Glass House

Yes, the May 2005 issue of Architectural Digest is on the newsstands! Normally this would be of very little, if any, interest to architects, but this is their "Architecture Issue", featuring in-depth coverage of thirteen houses, ranging from the neo-traditional to the neo-avant garde. The rest of the issue is devoted to residential architecture, its history, and its furnishings (the last being the usual domain of the magazine.)

Two houses by architects in and around Chicago are featured: Margaret McCurry's reinterpretation of the Midwestern barn (House of 5 Gables) and a Modern glass box by Thomas Rosznak for him and his family. Coincidentally a recent condo development by Rosznak is situated right across the street from McCurry's office on North Wells Street.



Reminiscent of fellow IIT-ers Mies van der Rohe and Ron Krueck, Rosznak's design is based on a grid and a series of cubes of differing sizes. The exterior glass walls linking these cubes is setback to help define the forms but also to create vistas that cross small pockets of exterior as one looks across the house. The most surprising - and perhaps successful - feature is the steel structure supporting the second floor and the roof: squarish steel beams running north-south every five feet or so are painted bright yellow, a strong counterpoint to the exposed concrete slabs. According to the article, this gesture was inspired by Shinto shrines, though here it falls somewhere between that ancient practice and the more recent Modern movement, helping to give the house a personality of its own.

Also, Architecture Digest is sponsoring Architecture Days, featuring tours and lectures in three cities, including Chicago (from May 4-10). Unfortunately all events have a fee, with most at $25.00!