The thick concrete panels of the old warehouse were ripped away and replaced with windows, creating an open, very light-driven, contemporary structure like sitting in a terminal at O’Hare Airport. The building was also equipped with an overhang protecting the glass walls from emitting too much light in the wrong areas. The orientation of the building takes advantage of morning sunlight. “I don’t really consider it a loss. We feel that considering this is the first Gold Certified Police building in the country, and that there were no renewable technology added to the building, we did very well.”

Come February, the non-profit ReBuilding Exchange will open its doors in the Brighton Park neighborhood, just a few blocks from the Kedzie Orange Line stop. The organization’s facility will serve as a clearinghouse for salvaged building supplies that will, among others, divert waste from landfills, conserve energy-intensive resources, create jobs for the underemployed and provide affordable materials to an underserved community.