House Tour: Zoka's East Village "Open" House

Today we are revisiting one of our favorite house tours, which we photographed in the summer of 2006. Zoka's home is featured in the new issue of Domino (page 91) which got us thinking that we should share our tour with you again...Enjoy!

Name: Zoka
Location: East Village
Size: 3000 sq. ft.

Enter Slideshow

I met architect Zoka Zola when I toured her home as part of a Great Chicago Spaces and Places event last month. Zoka led the tour of the house to a group of about 50 enthusiastic visitors. I wanted to share the experience with Apartment Therapy so I approached her afterwards with a request to photograph her home. She kindly agreed...

Zoka designed and built her home, the Pfanner house, from 2000-2002. She explored the concept of "opening" in its design, and compares the space to the breathing channels in healthy lungs. It won the Home of the Year 2003 Award (of North America) by Architecture magazine. She has lived there with her family for four years and her studio is housed on the ground floor.

This is a busy, lived in space. The family and Zoka's colleagues use the home fully. The studio, kitchen and dining area are bustling spots. The energy of hard work and business as usual downstairs in combination children's toys (and a pet fish) upstairs adds to the bright, positive feel throughout the home. An admirable collection of classic modern design furnishes the rooms and shows that these pieces are meant to be used, loved and enjoyed. It was nice to see high design get a "workout" in a family home.

Zoka is part of many interesting projects, including the zero energy Glass and Bedolla house which is scheduled for construction this year. In February 2006, she presented a Plan for 21st Century Chicago. It is a plan for sustainability and affordability based on Chicago's standard lots and proposed changes to current zoning.

Thanks Zoka!

-janel

Do you have an idea for a house tour?
Let us know - chicago(at)apartmenttherapy(dot)com - thanks!

Re-edited from a post originally published 06.22.06

Comments (11)

google maps' "street level" feature will allow you to see a 360 degree view of this house (1737 w. ohio street).

i live in this neighborhood and can say from seeing it on walks that it looks like it was designed taking the surrounding neighborhood into account.

she's featured in the latest domino mag.

Love this house inside and out! It is well thought out, well designed, well lived in. Goes to show what a little bit of discipline and planning can achieve.

Too often people confused clutter with 'home-y-ness' in fact I find this one of the most 'home-y' tours we have seen for quite a while. There is lot's of colors and many personal touches throughout, most notably original arts work (including some by their children - can't get more personal than that!)

As well , don;'t forget that this was a 'photo-shoot' and the place cleaned and staged accordingly -- I'm sure if you dropped by on the average Wednesday evening, you would find it looking a lot more 'lived-in'.

The white walls allow their beloved collection of furniture and art to shine, and the lack of clutter indicates that they only surround themselves with things that they love. Most houses have far too much 'stuff', usually because we buy things simply to fill a space and not because we love it, whether it is purchased at DWR or the local thrift store.

I think it's great.
Is there a lot of classic mid century modern furniture?
yes.
Are the walls all white?
yes.
Is it your house?
No.
So go decorate your house the way you want to.
Too many people on these threads are so critical.. too much this.. not enough that.. why did they choose this? Everyone is a critic.
Be kind to your neighbors and yourself.
it's just decor.
:)
soapbox over.

... but what do we live for but to make sport for our neighbors ... and laugh at them in our turn? ....

I just don't get what people mean when they say the house doesn't look "lived in." Looks quite lived in to me and VERY comfortable. And her colors are brought out in the furnishings. I love the white walls.

Not everyone needs to have curtains, clothing articles or throws draped over everything or picture frames everywhere in order to feel comforted. I feel most comforted in clean spacious spaces. I feel UNcomfortable, anxious, unbalanced, foggy-minded, etc. in cluttered spaces. Me and my mate live quite comfortably in our clean, organized space. It frees up our minds to think clearer. Some of you should try it and see how much more balanced your lives will be.

Cool place.
I agree the place could be punched up with more dynamic art of sorts.
The space is such a great backdrop for that.

Why so much sensitive commentary?
I doubt the owners are hurt by constructive criticism.
As long as you're not saying 'what you would do if it was your place', then offer a positive tip if you think you have one.
I used to think of this site as a place for design enthusiasts to build upon one another's ideas, but lately it's become a refuge for the easily wounded to read every critique as nasty and hurtful.
Sure there's justifiably a few jerks commenting, but candid, fresh ideas make this forum stimulating and challenges our design sense.

"Frankly, I would feel overexposed and vulnerable in this house, especially so when surrounded by those public walkways on 3 sides."

I agree! I'm kind of a privacy nut, so this would totally bother me. I think it's beautiful, but I could never live there. I'd have to spend a fortune to buy blinds for all the windows, and then spend half an hour running around and closing them every night.

Though I am sure the answer to this may involve DWR: Where is the red couch from? I looked through the dwr site and did not see a similar one.

This house is like a giant bottle of Zoloft. How could anyone be depressed while living here, even during winter? I always feel that Chicago homes should have more windows to combat the grayness.

It's light and open and beautiful, and really a humane design.