A Robert Maschke Residence · Cleveland, Ohio
Little big House
An award-winning modern residence on the doorstep of University Circle — a sculpted vessel of black stucco, folded metal, and light.
The Residence
One of the most consequential modern houses built in Northeast Ohio.
Conceived by Robert Maschke, FAIA, Little Big House reconciles the contradictions of its narrow urban site with a sculptural geometry that quietly redefines its century-old neighborhood. Behind a gated forecourt, the home unfolds across four levels around a private interior courtyard — a vertical sequence of light, glass, and meticulously crafted material.
Completed in 2016 and honored with a 2020 Architecture Award, it is offered now for the first time as a private sale.
The street façade — a folded composition in black stucco, concrete, and matched metal — presents a deliberate silence to the neighborhood. From within, the language inverts. Oversized panes of glass dissolve the boundary between volume and courtyard; a glass- walled stair rises through a double-height void; honed stone, white oak, and walnut warm the rigorous geometry.
Every level is reached by a private elevator. A rooftop terrace with outdoor kitchen, planted gardens, and a long view to University Circle crowns the residence. The architecture, in Maschke's words, "emerges from the reconciliation of inherent contradictions embedded within the site and program."
Appointments
Engineered, to the millimeter, for the way you live.
Private elevator
Serves all four levels alongside the glass-walled stair.
Interior courtyard
A private outdoor room at the center of the home.
Chef's kitchen
Custom cabinetry, professional appliances, oversized island.
Rooftop terrace
Outdoor kitchen, planted gardens, skyline view.
Marble baths
Heated floors, owner's suite with dressing room.
Smart-home systems
Lutron shades, audio, lighting, remote access.
Radiant heat
Throughout, including a heated driveway.
Whole-house water filtration
And full-property gated entry.
Separate guest residence
Two-bedroom companion structure available separately.
Construction
Built of steel and SIPS — engineered to last a century.
Beneath its sculpted black skin, Little Big House is a feat of modern construction. A welded structural steel frame carries every load, freeing the interior of bearing walls and allowing the architect's soaring double-height volumes and oversized glazing.
The envelope is wrapped in Structural Insulated Panels (SIPS) — a continuous, high-performance shell of rigid foam bonded between sheets of oriented strand board. The result is a home that is exceptionally airtight, quiet, and energy-efficient, with the structural integrity of commercial construction.
"The architecture emerges from the reconciliation of inherent contradictions embedded within the site and program."
Robert Maschke, FAIA
Location
The doorstep of University Circle.
Set within Cleveland's storied Little Italy, the residence sits moments from the Cleveland Museum of Art, Severance Hall, the Cleveland Clinic, Case Western Reserve, and the cafés and trattorias of Mayfield Road. Downtown is ten minutes by car.
- Address
- 2067 Random Road
- Neighborhood
- Little Italy · 44106
- Offered at
- $1,995,000
- MLS
- #5184932