Four Inspiring Chicago Landscapes by Hoerr Schaudt

“Exuberance and restraint, spontaneity and reflection, romance and pragmatism, memory and anticipation,” these characteristics, noted in the foreword to Movement and Meaning: The Landscapes of Hoerr Schaudt, were all in evidence at four of the firm’s Chicago projects during The Cultural Landscape Foundation’s (TCLF) May 10 daylong excursion. The weather gods also cooperated (hats off to those who made the appropriate offerings).

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The event, brilliantly and meticulously organized by Hoerr Schaudt President and TCLF Board Member Carroll Conway, began with breakfast at the firm's exceptional new office space. The group then boarded a bus and headed to the first of three private residential projects in the Lincoln Park neighborhood, one of three neighborhoods in the city where Italianate architecture had its heyday in the 1860s to 1890s. The landscape at the first destination, a restored Italianate residence, is revealed through a series of thematic garden rooms, which draw inspiration from historical elements and specific local materials. The layout is divided into two main sections: a street-facing front yard and a sequence of private back garden spaces. The inviting backyard includes a versatile space for entertaining, seamlessly linked to the kitchen and dining room. The tiered design also features a dining area on one level, transitioning to a casual lounge area with a fireplace. A spa courtyard doubles as a tranquil water feature and a functional hot tub, harmonizing with the lush greenery focused on textures rather than flowers.

The second stop, a new Modernist residence, features stone and iron as the primary materials used in the garden’s design. Massive slabs of Eden Stone at the front walk create a clean, uncluttered arrival experience, while a heavy iron gate serves to deconstruct the building’s mass with its contrasting color. Large swaths of pachysandra and lawn soothe the eye in the side garden’s ground plane, while groves of large birch trees create an alluring foreground to the lawn beyond. In the back gravel garden, free-form plantings that meld into the gravel relax the hard geometry and create a more casual space.

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The last of the three homes was an Irish Georgian-style residence which inspired the classical walled garden that feels more like a private emerald isle. Here, generous green roofs and terraces expand the landscape beyond the first floor of the home, investing the exterior with a quiet yet elegant drama. Cleverly shielded views, deploying a lofty hawthorn hedge at the rear terrace and trees grown in containers atop the alleyway garage, provide privacy and a secluded space for outdoor recreation, entertaining, and repose for the homeowners – not to mention an air of expectation within the perfectly aligned spaces.

A sumptuous lunch was held in a private dining room at The Kitchen. Serendipitously, May 10 was also the birthday of firm’s co-founder and former TCLF Board Member the late Peter Schaudt, who was toasted over lunch. Also recognized were Conway and sponsor GameTime for their generous support. One attendee shared, “It was a treat to have the design team, and clients, provide background and discuss the inspiration and intentions of the designs.”

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The final stop was the Old Chicago Post Office. After a brief tour of the building’s interior amenities, attendees were brought to the expansive rooftop Meadow. Visually stunning, the Meadow boasts some 41,000 plants comprising more than 50 species. The environmental benefits are substantial: the urban meadows and trees prevent more than a quarter-million gallons of stormwater from becoming polluted runoff, while the meadow captures more than one million pounds of CO2 and decreases energy consumption as well as the emission of air pollutants and greenhouse gases. Hoerr Schaudt posted a video of tour highlights on instagram. 

TCLF’s next daylong excursion will take place on Friday October 4, 2024, and features Oak Spring, the refined and exquisite Upperville, VA estate of “Bunny” Mellon. On October 6 TCLF will offer an exclusive sneak preview of the documentary SITTING STILL, featuring renowned landscape architect, National Medal of Arts recipient (2012), and former TCLF Board Member Laurie Olin, before its premier broadcast on PBS; a reception to follow. Please note that the excursion and the reception are ticketed separately.