Chicago Green Homes (CGH) is the city’s green certification program for small residential projects. Most of the concepts are similar to LEED®, but whereas LEED® is fairly performance-based, requiring a certain amount of research and calculation to demonstrate compliance with each credit, Chicago Green Homes is more prescriptive, which is easy for small projects to use.

This a project designed by an architect as his own family residence. It is another example of a budget-conscious but reasonably responsible design. Most of the green investment goes into energy-saving, but easily achievable features - rigid exterior insulation with spray foam insulation between studs, high-efficiency mechanical systems, and an Energy Star roof.

This is a small developer’s first foray into green multifamily housing, and is a great example of a newer developer that recognizes how green building differentiates their product. These three green buildings make this little corner in Humboldt Park one of the greenest in Chicago! This project is seeking Chicago Green Homes certification. This isn’t a demonstration project with exotic features, but does include nearly all of the increasingly-standard features on green buildings, such as high-efficiency mechanical equipment, low-VOC and recycled content materials. It also includes the all-important layer of continuous insulation (to eliminate thermal bridging), which it is often so difficult to convince developers of this housing type to do.