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Ardmore House is a single-family house located on a typical Chicago block at the intersection of a residential street and an alleyway.

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All of the shared public areas of the home are on the second level above the alleyway - where residents spend most of the time. The private spaces of the home are tucked away behind a curving interior courtyard on the first level.

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The kitchen, living, and dining spaces are located on the upper level, with the bedrooms and bathrooms accessed off of a curving interior courtyard on the first floor.

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The exterior of the home communicates its interior living patterns, with an expanse of windows spanning the second level along the alleyway where all of the open and shared areas of the home exist.

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A large canopy provides cover and light at the front entrance.

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A curved double-height interior courtyard runs lengthwise from front to back doors, creating a vertical connection between the common areas on the first and second floors.

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All of the second floor spaces are oriented towards a 56-foot-long ribbon window that spans the length of the western façade and floods the home with natural light. Panoramic views capture the fullness of the surrounding neighborhood.

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The second level is organized by four trusses that hold the Chicago balloon frame home together. The four trusses designate five areas set around the curve of the balustrade: kitchen, island, dining room, powder room, and living room.

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The design of the second level responds to human needs of light and air where the space is filled with ample daylighting, bringing in uninterrupted views out across the alleyway to connect the residents to their urban neighborhood.

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The view from the kitchen's northern façade captures the back balconies and fire-escapes of neighboring buildings, as well as street lamps with their meandering cabling.

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Solid white oak articulates the window trim, guardrail, shelving and cabinetry.

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The interior of the gable roof form creates a generous vaulted living room space overlooking the tree-lined residential street.

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Level 2 is an otherwise fully open plan save for the powder room that serves the level.

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The primary bedroom overlooks the back alleyway and renovated three-car brick garage.

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The design of the house communicates itself to the neighborhood. Rather than disguising the interior organization of the home, the house proudly enunciates its organization and seeks to share its effect.

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The kitchen window looks out over the back alley offering a view that captures the fullness of the surrounding neighborhood: back balconies and fire-escapes of neighboring buildings, and street lamps with their meandering cabling.

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In the basement, a central core defines two open spaces that can be flexibly used as an office area or family room.

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On Level 1, the curved wall of the interior courtyard leads to each of the bedrooms.

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On Level 2, all of the living spaces are connected together under a single vaulted roof and are spatially defined by their location underneath four spanning structural trusses.

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