GreenBean

Urban House 1

Location
448 E. 44th St. Map

Owner
Genesis Housing Development Corporation

Architect
DBStudio - IIT College of Architecture

Urban House 1 is a two-story, 1800 sf, three bedroom wood-frame house being built through a new design/build course at the Illinois Institute of Technology. Led by professors Eva Kultermann and Thomas Gentry, students tackle sustainable design, healthy construction, social responsiveness and design excellence simultaneously - a typically ambitious student assignment! This is one of a pair of projects being built side-by-side on 44th Street (on land purchased from the city) that are perhaps the most exotic green homes underway in the city, primarily because of their aggressive passive and active solar design.

Orchard Residence

Location
2202 N. Orchard Map

Owner
Private Residence

Architect
Dirk Denison Architects

The Orchard Residence is a 9,700 sf, 3-story plus basement single-family home currently under construction (6,600 sf with basement and garage). This is the largest home we've covered yet and is certain to raise some eyebrows because of the materials and energy consumption associated with such size, although it is worth noting it will be home to a large family. Most customer luxury projects include advanced features such as renewable energy equipment or ground-source heat pumps, but the green features on this home are mostly the basics.

2020 Green Dream

Location
2020 W. Rice Map

Owner
Private Residences

Architect
Wolbrink Architects Chartered

2020 Green Dream is a 3-unit, 5,700 sf multifamily residence built as a speculative, for-sale development. This project exemplifies a straightforward, reasonable-cost approach to green that should be replicable by other for-profit developments. All units are Energy Star rated and the architect recently won a GreenWorks Award for market transformation in green building.

Farr Associates Office

Location
53 W. Jackson Map

Owner
Farr Associates

Architect
Farr Associates

Farr's 3,200 square foot office space in the historic Monadnock Building is another example of historic preservation and green design working together. The space was a LEED for Commercial Interiors pilot project and is currently applying for the final certification.

True Nature Rooftop Victory Garden

Location
6034 N. Broadway Map

Owner
True Nature Foods

Architect
Echo Studio

True Nature Foods, a community-oriented organic foods store has installed a 1,400 sf green roof on top of their building, a former auto shop. This modest project would be similar to many others in Chicago if it weren't for the fact that this roof is to be food-producing - plants grown on the roof will eventually be sold alongside the store's other produce. The roof was made possible through the efforts of Urban Habitat Chicago, a start-up nonprofit interested in experimental projects.