Tony Grunsfeld Homes For Sale On The North Shore

NORTHFIELD, IL — Tony Grunsfeld is among the most prolific and distinctive architects active on Chicago's North Shore during the second half of the 20th Century. Though sometimes appearing closed off from the front, his minimalist modern designs tend to allow the natural setting of his to envelop the interior, often with floor-to-ceiling windows in the back.

Born in 1929 the son of the architect who designed the Adler Planetarium, Ernest A. "Tony" Grunsfeld, III, built more than 130 single family homes across the Chicago suburbs, including dozens of waterfront homes. After studying at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and designing buildings for the Air Force, he went to work for Skidmore, Owings and Merrill George Fred Keck before joining a former partner of his father, Wallace Yerkes, in a residential practice.

According to the Art Institute of Chicago, Grunsfeld and Yerkes soon became preferred architects for prominent North Shore clients. Yerkes died in 1965 and Grunsfeld took over, building modernist residential and commercial properties throughout the country. His sensitivity to site, landscape and materials is highly regarded, according to a biography accompanying an Art Institute oral history. Grunsfeld died in 2011, and his longtime partner, architect Thomas L. Shafer, has continued the firm.

Check out six Grunsfeld designs currently on the market on the North Shore, listed in chronological order of construction:

30 Estate Drive in Glencoe — $5.5 million

• Built: 1962
• 4 bedrooms, 4.1 bathrooms
• 5,756 square feet on a 1.5-acre lot

This lakefront home with 10-foot floor-to-ceiling windows throughout has been updated with a new kitchen and appliances. It includes three exterior patios and an attached three-car garage.

15 Country Lane in Northfield — $3.85 million

• Built: 1967
• 4 bedrooms, 5.1 bathrooms
• 5,232 square feet on a 0.52-acre lot

This steel design combines privacy with a "panorama of the outdoors," according to its listing. It features teak doors, floors and paneling, a full bath with sauna, an outdoor pavilion, a 56-foot pool, spa and lighted tennis court.

657 Hibbard Road in Winnetka — $1.65 million

• Built: 1978
• 3 bedrooms, 4.1 bathrooms
• 5,483 square feet on a 1-acre lot

This brick Ranch-style design features a flexible floorplan, and its centerpiece is a great room with vaulted ceilings with skylights, a marble fireplace and floor-to ceiling windows. It includes a finished basement with a rec room and an outdoor grilling area and patio.

2087 Windy Hill Lane in Highland Park — $869,000

• Built: 1992
• 6 bedrooms, 7.1 bathrooms
• 5,508 square feet on a 0.5-acre lot

This contemporary design on a private cul-de-sac includes two-story windows in a massive family room with a large, granite wet bar. The back of the cedar home opens onto a full length deck and spacious yard.

103 Prospect Ave. in Highland Park — $3 million

• Built: 1996
• 4 bedroom, 3.2 bathrooms
• 6,752 square feet on a 0.86-acre lot

Though closed from the front, the floor-to-ceiling windows in this home curve outwards, overlooking a landscaped wildflower meadow and fire pit. The property is located less than a block from Lake Michigan.
Read more: Tony Grunsfeld Design Beside Lake Asks For $3 Million »

845 Greenleaf Avenue in Glencoe — $3.9 million

• Built: 2010
• 3 bedrooms, 5.2 bathrooms
• 4,757 square feet on a 0.72-acre lot

Sitting along the ravine on the west side of Sheridan Road, this 1.5-story cedar and stone design was custom-built for a financial services manager shortly before Grunsfeld's death. It has "soaring ceilings" and "exquisite materials" floor-to-ceiling windows all over its first floor, providing views from every room, and its lower level has a walk-out to the patio.

Note: Some of the above homes are listed as pending sales. None had closed as of Sept. 25, according to realtor.com. Click on any image for more information.