Prairie House
- Location Northfield, Illinois
- Design 1965
- Construction 1965-66
- General Contractor Ben Pekin Corporation
- Structural Engineer Fred Weisinger
- Mechanical Engineer Wallace and Migdal
- Interior Design Mary Ann Stuart
- Landscape Architect Gertrude Kuh
- Design Principal Ernest A Grunsfeld III FAIA
- Photography Orlando Cabanban
A simple, rectangular building, the Prairie House is located on a three-acre site in Winnetka, Illinois. The front and rear elevations feature long walls of glass to maximize views of the midwestern prairie, while the two short elevations feature brick walls with few penetrations as they look onto neighboring properties. Flowing across the front of the property is a small man-made stream, which must be crossed via bridge to access the residence. Located behind the house is a tennis court, a pool, an all-glass pool house.
Oiled natural Teak woodwork and white marble floors intentionally contrast with one another, and the off-white walls were designed to display the many paintings and sculpture of the owner’s art collection. Exterior terraces blend with interior materials through the extensive use of tumbled white marble pre-cast paving.