Henry Dubin's Battledeck House
Restoration of a remarkable historic home designed by a renowned Modernist Architect.
Preservation Architects and Architectural Historians at JLK worked with the owner of the house for over ten years to meticulously restore this significant National Register-listed and Highland Park Landmark home. JLK coordinated with the State Historic Preservation Office as well as the City of Highland Park and Landmarks Illinois, both of which manage easements over the exterior of the house. All work was designed and carried out in conformance with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties.
Masonry
The exterior brick walls were cleaned and repaired, and any deteriorated or missing brick was replaced in-kind with new units that matched as closely as possible. Removal of latex paint and Portland cement presented challenges. Removal of all cement was not possible resulting in contrasting appearance at various points throughout the facades. JLK reviewed the oral history with Dubin’s son at the Art Institute of Chicago and determined that a Keim mineral wash would unify the appearance of the masonry facades and replicate the original white wash.
West Porch
The west porch required complete reconstruction due to deteriorated conditions. The original porch was open air, but to better serve the needs of the homeowners, the porch was rebuilt as an enclosed structure with plate glass following photographic evidence of such a condition at the mid-twentieth century. The overall design followed the apperance of the original porch.
Roof and Roof Deck
The existing roofing material was repaired at all levels. The non-original wood pallet decking was removed and replaced with a porcelain stone tile system on pedestals. The metal overhang was restored and repainted following historic photographs. The copings on all roof levels were replaced with natural bluestone. Handrails were recreated following historic photographs and original drawings. The chimney was disassembled and repaired.
Garage, Driveway, and Wing Wall
The driveway was rebuilt with new pavers and the front steps were replaced with new bluestone steps. The wing wall extending out along the driveway was disassembled and repaired. The original light fixture inset into the wing wall was replicated to match historic conditions. The garage door was replaced with a custom wood door sympathetic to the original door specified in historic drawings.
Architect Henry Dubin, a student of the Bauhaus, designed his International Style house in Highland Park, Illinois following the construction method for battleships – large steel flooring plates were dropped into place with a crane and welded to the steel frame of the house. The exterior is clad with Chicago common brick and features long horizontal bands and large fields of windows. The house was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.
2020
Award for Restoration
City of Highland Park Historic Preservation Commission
Preservation Architects and Architectural Historians at JLK worked with the owner of the house for over ten years to meticulously restore this significant National Register-listed and Highland Park Landmark home. JLK coordinated with the State Historic Preservation Office as well as the City of Highland Park and Landmarks Illinois, both of which manage easements over the exterior of the house. All work was designed and carried out in conformance with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties.
Masonry
The exterior brick walls were cleaned and repaired, and any deteriorated or missing brick was replaced in-kind with new units that matched as closely as possible. Removal of latex paint and Portland cement presented challenges. Removal of all cement was not possible resulting in contrasting appearance at various points throughout the facades. JLK reviewed the oral history with Dubin’s son at the Art Institute of Chicago and determined that a Keim mineral wash would unify the appearance of the masonry facades and replicate the original white wash.
West Porch
The west porch required complete reconstruction due to deteriorated conditions. The original porch was open air, but to better serve the needs of the homeowners, the porch was rebuilt as an enclosed structure with plate glass following photographic evidence of such a condition at the mid-twentieth century. The overall design followed the apperance of the original porch.
Roof and Roof Deck
The existing roofing material was repaired at all levels. The non-original wood pallet decking was removed and replaced with a porcelain stone tile system on pedestals. The metal overhang was restored and repainted following historic photographs. The copings on all roof levels were replaced with natural bluestone. Handrails were recreated following historic photographs and original drawings. The chimney was disassembled and repaired.
Garage, Driveway, and Wing Wall
The driveway was rebuilt with new pavers and the front steps were replaced with new bluestone steps. The wing wall extending out along the driveway was disassembled and repaired. The original light fixture inset into the wing wall was replicated to match historic conditions. The garage door was replaced with a custom wood door sympathetic to the original door specified in historic drawings.
Architect Henry Dubin, a student of the Bauhaus, designed his International Style house in Highland Park, Illinois following the construction method for battleships – large steel flooring plates were dropped into place with a crane and welded to the steel frame of the house. The exterior is clad with Chicago common brick and features long horizontal bands and large fields of windows. The house was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.
2020
Award for Restoration
City of Highland Park Historic Preservation Commission
Original drawings and historic photographs guided the restoration of this significant International Style house.
