A Home with a Mind and a Conscience: Museum of Science and Industry Smart Home
57th St. and Lake Shore Drive
Location
57th Street and Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60607 Map
Owner
Museum of Science and Industry
Architect
Michelle Kaufmann
Builder
All American Homes
General Contractor
NORCON INC
By William Olson
The future of residential architecture and design is on display at the Museum of Science and Industry through January 4, 2009. Designed by architect Michelle Kaufmann and billed as Chicago’s greenest house, Smart Home is a real home built to showcase what sustainable living can truly be.
The home was prefabricated, which means it was built in many complex pieces at another site and re-assembled at the museum. This method of building tends to take less time and make less waste, saving energy and consuming fewer resources. Bamboo hardwood flooring, carpets made from recycled coffee bean bags, kitchen counters made from recycled sawdust, bathroom vanities made from recycled porcelain toilets, and a shower stall made from recycled chardonnay glass bottles are a few of the home’s more prominent features which make use of recycled materials. From the multi-sectioned exterior of the home to its removable interior walls, the Smart Home is engineered to anticipate repairs and replacements without needing to undertake a wholesale replacement of any of its apparently permanent features. Even the garage is made to accommodate alternative uses should this car fad ever fade.
The three story Smart Home is green inside and out. All the materials used to construct the building are non-toxic and low VOC (volatile organic compounds). The home also has an air filtration and purification system and uses spray-in foam insulation. Spray-in foam insulation is superior to traditional rolled insulation because it provides a stronger barrier within walls which helps to minimize air leakage for increased energy efficiency. The manufacturers of spray-in foam insulation claim that the product will not shrink, sag or settle over time. The exterior is made of dozens of prefabricated, sectioned panels which makes construction faster (less energy consumed) and allows for the easy replacement of panels if the need arises.
A computer operated home automation system allows the homeowner to control heat, window coverings, lighting, security sensors and cameras and track electricity, gas and water consumption in real time, while sitting comfortably in front of the home computer. The owner has the ability to monitor and understand the home’s daily and monthly consumption and can even compare yesterday’s water use to last month’s use on the same day. It’s possible to program the home’s “brain” to and sends information to the LCD dashboard in the lounge. Just sit back and relax while it takes care of everything from monitoring the moisture levels of plants in the home to signaling the stereo for a pre-dawn concerto.
Energy efficiency is built into every aspect of the Smart Home. A green roof sits on top of the building. It’s inhabited by native perennials which helps keep internal temperatures down in the summer, insulate the home in the winter, absorb rainwater and minimize water runoff. Also atop the home are a series of photovoltaic solar strips that power a majority of the home’s energy needs. These panels are more durable and powerful than traditional solar panels, working even on overcast days and when covered with as much as six inches of snow. Oversized windows, sliding doors, sunshades and Energy Star appliances add to the home’s toolbox of energy savings. There is even a sun-oven on the rooftop that offers a green alternative to Chicago’s staple outdoor cooktop — the grill.
Even though the Smart Home is just a short distance from one of the world’s greatest reservoirs of fresh water, it’s been built to conserve this scarce resource. The house has water savers such as low-flow showerheads and dual flush toilets. In truth, little water goes to waste in the home as rainwater is collected from the roof and diverted into three 30-gallon receptacles beneath the first floor, which is then purified and recycled for drinking and bathing. The toilets—themselves representing the ultra green in water use—use water recycled from the baths and sinks, or “grey water,” to flush waste.
The high tech gadgets necessary for modern, green tech living are part of Smart Home. Composting is done through a tabletop composter. A ventless and portable fireplace burns ethanol and gives off carbon dioxide and water vapor as exhaust and a stationary children’s bike is used to power a Nintendo Wii. Charging your cell phone inside the Smart Home is also green, it uses solar power.
Smart Home offers the real life experience of modern green living. It’s more than a model. Everything actually works. And during a tour of the exhibit there’s a chance to learn just how green building is really done.
Tags: air filtration, air purification, computer-operated automation system, Energy Efficient, green roof, greywater, Museum of Science and Industry, prefabricated, rapidly renewable materials, recycled materials, solar electric, spray-in foam insulation, Sun oven
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