• Project CodeLAFAR
  • Project NameHouse as Garden
  • LocationChicago, Illinois
  • ArchitectMichael Sorkin Studio
  • TypeResidential + Commercial + Hospitality
  • StatusCompetition – Winner

House as Garden is a 5-story residential building project that was awarded the gold prize for the 2020 LaFarge Holcim Competition in North America. Envisioned to transform the West Woodlawn neighborhood in Chicago into a new sustainable district, the complex includes a number of shared areas for collective recreation and green areas for on-site agriculture, in addition to its eight housing units. In collaboration with Blacks in Green, a non-profit organization, and Michael Sorkin Studio, this project was designed to be net carbon negative to support its vision of being a sustainable, autonomous system, and self-reliant on energy, agricultural, and sociability.

Additional Information
Büro Ehring provided full structural engineering design and building envelope consulting for this project. Its system and materials feature a hybrid glulam, CLT, and concrete structure, and a timber-framed unitized panel facade system. To achieve net negative, materials are sourced for lowest embodied and emitted carbon and dimensioned for ease of erection and fabrication by small, local contractors, carpenters, and apprentices.

Expertise Caption
Structural Design, Façade + Building Envelope Consulting, BIM Modelling, Detailed Drawings and Coordination