Green Bean Chicago

Millennium Park Bike Station

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Location

239 E. Randolph Map

Owner
City of Chicago

Architect
Muller & Muller

The Millennium Park Bike Station was completed in 2003, and although it is not LEED certified, it does warrant brief coverage as a green project. This is mostly because of the inherently green use of the 3-story building, as one of the nation's only centers dedicated to bicycle commuting and recreation. The building includes storage space for 300 bikes, showers, toilets, lockers, bike rentals, a bike repair station, a small summer time cafe, and houses the Chicago Lake Front Bike Police headquarters. Note that naming rights have finally been sold, so the official name is McDonald's Cycle Center (which this author considers an oxymoron).

Center for Neighborhood Technology

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Location

2125 W. North Map

Owner
Center for Neighborhood Technology

Architect
Jonathan Boyer

(Now of Farr Associates)

The Center for Neighborhood Technology's (CNT) 15,000 sf renovation of their Wicker Park home in a former weaving factory was the second LEED Platinum certified building in Chicago (CCGT was the first). Having received its certification in 2005 and being completed more than a year prior to that, it is long overdue for coverage on GreenBean. CNT's mission is very much to have others learn from their space - for more information please visit their website or stop by the building for a tour.

Access Living

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Location

115 W. Chicago Map

Owner
Access Living

Architect
LCM Architects

Access Living has moved into their new 4-story, 50,000 sf headquarters housing open plan and private offices and meeting rooms. As a non-profit providing support and services to the disabled, it's to be expected that their headquarters is a model of universal design. That the project is seeking LEED Silver certification is icing on the cake, and leads to some interesting parallels between these rapidly growing movements.

Update: Exelon Headquarters

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Chicago now has three LEED Platinum projects, which we believe is the most of any municipality in the nation. Added to the long-complete LEED-NC Platinum Chicago Center for Green Technology and Center for Neighborhood Technology (which we'll cover soon) is the new LEED-CI Platinum Exelon Headquarters, which we previously covered here. Exelon has a press release on the certification here. Congratulations to the entire project team!

Hannah's Bretzel Zwei

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Location

233 N. Michigan Map

Owner
Hannah's Bretzel

Architect
UrbanLab

Photo courtesy Michelle Litvin

Hannah's Bretzel, the outrageously popular organic lunch spot, has opened a second location in the Illinois Center (don't confuse this with the State of IL building, aka Thompson Center). This time, the 1,750 sf space is organic as well, seeking LEED for Commercial Interiors certification. As a frequent customer of the original location (down the street from my office), I'll admit an undue bias on this one.

Wieboldt Hall

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Location

339 E. Chicago Map

Owner
Northwestern University

Architect
SmithGroup

Wieboldt Hall is one of three original buildings built in 1926 on Northwestern's downtown campus. This high-rise building is undergoing a 31,000 sf renovation to modernize mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems and provide new classroom spaces and a new entry lobby to the School of Continuing Studies. A major MEP upgrade in a building of this vintage is inherently challenging, but in addition, Northwestern has elected to seek LEED for Commercial Interiors certification for the 4th and 5th floors, which will be complete in the first phase of renovation.

Exelon Headquarters

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Location

10 S. Dearborn Map

Owner
Exelon Corporation

Architect
Interior Space International

Exelon has moved into its new 10-floor, 220,000 sf headquarters space at Chase Tower. The project is targeting a LEED for Commercial Interiors Platinum certification, and is certain to acheive Gold status if Platinum isn't awarded. This is likely the largest green commercial interior space completed in Chicago and establishes Exelon's leadership among large corporations in Chicago - hopefully we'll see others following suit.

Gary Comer Youth Center

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Location

7200 S. Ingleside Map

Owner
South Shore Drill Team

Architect
John Ronan

The Gary Comer Youth Center is home to the South Shore Drill Team, a 300-member performance group for children 8 to 18 that performs in parades and on stage. The three-story, 74,000 sf building houses a gymnasium/theater, cafeteria, and many additional spaces such as a computer lab, dance room, and a recording studio. Unfortunately the project is not LEED certified (although it likely could have been), but it was awarded a 2006 Greenworks award. It has been extensively lauded in the media since opening in May 2006, and hosted Mayor Daley's latest re-election bid announcement.

AIA Chicago Offices

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Location
35 E. Wacker Map

Owner
AIA Chicago

Design Architects
Daimian Hines
Andrew M. Senderak
Natalie Banaszak

Architect of Record
HOK

photo courtesy Doug Snower Photography

The Chicago chapter of the American Institute of Architects is moving from their current home at the Merchandise Mart to a new office in the historic Jeweler's Building, also home to Helmut Jahn's office. They are seeking LEED for Commercial Interiors certification for this small interior build-out. The chapter held a design competition for young architects which was won by the folks listed above, who completed the project design with the assistance of HOK.

Farr Associates Office

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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.