Illinois Street Residence

The existing residence, a four-square house built in the 1980s, suffered from a superfluity of cells that constrained the otherwise generous footprint. Awkward additions with oddly-placed openings did little to improve the space and its illumination. The owners, a couple with three boys, wanted to improve the house to accommodate growing kids, but weren’t certain what they needed. By trimming unnecessary partitions, sliding program to the edges of the newly-opened space, and editing contractor-grade details, a graceful, ‘new’ home emerged. In the kitchen, existing trusses forced the ceiling down with thick wood tension members; replacing these with thin steel lifted the ceiling to the roof, and uplights accentuate the sloping surfaces. New windows and skylights animate the lofty volume over the course of the day. An existing wood box stair, trimmed of extraneous detail, and a new panel handrail open up to the second floor.