Future Firm has designed Hem House, a metal-clad, 1,300-sf home that makes contemporary architecture available to a broader market in Chicago. Located in the city’s East Garfield Park neighborhood, the project was developed and constructed by Hem Development, a joint venture by Future Firm co-principal Craig Reschke and Chicago real estate developer Joseph Root.

While Hem House does not compete with subsidized affordable housing in the neighborhood, the project helps fill in the “missing middle” of housing options. New construction elsewhere in the neighborhood beginning at $600k, Hem House is an effort to diversify the stock of homes available for folks who are currently renting or are interested in moving to the neighborhood, at a similar price as a condo in a multi-unit building.

“While there’s a very vibrant art and culture scene in Chicago, there isn’t a lot of bespoke contemporary architecture, and what exists in residential is almost exclusively very high end—so we’re hoping to help change that narrative,” says Ann Lui, Future Firm co-principal.

“We wanted to create a house using a few strategic construction and design ideas to keep costs down, as an idea for Chicago’s vacant residential lots,” adds Reschke.

Hem House sits in the middle of a residential street in East Garfield Park, within walking distance of the local public park and public transportation. In scale, the structure adheres to its context, while in plan and materiality, it stands out from the typical brick and stone townhouses and two-flats that surround it.

▼住宅与周围典型的砖石建筑形成显著对比 The house stands out from the typical brick and stone structures that surround it © Daniel Kelleghan