Project Planted Environment, Geneva, Ill.
Architect Vladimir Radutny Architects, Chicago
Builder Harder Brothers, Oak Lawn, Ill.
When the owners of a suburban Chicago home wanted to transform their basement into a multipurpose space, they called on Vladimir Radutny Architects to create something reminiscent of East Asia. “The house had pretty traditional elements—base, crown moldings—but the clients really wanted something different,” says Radutny, the firm’s principal.
Taking cues from the clients’ extensive travels to Asia, the design team of Radutny, Paul Tebben, and Joe Signorelli created a living area, entertaining section, and yoga studio, but instead of using traditional walls, they used partial-height screens made from assembled pieces of Baltic birch plywood. “It’s a marine-grade plywood that has a furniture-grade appearance, and it’s pretty stable,” Radutny explains. Stacked, glued, and nailed—to the floor as well as to the ceiling—each of the 5,000 rectangular pieces is individually placed.
“We used modular 4-foot-by-8-foot plywood panels, cut them into 4-inch-by-24-inch pieces, and stacked them and shifted them every five courses, almost like a brick pattern,” the architect says.
Mimicking screening elements typically found in the Eastern world, the walls feature gentle curves and a woven appearance that allowslight and air to permeate through the voids.
A clear coat gives the partitions a finished look, creating soothing, contemporary spaces that remind the homeowners of their time living and traveling abroad.
Related Stories
Custom Builder
Improve Thermal Performance and Lower Costs
An optimized value engineered approach to framing kills two birds with one stone
Custom Builder
A Historical Fix on a Modern Foursquare
The Foursquare is an American architectural staple, but modern building has removed some of its historic details. Restoration expert Brent Hull uses a hypothetical redesign to illustrate the point
Custom Builder
In Business: Modern Design, Compromise, and Money
Custom builder Zane Williams opens up about what it takes to maintain his architectural vision, from handling clients and staying true to his fluid style, to the importance of transparency and how a slush fund avoids awkward conversations mid-construction
Projects
A Lakefront Dock That Embraces Indoor/Outdoor Living
This screened dock on Hog Pen Creek in Austin, Texas takes its design cues from the home's numerous indoor/outdoor living spaces
Design
Finding the Best Angle—a Lake Austin Dock Framed to Fit the Home’s Sight Lines
This two-tiered waterfront dock on Lake Austin was constructed on an angle to provide homeowners with the best views of the lake from every room in the house
Construction
Detailing for Dissimilar Materials
Creating adequate separation between materials is critical to mitigating cracks (and worse) along cementitious surfaces.
Construction
Small-Duct, High-Velocity HVAC: What It Is and Why It Pairs Well With Modular Homes
Modular home manufacturers, builders, and owners now have many choices when it comes to indoor climate systems, but small-duct, high-velocity (SDHV) systems may be the perfect fit for these types of homes
Codes & Standards
An Introduction to the Zero Energy Ready Home Program
Late in 2022, the U.S. Department of Energy's Zero Energy Ready Home program announced the rollout of ZERH Single Family Version 2
Construction
Trouble-Free Stucco Overhangs
Transitions from walls to horizontal surfaces are prone to moisture problems. Attention to proper detailing in these areas is key.
Case Studies
The Art of Weaving Custom Homes Into the Urban Fabric
These homes demonstrate the challenges and opportunities of custom urban infill