House Etch Chicago Lakeview home, Illinois real estate, USA home interior photos

House Etch in Lakeview, Chicago

post updated February 13, 2025

Architect: Studio Dwell Architects

Location: Lakeview, Chicago, Illinois, USA

Photos: Marty Peters

November 12, 2020

House Etch, Chicago Lakeview

House Etch is a private home for an active family located in the Lakeview neighborhood in Chicago. They were looking for a home with a simple yet strong material palette, a place that encouraged active lifestyles and a home that provided an abundance of natural light while still ensuring privacy.

In response to their desires, the exterior was comprised of two materials; board formed concrete and stained western cedar. The concrete which forms the base of the house defines the public spaces, while the stained western cedar upper volume defines the private spaces along with other accents of the house.

The two materials have a surface relationship to each other. The wood boards that form the surface for the concrete, leave an etched tracing of the wood, while the exposed cedar displays the true material itself.

In resolving the natural light, the first step was to determine the views, what needed to be controlled and what could allow for glimpses both inside and out.

The solution was to create a ribbon of windows, tight to the first floor ceiling that expanded downward in the public floor and upward in the private floor throughout the house. Not only did this help define the exterior material volumes, but it allowed the ability to control views, while still maintaining natural light coming into the home.

Once inside, the house opens up into a light-filled two story volume that extends throughout the first floor. Windows wrap the house allowing open and controlled views. Off this main level is a 36 foot wide by 13 foot cantilevered cedar volume that defines and protects a private exterior entertaining terrace. From there, it transitions down to a large yard which includes amenities such as a whirlpool, a basketball court, and an in-ground trampoline for the kids.