GLENCOE RESIDENCE

A 1950s colonial in the heart of Chicago's North Shore community was completely renovated and expanded into a contemporary home for a young family.  Sited along Sheridan Road between downtown Glencoe and the lake, the house is respectful of its historical surroundings but clearly expresses a progressive spirit.  The layout of the house was completely reconfigured and opened up to better reflect a modern sensibility and to relate interior to exterior; all public rooms open directly either to the pool at the back or to the side yard, which has become the neighborhood's impromptu soccer field. While the gable roofs, white painted brick and rectangular window proportions of the original structure were retained, details were radically simplified. Facing the street, a second story addition repeats the existing gable roof but introduces two new materials: weather resistant wood siding and standing seam metal panels.  On the rear of the structure, where contextual concerns were less of a constraint, a bold, wood-clad volume housing the master bedroom overlooks the new pool.  Inside the house, a similar cubic form hovers over the dining space.  The den within this volume provides for a quiet workspace but remains visually and psychologically connected to the rest of the house's activities.