Minimalist living: Gluck+ creates a calming lakeshore home in Chicago

Envisioned by New York-based architects Gluck+, House to the Beach was designed to encapsulate the atmosphere of West Coast living and transport it to a serene Midwestern lakeside location. Built for a large family of seven, the property is situated on a sandy stretch of private beach on the shores of Lake Michigan, bringing life to a picturesque plot that had been empty for over a decade.
Designed in direct response to the neighbouring Baha’i Temple, House to the Beach is minimal and refined, offsetting the temple’s ornamental facade. When entering the building from the street level – via the property's second floor – visitors are greeted by the structure’s main stairwell and the home’s family room and media lounge, both located adjacent to the children’s bedrooms. When descending the main stair, the internal programme slowly unfolds, as the visitor travels through the library before heading downwards, towards the home’s generous public areas that open out directly onto the beach.
Take an interactive tour of House to the Beach
The beach house’s minimal and subdued façade was designed to act as a subtle backdrop to the neighbouring grid of trees planted in the parking forecourt. Black stained cypress wood appears sporadically along the home’s base, creating the illusion that the upper levels float, and adding warmth and depth to the home’s exterior shell.
Materials were selected to enhance the spatial experience of each room; terrazzo stairs, for instance, provide texture. Vibrant splashes of colour make a calculated appearance throughout the property; the striking forest green curtain, situated midway down the main stair and hung on a circular track, provides a prime example. This gesture creates a moment of privacy for the nearby bedroom wing, while creating an intimate nook for relaxing and reading.
The three-storey home is open towards the beach, where stretches of lawn can also be seen, covering part of the property
The design also offsets the aesthetics for the neighbouring Baha’i Temple and its ornate facade
The internal program was composed as a response to the house’s context, taking into account the angle of the neighbouring main road and the 40-foot elevation from road to beach
When entering the property from the street level, visitors are greeted by the home’s main stairwell, which leads down to the private spaces
Floor-to-ceiling windows provide the bedrooms with stunning panoramic lake views
The living spaces are open-plan and flooded with light. A mezzanine houses the property’s library
The minimalist main staircase links all floors, right through to the lowest, partially submerged level
Materials were selected for their ability to enhance the interior’s spatial experience, explain the architects
Colour was implemented strategically in the design; for example, a curtain in forest green, situated midway down the main stair, also provides a moment of privacy for the nearby bedroom wing
INFORMATION
For more information, visit the Gluck+ website
Photography: Paul Warchol
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
-
Classic New York restaurants for delicious food and inspired design
From Michelin-starred fine dining to reimagined retro diners, these are the most emblematic (and easy-on-the-eye) places to eat in the Big Apple
-
Ten super-cool posters for the Winter Olympics and Paralympics have just been unveiled
The Olympic committees asked ten young artists for their creative take on the 2026 Milano Cortina Games
-
A local architect’s guide to Accra
Alice Asafu-Adjaye, founder of architecture studio Mustard, describes the Ghanaian capital as spicy, colourful and loud. Here’s how to tap into its contagious energy
-
A New Zealand house on a rugged beach exemplifies architect Tom Kundig's approach in rich, yet understated luxury
This coastal home, featured in 'Tom Kundig: Complete Houses', a new book launch in the autumn by Monacelli Press, is a perfect example of its author's approach to understated luxury. We spoke to Tom Kundig, the architect behind it
-
Tour architect Paul Schweikher’s house, a Chicago midcentury masterpiece
Now hidden in the Chicago suburbs, architect Paul Schweikher's former home and studio is an understated midcentury masterpiece; we explore it, revisiting a story from the Wallpaper* archives, first published in April 2009
-
The world of Bart Prince, where architecture is born from the inside out
For the Albuquerque architect Bart Prince, function trumps form, and all building starts from the inside out; we revisit a profile from the Wallpaper* archive, first published in April 2009
-
Is embracing nature the key to a more fire-resilient Los Angeles? These landscape architects think so
For some, an executive order issued by California governor Gavin Newsom does little to address the complexities of living within an urban-wildland interface
-
Hop on this Fire Island Pines tour, marking Pride Month and the start of the summer
A Fire Island Pines tour through the work of architecture studio BOND is hosted by The American Institute of Architects New York in celebration of Pride Month; join the fun
-
A Laurel Canyon house shows off its midcentury architecture bones
We step inside a refreshed modernist Laurel Canyon house, the family home of Annie Ritz and Daniel Rabin of And And And Studio
-
A refreshed Rockefeller Wing reopens with a bang at The Met in New York
The Met's Michael C Rockefeller Wing gets a refresh by Kulapat Yantrasast's WHY Architecture, bringing light, air and impact to the galleries devoted to arts from Africa, Oceania and the Ancient Americas
-
A Fire Island house for two sisters reimagines the beach home typology
Coughlin Scheel Architects’ Fire Island house is an exploration of an extended family retreat for the 21st century