Emsheimer Residence

Chagrin Boulevard, Cuyahoga County, OH, United States

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Emsheimer Residence

Chagrin Boulevard, Cuyahoga County, OH, United States

Firm

Type

Residential › Apartment

YEAR

1997

SIZE

3000 sqft - 5000 sqft

BUDGET

$100K - 500K

The Project was commissioned by a widowed senior woman in memory
of her recently deceased husband (a patron of contemporary art) to
celebrate his life while providing a fresh start for her. The Program
called for spatial openness with “a bit of whimsy”. The environmentally
controlled home (the Client suffers from emphysema) includes an open
Dining-Living-Office-Kitchen Area, the Gallery, the Master Suite, the
Guestroom, an interior Terrace (originally the exterior patio), and the
Service Core. The parti emphasizes full views of a park-like setting
while providing a stimulation of one’s senses through the Interior
Architecture.The Residence is located in an effluent suburban
neighborhood within a 20-year-old mid-rise condominium complex. The
Building is sited on an elongated, narrow lot that is surrounded in
concert with a moderately dense combination of mature deciduous and
evergreen trees and well manicured grounds of shrubbery, perennials,
and tow paths.Upon entrance to the Condominium, one passes a solid and
windowless wall into a poche containing service elements: the Foyer,
the Bathrooms, the Closets the Storage Room, and the Laundry Room. Once
through this concentrated entry, one fully encounters the highly
figured and sequenced flitches of anigre veneer, which blend as a
single mass of wood and provide a stable calm to the uncontrolled and
perpetual changing “personal touches” by the Client while concealing
the Home’s support functions. Contrasting this crisp golden core are
gently flowing white ceilings which accompany passage throughout the
Residence with a warm indirect glow. The open flow of the living spaces
planned furnishings are linked to the personal spaces by vertically
interlocked concentric forms (the Gallery), transitioning the Home’s
candor and privacy. The view and orientation in terms of sunlight is to
the east where full-height butted glass was introduced to enclose the
exterior terrace and reclaim the space for an interior retreat.1999 Honorable Mention, American Institute of Architects, Cleveland Chapter