Brick-Weave House

At a glance

Project by: Studio Gang Architects
Location: Chicago, United States

Preview image

Brick-Weave House (Studio Gang Architects)

© Steve Hall/Hedrich Blessing

Project images

	Exterior at night © Steve Hall/Hedrich Blessing View project image
	Interior © Steve Hall/Hedrich Blessing View project image
	Interior © Steve Hall/Hedrich Blessing View project image
	Interior © Steve Hall/Hedrich Blessing View project image
	Screen detail © Steve Hall/Hedrich Blessing View project image
	Exterior © Steve Hall/Hedrich Blessing View project image

Architect's statement

The ‘Brick-Weave’ House sits on the footprint of a century-old stable in Chicago’s West Side. With a modest budget, the owners hoped to salvage the entire building until hidden fire damage was uncovered. Strategically cutting away damage and weaving in new construction allowed 30% of the original structure to be reused. Front walls and roof were removed, creating a garden surrounded by a porous ‘brick-weave’ screen.

Variation in ceiling heights and floor levels weaves together the two-story garden at the front of the house with the single-storey volume at the back through a cascading section.

The screen animates the garden and interior with dappled sunlight, establishing a visual connection to and from the street. Rectangular voids in the screen throw hexagonal patterns of light inside. At night, the pattern reverses: the screen becomes a lantern.