“Family Style” Electric Home

OAK PARK, IL

For relatives of our senior project manager, TBDA had the rare opportunity to create a new home in Oak Park on an empty lot. While addressing the present-day need for aging in place, the home is thoughtfully designed with future generations in mind.

Characteristic of our mid-block residences, vertical space is used inside to create variety, excitement, and a wonderful sense of light. Living, dining and kitchen areas are integrated to create visual connections across multiple stories, extending out to the yard through a screened porch and patio in the rear, and an entry porch in front. At the heart of the design is the kitchen. Behind the island, cabinetry transitions into a two-story sculptural wood element, holding the stair and marking the threshold between public and private areas.

The exterior is a contemporary take on the traditional neighborhood’s architecture, with durable prefinished siding set off against thermally modified wood at entryways and openings. The front porch provides a neighborly welcome, and the back screened porch and patio let outdoor living flow with the family areas of the house.

As with all our projects, Passive design is integrated with architectural expression. Using strategies such as airtightness, super insulation, triple glazed windows, heat pumps, and an energy recovery ventilator, this all-electric home will have optimal indoor air quality, comfort, and resilience, along with a minimized carbon footprint. DOE’s Zero Energy Ready Home program was chosen as the third-party certification path for this project. Due to its low baseline energy use, a modest solar array allows this home to achieve annual net zero energy use.