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A Modernist Kenwood Townhome by Mies-Protégé Y.C. Wong

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Yau Chun (Y.C.) Wong trained and worked under Mies van der Rohe for a full decade, launching his own local practice in 1959. One of his earliest works was this eight-unit townhouse complex along 48th Street in Kenwood, completed in 1960. It's a telling precursor to Wong's nearby Atrium Homes, built just a year later. They're very similar, in fact, but for differing orientation to the outdoors. Instead of using an inward-facing atrium to bring greenery and light to a windowless box, big forward-facing windows open onto a high-walled front yard. Speaking about the mindset behind his Atrium Homes, Wong said, "when I get home after a day's work, I just want to be home and I don't want to be on the street."

One can score a similar degree of privacy with this new-to-market three-bedroom town home. The "light and airy" 1,000-square-foot space has an all-glass two-story facade, a "modern" kitchen, and newer systems. If there's one thing that may want attention, it's the yard. The price is right in line with one of the Atrium Homes that sold in August for $350K—exactly what this is asking—except that the Atrium Home is considerably larger, at 1,400-square-feet.
·Listing: 1152 E 48th Street [Urban Search]
·Yau Chun Wong (1921-2000) [The Art Institute]
·Y.C. Wong Atrium Townhome in Kenwood Sells for $350K [Curbed Chicago]