniture is purposeful and clean, as evidenced by the thick wood coffee table with built-in storage cubbies. A pair of wicker and metal chairs bask in the sunlight as easily as if they were outside.
The primary bedroom sees more of the intricate but minimalist wood panel wall construction, giving way to a lighted display shelf and subtly disguised storage. Large curtains add privacy, a necessity with such tall windows.
Here we see the outdoor staircase leading down toward the courtyard. The structure is wrapped in perforated zinc panels, helping to add dappled sunlight and a modicum of privacy to the outdoor areas of the property.
Here in the courtyard, loads of ivy and other greenery help obscure the sharply modern look of concrete walls. A single picnic table stands in this private oasis, perfect for outdoor family dining.
Returning to the front of the home, we can appreciate the vibrant mixture of greens, red brick, and massive stretches of glass in the daytime. The interior and even back yard are clearly visible through the large aperture.
A view over the garage structure at dusk reveals its innovative green roof construction, perfectly highlighting the way this highly progressive home was built with an eye toward sustainability and efficiency.
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