The construction of the house located at Linden Leaf Drive in Glenview, IL definitely deserves the attention of any person interested in architecture. The solutions we used were unusual in many respects – the windows came from Europe, and we covered the walls with Raynobond ACM panels. It is also worth mentioning the timing of the project – the vast majority of the work was done in 9 months, from March to December 2020. The final acceptance of the building took place a year later, but by then, we also managed to take care of the interior finishing to the highest possible standard. Although this is not the most advanced project we have dealt with as a general construction contractor, we are very proud of it, as absolutely every detail was taken care of here.

Concept Stage

The house we had been building is quite large – the total area of the first floor and first floor is 4658 square feet (2502 and 2156 sqft, respectively), increased by an additional 1822 square feet of basement area. Thanks to the large corner plot, the architectural office was able to prepare a building design with a rectangular, ergonomic shape. The house we built is extremely comfortable, and at the same time stands out from the neighboring properties. The high body and modern stylistic solutions are sure to catch the attention of all passersby.

How Did It Start?

The process of building the new house began with the preparation of the corner plot where the previous building was located. Demolition took a very short time – the structure was removed in one day, and just a week after it began we were able to start pouring the footings. There were trees on the property – we preserved some of them, while there were also some that had to be removed. Demolition lasted from March 11 to 17, 2020.

Groundwork

The basement of the house at Linden Leaf Drive was to be as functional as possible – the architectural design called for a guest room, living room, storage and bathroom. This stage of the work took almost a month and a half. Due to rainfall, we were only able to finalize the whole process in May, when the weather improved. Because of the aforementioned bedroom, it was necessary to place windows – for this reason, the project also included the digging of window wells, located on the north side of the house. This phase lasted from March 17 to May 11.

Framing

The project is gaining momentum – it took us just over a month to erect the walls including the roof structure – we started our work on June 2, while we completed it on July 10. This is probably the most spectacular part of the construction of the house, because in a relatively short period of time, the landscape of the plot clearly changes. It is from this point on that the house begins to resemble its final version, and it remains to give it some charm.

Insulation, Windows, Plumbing & Electric

The next stage of the work was to lay a layer of insulating wool inside the house, install custom-made European ones, and install all the necessary installations, especially ventilation, electricity and plumbing. According to the client’s wishes, the house was to be as insulated as possible, so that its operating costs would be as low as possible. Thanks to the air heating system, the interiors will have a stable temperature, and the whole thing is powered by solar roof.

Cladding, Driveway, and Garden

With winter approaching, we needed to complete the insulation of the house as soon as possible, which reduced the cost of heating the building and enabled finishing work in later months. In parallel with the installation of ACM panels from Reynobond, we were busy building a patio geared for year-round use and establishing a garden. Bringing in large plants and ready-rolled grass meant that after just a few months, the entire plot looked exactly as the investor had dreamed. In mid-November, we also made the driveway to the garage, which will stand 3 cars. In one of the photos, we also showed HVAC system units – with their help, the house will be heated and cooled.

Tesla Solar Roof

The culmination of the project was the installation of an extremely modern rooftop material. Tiles from the Tesla Solar Roof system are not just an accessory – they generate huge amounts of energy, allowing the house to be heated and cooled almost free of charge all year round. Very interestingly, thanks to the use of Powerwall 2 energy storage, the current electricity bills do not exceed $500 per year, which is also possible thanks to the use of very efficient thermal insulation. This is the final stage of the house project at Linden Leaf drive in Glenview – during the installation of the solar tiles, the owner picked up the keys and still lives there today. The Tesla Solar Roof was installed by probably the best roofing contractor in Chicago North Shore area – A.B. Edward.