Cedar Tree House

Curved Cedar Facade Saves Birch Tree
This 1940s-era Georgian revival home sits adjacent to a beautifully landscaped backyard anchored by an old Birch tree. Commonly found in older Chicago homes, the house is characterized by disconnected interior spaces and a vintage main bedroom. The unique challenge for this home renovation involved safeguarding both a cherished birch tree and a dilapidated porch appendage. The porch served as an impromptu home office throughout the pandemic, effectively partitioning the main living spaces from the yard.

Our client approached us with their vision of creating a feeling of openness in their home. They wanted a more expansive gathering space, a main bedroom suite, and a better connection to their backyard. To meet their need for more space, we removed the back porch and designed an extension for the sunken family room to ground level. The extension features heated floors, a wood-burning stove, and a massive sliding door to the yard. The new spa bathroom with a skylight and custom walnut millwork defines the main bedroom suite while offering views of the garden below.

Energy Efficiency and Low-Carbon Impact
Before employing any sustainable systems or materials, it is most important to design a passive and energy-efficient envelope. To this end, the massing provides shade to the south and west-facing glass, and the roof was sloped to optimize solar panel installation. The building was also designed to save two mature birch trees, which give it its curved
form. This results in architecture being shaped by the existing landscape.

Hygge Ambiance Unlocked: Heated Polished Concrete Floor and Wood Fired Stove
We like radiant heat concrete floors because of their resilience, sustainability, and easy upkeep. We generally recommend these floors for high-traffic spaces and pet owners who have to tend to muddy puppy paws. Another benefit is the added warmth and efficiency without the drying effects of central heating. The new polished, heated concrete floors
combine functionality and aesthetics and pair well with the Rais wood-burning stove.

Just outside the patio slider, we designed an integrated firewood storage area on the side of the house. The hidden firewood is easily accessible, protected from the elements, and doesn’t muck up the minimal fireplace design.

Treetop Bedroom Suite Sanctuary: Warm Walnut Tones & Tile Like Snakeskin
The bedroom suite’s focal point is undoubtedly the bathroom, which was inspired by our clients’ stay at the Langham Hotel. A frosted glass wall separates the spacious soaking tub from the bedroom. This unique detail enables light to flow between the two areas and establishes a visual frame for the distinctive Serpentine tile. Unlike Granite or Marble, Serpentine belongs to a distinct class of stone known for its snakeskin-like appearance. The Serpentine is extracted from the quarries in the Valle d’Aosta region of northwestern Italy. There’s a functional skylight positioned directly above the bathtub where the owners can indulge in a relaxing soak, marveling at the stars and pondering the enigmas of the cosmos. Clerestory windows sit above the medicine cabinet, while a floating walnut vanity maximizes natural light entry. Frosted glass encircles the bathtub, further enhancing the room’s illumination.

Stepping out of the bathroom leads you into the dressing area with a custom-made walnut closet. The wardrobe stores clothes and an extensive sneaker collection, doubling as a room divider with integrated bed nightstands. The walnut millwork creates a sense of continuity throughout the main bedroom, tying together the bed nook and dressing room closets. New windows in the dressing area and bedroom also illuminate the room and provide garden views below—a rare, tree-house-like experience in an urban setting.

Passive Heating & Solar Panels
The building had some unusual integrated dormers that ‘popped up” on the existing” structure. To incorporate solar panels into the preserved exterior, our approach maintained the current dormer positions and reconfigured the roof slope into a single direction facing south. This strategy offers multiple benefits, including optimizing the roof for solar orientation, streamlining roof framing and structure, and creating a connection to the dormers of the traditional building form. As a result, when our clients decide to invest in a solar system, they won’t require additional infrastructure for installation apart from the
system hardware.

Instead of matching the existing vinyl siding, we used glazed walls at the dormer ends. The glazed walls highlight the dormers, bring in more light, and offer front-facing views. These design details amplify the sense of space and establish a connection to the outdoors for anyone within the dormer-clad room.