- Project: 510 House
- Architect: Johnsen Schmaling Architects
- Location: United States, Fox Point, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Year: 2023
- Area: 270 m2
- Photography: John J. Macaulay
A Modern Home in a Postwar Suburb
Set in Fox Point, a tranquil postwar suburb on Milwaukee’s north shore, the 510 House by Johnsen Schmaling Architects is a contemporary residence that artfully reconciles its owners’ dual desires: seclusion and serenity for private life, and openness for frequent social gatherings.
Embedded into the site’s gentle slope and surrounded by mature trees, the 2,900-square-foot home reinterprets suburban living with a composition of two interlocking building forms. Their T-shaped configuration divides the site into a public forecourt and a sheltered private garden, ensuring clear spatial hierarchies for both everyday living and hospitality.
The Interlocking Volumes
The program is distributed across two primary volumes:
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A wood-clad bar, running along the site’s western edge, consolidates parking, service spaces, and the master suite.
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A perpendicular volume, defined by a folding ribbon of concrete block, houses the social and entertainment areas. This element negotiates the site’s sloping topography and culminates in an elevated observatory with views toward Lake Michigan.
The meeting point of these forms is marked by a deeply recessed vestibule, providing a calm entry sequence and direct access to both private and public quarters.
The Living Hall: Social Epicenter
At the home’s core lies the living hall, a large open space that accommodates cooking, dining, and lounging. This social hub is defined by green-hued perimeter walls, whose color—at a spectral wavelength of 510 nanometers—gives the house its name.
The green tones infuse the interior with the lush vibrancy of Wisconsin’s short summers, acting as a visual counterpoint during the long winters when the windows frame frozen landscapes. The walls extend outside, giving architectural expression to the living hall as a proud piano nobile, suspended within the concrete ribbon.
Interior Detailing and Flow
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A linear kitchen runs along one side of the living hall, anchored by a central island.
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The pantry wall transitions into a wooden ceiling liner, unifying the dining and lounge areas before folding down to form a built-in media cabinet.
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A sitting area opposite the kitchen engages the space with warmth and intimacy, framed by tall glass panels.
A delicate steel staircase connects vertically: upward to the observatory and green roof, and downward to a guest lounge and bedroom suite, which open onto a sunken terrace with a fire pit.
Materiality and Atmosphere
The home’s material palette is deliberately minimal:
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Exterior: concrete block ribbon, wood cladding, and recessed cedar-lined voids.
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Interior: white oak floors, white walls, and natural wood cabinetry.
This restraint emphasizes geometry, color, and spatial composition, creating a setting that feels both serene and highly adaptable to its dual role as a private sanctuary and social hub.
The 510 House exemplifies Johnsen Schmaling Architects’ mastery of geometric clarity and spatial nuance. With its T-shaped organization, evocative use of color, and careful integration into its sloping site, the home strikes a rare balance between privacy and conviviality, offering a refined architectural response to modern suburban living.
