Oscar B. Balch House, Prairie School private residence in Oak Park, United States.
The Oscar B. Balch House is a single-family residence in Oak Park designed in the Prairie School style with strong horizontal lines throughout. It features a low-pitched roof, extended eaves, decorative art glass windows, and brick walls with a central brick fireplace and balconies inside.
The house was designed in 1911 by Frank Lloyd Wright shortly after his return from Europe. It marks an important moment when Wright was establishing his approach to residential design through the Prairie School movement.
This residence represents how Prairie School architects thought about living spaces differently than their predecessors. You can see in the layout how the design connects indoor and outdoor areas rather than separating them.
This residence is located in a residential neighborhood that is easy to walk through. It helps to know the house can be viewed from the street, as it sits in a private residential area.
The house underwent major renovations in 2021 to achieve net-zero carbon emissions while keeping its original architectural details intact. It demonstrates how contemporary sustainability practices can work alongside historic preservation.
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