Claremont House – Brad Lynch
It can always be a risk to build something different in a neighbourhood that is conservative and undeveloped. Architect Brad Lynch decided that the quiet and relatively bland area of North Center, Chicago was the place to build his modernist masterpiece: Claremont House.
The house, it is worth pointing out really is a wonderful building. Sensible and non confrontational, designed with a good set of materials, and a great palette. It sits rather uncomfortably in its surroundings, unable to hide its newness, but with time it will become as much a part of the urban fabric as the homes that have been there for decades.
Brad has taken advantage of the plots larger than average size with this build, and there are some great aspects to the design. Taking advantage of the plot size for Brad didn’t simply mean building an oversized property, but rather one of a respectful size, with a front and back yard, linked together through walls of glass at the front and back. Along with the completely open planned downstairs, there is a sense within this building that its spaces continue on and on.
There are nice touches across the project that further add to the feeling of this being a home designed with care and consideration, not just to the setting but also the materials and how every aspect ties into each other to create the whole.
