Page 2 - Case Study Houses 2015
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DEVELOPMENT OVERVIEW

CASE STUDY HOUSES 2111 | PRESENTED BY DOMAIN 3, LLC
2107, 2109, 2111, 2113 SAINT JOHNS AVENUE, HIGHLAND PARK, IL

The Case Study House program, initiated in 1945 in                sustainability and durability. The project contains four single
Los Angeles, remains one of America’s most significant            family residences configured around a center auto court.
contributions to architecture at mid-century. The motivating
force behind the program was John Entenza, a champion of          Constructed of low or no maintenance materials,
modernism and editor of the avant-garde monthly magazine          manageable and usable gardens, and ease of access for
Arts & Architecture. Entenza envisioned the Case Study            both residents and visitors. The houses define the auto
effort as a way to offer the public and the building industry     court, but also embrace private outdoor rooms that extend
models for alternative housing designs in the modern              adjacent interior spaces. These private indoor/outdoor
idiom, foreseeing the coming building boom as inevitable          spaces are protected by a permeable, woven patterned
in the wake of the drastic housing shortages during the           brick wall, which provides privacy and well as ventilation for
depression and war years. Using the magazine as a vehicle,        these spaces. This allows for expanses of picture windows,
Entenza’s goal was to enable architects to design and build       doors, and free flowing open plans.
modern houses for actual clients, using innovative materials
from industry and new techniques from manufacturers, and          Community is encouraged by the arrangement of spaces
to extensively publish and publicize their efforts.               around the auto court, akin to a European piazza, which
                                                                  allows pedestrian and vehicular access but also acts as a
Contributors to the Case Study House program ranged               place to share experiences with neighbors. It is the ultimate
from architects who were to attain international reputations      location for a block party.
- Richard Neutra, Charles and Ray Eames, Eero Saarinen,
Ralph Rapson, Craig Ellwood and Pierre Koenig - to those          Parking is abundant with six visitor spaces in addition to
whose reputations remain primarily localized, such as             each unit having an attached two-car garage, with an
Whitney R. Smith, Thornton Abell, and Rodney Walker.              obscured glass door to allow natural light to enliven the
                                                                  garage interior.
Conceived as experimental modern prototypes, the 36
designs of the program epitomized the aspirations of a            A modern lifestyle is reinforced by chef worthy kitchens
generation of modern architects active during the buoyant         sharing spaces with dining rooms adjacent to indoor family
years of American’s post-World War II building boom. By its       rooms and outdoor lounging areas—lines between indoor
end in 1966, the Case Study House program had succeeded           and outdoor are blurred, entertainment is fluid and quality
in producing some of the period’s most important works            of life is enhanced. Gardening is manageable; buyers can
of residential architecture. Today, the Case Study Houses         develop container gardens in private courtyards or plant
continue to have wide relevance and influence within              flower gardens to complement the well-developed base
architectural culture, not only in Los Angeles, but also          plantings.
nationally and internationally. These houses, and the spirit
behind them, serve as a model for architects committed to         Floor plans are designed for all walks of life, but with special
reductive, yet experimental modes of residential design and       attention paid to the aging in place population. First floors
construction.                                                     are located at grade level for easy access and contain the
                                                                  usual living, dining, kitchen, and mudroom that one would
It is with this inspiration that Domain 3, led by Peter Nicholas  expect, but also the laundry room and master suites with
of the Nicholas Design Collaborative, take lessons from           double bathrooms and closets. Additional bedrooms and
these noble architects and bring them into the creation           bathrooms are located on the upper level.
in this project located in Highland Park, Illinois. We share
the spirit of these visionary thinkers and are committed          Located within two blocks of downtown Highland Park and
to a reductive, yet experimental residential design and           the Metra Line to downtown Chicago, all goods and services
construction. We are also devoted to energy efficiency,           imaginable are located within a short walk. Renowned
                                                                  Highland Park K-12 schools are all located within two blocks
                                                                  of the site.
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