In every region of the country, the fortunes of the custom home market are closely linked with those of the stock market. But the Midwest has traditionally been somewhat insulated from Wall Street’s ups and downs, and in the current climate of investor uncertainty, custom home demand in heartland cities like Chicago and Indianapolis remains relatively steady. Still, says Chicago architect Brad Lynch, clients expect more bang for their buck in troubled times, even those at the top of the heap. “We usually get wealthier clients. They feel they can get better quality for their money because the best architects and contractors aren’t in such high demand.”
Lynch’s design for this Indianapolis home reflects the Chicago traditions of architects Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Frank Lloyd Wright along with a strong Asian influence and his own firm’s Scandinavian design bent. The clean, angular look caused quite a stir in its upscale suburb, which is filled with neo-traditional structures on clear-cut lots. To temper any potential discord, Lynch pushed the house as far back as possible on its cul-de-sac site. Layering a side-entry garage with a long entry trellis, a landscape wall, and a redwood-encased entry, he produced a low-slung linear facade that belies the 5,350 square feet of living space beyond. The deeply recessed and stepped entry sequence yields to a more vertical three-story volume at the rear, which faces a protected easement.
“To break the monolithic plane of brick”—the exterior material required by community regulations—Lynch created broad recesses at window areas, which he lined with a slightly darker shade of brick, and successfully appealed for the inclusion of areas of redwood siding. Interior dimensions correlate with two bays built to house 17th-century Japanese screens. The bays determine dining and living room widths and visually organize the open space. “The size of the windows and how the rooms are divided throughout the floor plan all relate back to these proportions.”
Project Credits: Builder: Lerchen Residential Builders, Indianapolis; Architect: Brininstool + Lynch, Chicago; Living space: 5,350 square feet; Site size: .57 acre; Construction cost: $150 a square foot; Photographer: Christopher Barrett, Hedrich Blessing.
Resources: Bathroom and kitchen plumbing fittings and fixtures: Grohe, Circle 420; Brick/masonry products: Glen-Gery, Circle 421; Countertops: Wilsonart, Circle 422; Dishwasher: Kitchen Aid, Circle 423; Fireplace: Superior, Circle 424; Garage doors: Clopay, Circle 425; Hardware: Doug Mocket, Circle 426, O-Line, Circle 427; Lighting fixtures: Juno, Circle 428; Oven: Dacor, Circle 429; Windows: Evco, Circle 430.
