When brick is a feature material used
in a home design, it’s most likely to be
selected for its consistency and rich red
colour. But not all brick has these valued
characteristics.
Take Chicago common brick, for
example, which has colour variegations
and irregularities due to the composition
of the clay sourced in Lake Michigan and
the way it is fired.
As a result, these bricks have usually
been treated as an unattractive, cheap and
abundant resource, and banished to places
obscured from the street such as side and
back walls, chimney flues or as structural
support behind facades.
When the owners of this home first
approached architect Lawrence Scarpa,
they’d seen a home he’d designed in steel
and wanted something similar.
“The site is in the Chicago area, with its
rich history,” says Scarpa. “And because
brick plays such a key part in Midwest
and Chicago culture, I really wanted to
use it in the design.”
However Scarpa wasn’t prepared to
Facing page: This suburban home is encased in
Chicago common brick, a material usually confined
to side walls or unseen structures because of its
colour irregularities and imperfections. But here,
architect Lawrence Scarpa has given it a prominent
and highly visible role in the design, including for
the twisting brick columns on the front facade.
Top and above: In designing the front facade, the
exact position of each brick was detailed for the
masons to follow. The twisting brick columns
create a sense of movement for passers-by, with
glimpses into the courtyard and house behind
opening up and then closing off.
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