By Susan D. Turner, AIA, PMP, LEED AP
Developer: Matt Phillips, Integrated Design Development Group LLC (IDG)
Architect: Larry Booth, Booth Hanson (Chicago)
HVAC Consultants: Deirdre McDaniel, WMA Engineering (Chicago)
Interior Design Bonnie Mason, Interior Design Associates (Nashville)
Estimated Cost: $ 150,000,000
Designed in 1924 by Jarvis Hunt, the former Lake Shore Athletic Club is a twenty story, 370,000 square-foot Beaux Arts building, built of masonry [...]

By Susan Turner
One of the purposes of establishing a green rating system such as LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is to reduce the consumption of the earth’s resources. Historic buildings are one of the largest repositories of embodied energy. This project, located at 2620 W. Washington, retains the embodied energy of the entire [...]

By Susan Turner
Architect Jessie McGrath and developer Sylvan Shank, like many others in their field, have gotten into the spirit of Chicago’s green movement, beginning restoration of a project located on 1927 N. Honore. The building, constructed in 1907, was developed during the Chicago’s Garden Movement (c1900-1941), and is located on a street with many [...]

This home features several sophisticated green technologies such as geothermal HVAC and a grid-tied, battery backup 2.5 kW photovoltaic system.

Among the most innovative of the home’s green features is the use of insulating concrete forms (ICFs). According to the Insulating Concrete Forms Association’s website, the use of ICFs results in sturdier, quieter, more energy efficient homes. Instead of being made of wood paneling like traditional houses, ICF homes are built with concrete containing two layers of insulation, and are built to withstand the damages of fire, wind and time. The use of ICF should result in lower heating and cooling expenses.

As part of an effort to stimulate sustainable and equitable economic development in one of the more socioeconomically distressed areas of the region, the City of Chicago is sponsoring one of the largest sustainable neighborhood revitalization developments in the country. Consisting of 1,140 acres in the South Chicago neighborhood, the Leadership for Energy and Environmental Design for Neighborhood Development (LEED ND) plan will serve as a guide to the city for sustainable redevelopment on the south side for the next 25 years.