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Collection by Matthew Keeshin

Homes with a Midwestern State of Mind

The Midwest might have a reputation for being polite, but these homes are unapologetically modern.

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Located in Chicago’s West Town, the concrete shell of Upton’s Naturals headquarters was erected in just 48 hours.
Located in Chicago’s West Town, the concrete shell of Upton’s Naturals headquarters was erected in just 48 hours.
The residence is set back a few feet from the site’s edge, allowing more light to flood into neighbors’ windows and leaving space for trees. “The idea was to make a strong gesture to incorporate ideas of openness,” Lynch explains. “It’s not just a box if you look at it closely. It’s a series of planes that fit together."
The residence is set back a few feet from the site’s edge, allowing more light to flood into neighbors’ windows and leaving space for trees. “The idea was to make a strong gesture to incorporate ideas of openness,” Lynch explains. “It’s not just a box if you look at it closely. It’s a series of planes that fit together."
The exterior of the Field House, designed by Wendell Burnette Architects in Ellington, Wisconsin.
The exterior of the Field House, designed by Wendell Burnette Architects in Ellington, Wisconsin.
You may think that an existing or historic home—known for its drafty windows, old-fashioned mechanical systems, and obsolete construction materials and techniques—would be one of the least sustainable, green-friendly buildings around, but you'd be oh-so-very wrong!
You may think that an existing or historic home—known for its drafty windows, old-fashioned mechanical systems, and obsolete construction materials and techniques—would be one of the least sustainable, green-friendly buildings around, but you'd be oh-so-very wrong!
Photo by: Dan Rockhill
Photo by: Dan Rockhill
Rough-sawn plywood and standing-seam metal siding clad the house. “In cabins, we like to use undressed materials, which lend themselves to the simplicity of the structure,” says architect Tom Lenchek.
Rough-sawn plywood and standing-seam metal siding clad the house. “In cabins, we like to use undressed materials, which lend themselves to the simplicity of the structure,” says architect Tom Lenchek.