Windows connect us to nature, offer views, and natural light, and fresh air. Some history, technology and taxonomy of these essential building elements.
Archives for August 2015
Chicago Building Types: Fire Cottage
The Chicago Fire Cottage s were built from $100 kits, and originally featured pretty much just exterior walls and a roof. This one still stands today.
How To Get More Out Of Your Walls: Rolling Bookshelves, Shoji Screens, and Glazed Partitions
At its most basic, a wall is a vertical plane that divides one space from another, but why limit ourselves? Some ideas to stretch the definition of “wall.”
Reflexive Architecture: How We Shape the World that Shapes Us
Today we meditate on the cycle nature of design – we shape our environment and then it shapes us – in so many intentional and unintentional ways.
5 Reasons to Go Easy on your AC – Even When Its Hot
AC is an easy knee jerk reaction to a hot day, but you should consider keeping your indoor temperature a little closer to the outdoor today. Here’s why
Why Nearly Every Chicago Home Has a Basement … And What You Can Do With It
A basement isn’t a necessary element of an American home but in the midwest they are nearly ubiquitous. This underused space under your house could be the easiest (and most cost-effective) way to expand your living space (much more so than building up from the attic or expanding out into the back yard. Why do Chicago […]
Featuring Chicago: Reebie Storage Warehouse
Reebie Storage Warehouse on Clark is a rare example of Egyptian Revival style and proof that Chicagoans have been overflowing their homes since the 20s.