von Weise Associates

Montgomery Residence in Veranda Magazine

vwa1 — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 21:33:13 +0000

The Montgomery Residence has been featured in an article in the May-June 2011 edition of Veranda Magazine.

“Located on nearby Lake Geneva, in Wisconsin, the house’s unique design, a compound of seven pavilions linked by glassed-in hallways, evolved out of the couple’s conversations with Chicago architect Chip von Weise. They looked at plans with barns, silos and other Wisconsin vernacular elements but deemed them too traditional and cut off from nature. Then the couple saw a light-filled house designed by renowned architect Hugh Newell Jacobsen around the concept of connected pavilions, and inspiration struck. ‘That’s when things started getting interesting,’ recalls von Weise…”

Click on the link below to see the whole article.

Veranda Magazine 2011

Educare Construction Update

vwa1 — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 21:40:22 +0000

Preparing to transition into their new Family & Training Center addition at the end of November, the Educare staff and vWA are preparing final items for their move-in.

Carton Update: Green Roof Installed

vwa1 — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 18:49:23 +0000

Out at the Carton Residence last week, EcoGardens Landscaping from Chicago completed the installation of the green roof. Plant species native to the Michigan coast were chosen for their minimal maintenance requirements and staggered blooming cycles. In addition, the majority of the exterior cedar cladding is now complete and many of the final details are coming together. The Fall leaves and cool weather made the beautiful site even more picturesque. See below for more pictures…

view out the Master Bedroom window

View west towards the lake

Detail of exterior cedar

East egress widow at stair hall

Detail at eave

Bushala Residence

vwa1 — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 18:13:16 +0000

Located in the Lakeshore Historic District and situated next to the Dempster / Greenwood Street Beach in Evanston, this private residence was defined by several conceptual considerations. Among them were stunning views of the lake, critical site relationships to adjacent neighbors, and a desire for a 21st c. expression of living for a young family of five.

Bushala Residence Case Study

Carton Residence

vwa1 — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 17:00:09 +0000

To retain the tranquility of the natural sloped site, the volumes of this vacation home are arranged to frame the horizon line of Lake Michigan to the west. The axis of the main house emphasizes this view, while perpendicular elements such as the entry bridge, natural-cedar stair hall, and indoor/outdoor dining area add a richness to the design by bringing the outdoors to the interior on the perpendicular axis. The two volumes are set lightly atop a stone plinth and thus appear to float gently in the bowl-shaped ravine. A series of framed views occur throughout the house capturing snapshots of the surrounding trees, lake, and ravine.

Exterior materials such as clear-finish cedar siding and blue stone ensure the house will weather naturally. Natural zinc exterior cladding and flashing provides a contrast of materiality with the natural wood and will age gracefully with a natural patina. Low-profiled green roofs on both the main house and the guest house further engage the volumes with the landscape. On-site geothermal wells power in-floor radiant heat and hot water to enhance energy efficiency. Reclaimed wood and flooring from a local Michigan barn gives the interior a warm feel.

Educare

vwa1 — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 16:00:02 +0000

This 7,800 square foot structure is an addition to an existing facility (originally designed by architect Stanley Tigerman) on Chicago’s South side. The new addition will house family education and early childhood development programs for lower-income/at-risk children and families. Working within a tight $2 million budget, the design team combined economical and durable materials, as well as natural daylight, to create a facility that aims to inspire those that pass through its doors while keeping future maintenance/operational costs to a minimum. This project is set to break ground in Spring 2010.

Newark Visitor’s Center

vwa1 — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 14:00:31 +0000

This proposal expands the competition program to provide not only a visitor’s center, but also a much-needed model for responsible large-scale development in downtown Newark. Public and private spaces merge to create a common zone of interaction in stark contrast to Newark’s sordid history of racial and socio-economic polarity. Using under-utilized blocks to the south, the Visitor Center connects back to the local neighborhood. Subterranean parking for both locals and visitors feeds big box retail as well as a public promenade flanked by gallery spaces, public parks, a community center, local enterprise, and mixed-income housing.

A tessellated canopy weaves throughout the project’s varying spaces and integrates photovoltaic energy modules and air-filtering plant systems. This tapestry symbolizes the coalescence of Newark’s diverse permanent and transient populations while providing shade for market/festival space along the central promenade. Through this symbolism and pointed urban renewal, the proposal stitches the Visitor’s Center into the fabric of the city, thereby creating a nexus for interaction and dialogue among all of Newark’s nationalities and socioeconomic classes.

The Buckingham Dormitory

vwa1 — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 13:00:17 +0000

Designed to house students of a small fine arts college in downtown Chicago, the Buckingham embodies the essence of creative urban living while maintaining the formal comfort of a dormitory. Our interior design was driven by a respect for the historic Holabird and Root structure, built in the 1920s and still retaining much of its art deco roots. We strove to create a large dormitory that preserved the sense of individuality in its creative student body. Using lowered ceiling planes and groups of pendant lights we broke up large, characterless spaces and gave them focus, and introduced a color palette that gave identity to individual dorm apartments while unifying them within the dormitory at large. Student lounge spaces were designed to evoke the feeling of luxurious metro living and provide a variety of mixed uses within large single spaces. Total cost of construction including furniture, fixtures and equiptment was $38 million.

The Buckingham Dormitory Case Study

Montgomery Residence

vwa1 — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 12:00:06 +0000

Each pod of this 5,000 square foot summer house located on Lake Geneva in Wisconsin was designed with a distinct use in mind. The central pod is a glass pavillion that creates a seamless transition out into the landscape. A rich yet subtle material palette accentuates the detailing of this project which was generated using a nautical theme.

CS Interiors (Summer 2009)

Mobarak Residence

vwa1 — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 11:00:46 +0000

This project involved renovating an existing landmarked row house on Astor Street into a family residence with a garage at the back. The major design challenges included the garage, finding space for bedrooms for a growing family and bringing natural light into a narrow and completely land locked site. In order to accommodate the garage, the rear of the house needed to be raised a half story higher than the existing front façade and first floor. To resolve this elevation change, we designed a central atrium and light well off of which the house changes from front to back in half story increments like a London townhouse. This space serves as the major feature of the house both in terms of circulation and architectural interest. All of the major spaces flow directly off of the stair volume and tie the house together vertically. It also brings large amounts of natural light down into the house.

Chicago Home + Garden (July/August 2008)