Our client hired Lauren Coburn, LLC and NextHaus Alliance to design a modern, sustainable home with abundant natural daylight and an intentional relationship between the indoors and outdoors. 

The Evanston Preservation Commission’s requirement was for the home’s exterior to relate to its neighbors. The key to this project’s success was the collaborative process and our team working together on all aspects of the home. 

The home’s finishes and features were chosen to minimize carbon including the Valcucine kitchen cabinets made from recycled materials, the vapor fireplace, the siding made from coal production fly-ash waste, the wood flooring from sustainable managed forests, and the recycled metal roof.  The family room light shelf works to passively light and condition space, minimizing energy use.

We focused on all natural materials, locally sourced art, and decor items like the vintage Asian screen, which was custom-cut to fit within an LED-lit alcove as a striking centerpiece.  We avoided wallcoverings due to toxic adhesives and chose tiles that were not only durable but made of recycled materials.  

Although a modern home in an historic Evanston district seems contradictory, this first Passive House in Evanston designed to PHIUS standards proves that sustainable,resilient, modern architecture is adaptable to any context.