This two-story, single-family home of brick and glass by architects Krueck & Sexton was lauded by judges for its "elegant detailing and refinement of materials." Project principal Mark Sexton, AIA worked with clients to build a contemporary urban home on a north-facing site more than three times the width of Chicago's standard city lots.

Sexton established the narrower west elevation as the street side, presenting a broad blank facade to the north, and opening the south side of the house with an expansive, two-story wall of glass that faces an enclosed garden. Along with the south wall of glass, there is only one other source of natural light-a dramatic slot window that allows a view of the street to the west, then continues upward to wrap over the roofline, creating a skylight that bathes the second floor in light.

Interior spaces open into each other effortlessly, with sleek surfaces that flow undisturbed. Television sets are recessed, flush with wall surfaces; terrazzo floors are uninterrupted by area rugs.

While the home's stark modernity contrasts with its more traditionally styled neighbors, the house is sympathetic to the rhythms of the neighborhood in the materials it uses--brick and limestone--as well as in its scale.



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