Residential Architect
2014 Residential Design Awards

Wood House, Chicago
Custom Home / Over 3,000 Square Feet / Citation

Brad Lynch of Chicago-based Brininstool + Lynch convinced his client that a new custom home would suit his needs better than the adapted warehouse he wanted with a tried and true method of architectural persuasion: the napkin sketch. Lynch used a limited palette of materials in his design for the 7,900-square-foot courtyard house, a design that combines industrial-sized spaces with the refined details of a bespoke home. Brick facades behind a Cor-Ten fence give way to warm wood-lined interiors, while granite pavers and ground-level glazing connect inhabitants to a landscaped central courtyard. Upstairs, copper privacy screens admit filtered light while repelling curious eyes. A third-floor guest room and office open up to a partially planted roof deck with views to the courtyard below and to the surrounding Bucktown neighborhood. The jury responded to the high degree of craft evident in the Wood House, with juror Joel Sanders citing the virtues of “control, execution, implementation, and detail.” Juror Cary Bernstein agreed, adding that “the execution is really impeccable.”