Northwestern Illinois Summer Home

A thoroughly modern building, the home incorporates several elements of the surrounding rural community. Corrugated metal panels are used as exterior cladding. Large cedar columns, similar to those found in pole barns, support the roof structure. The ceilings are finished with painted wood battens.

The building’s roof structure is treated as a large canopy, sheltering both the exterior and interior spaces. The roof’s grid continues throughout the home and serves to organize the interior. The north elevation is fairly simple, while the south side’s irregularities accentuate the deep shadows created by sun as it moves across the sky.

A large central space, serving as a combination living room/dining room/kitchen, spills out onto cedar decks to the north and south. A spa room for relaxation during the winter months is located on the south side of the building, wrapped by full-height windows overlooking the property.