Name: Exelon City Solar
Location: 1201 W. 120th Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60643 View Larger Map
Company: Exelon Corporation
By Rosie Powers
Chicago’s South Side has been swept by sustainability, now housing the largest solar power plant in the United States.
Chicago Mayor Richard Daley was one of many local officials who were present for the July 21 dedication of the [...]

Architect: Nathan Kipnis Architects
Developer: Scott Simpson Builders
Location: 370 Washington, Glencoe, IL
By Jason LaFleur
With an eye to the future, more homeowners are building green. In the North Shore village of Glencoe, Ill., Barry and Natalie Slotnick are building a resource and energy-efficient single-family home for their growing family, planning to achieve the LEED for Homes Gold [...]

Owner: Doug Sandberg
Architect: Sandberg Architecture, http://parkhouseconstruction.blogspot.com
Building Use: Single-family home
Floor Area: 2600 square feet, including basement & garage
Number of Floors: 2 + basement/garage split level
6728 North Seeley Avenue, Chicago, IL 60645
By Katherine Darnstadt
“No way!”
That was the initial response from architect Doug Sandberg when his wife Catherine first mentioned an available 18-foot-wide infill lot as the [...]

Project location: 168 Elm Ave., Elmhurst, IL 60126
Firm: de la fleur LLC
Project Landscape Architect: Marcus de la fleur
By Kareeshma Ali
Quite often when it comes to implementation of innovative design, people shy away saying, “not in my backyard!” This “NIMBY” attitude was a big driver in the transformation of Marcus de la [...]

Location: 155 N. Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60606
Owner: JBC Opportunity Fund II & III / Morgan Stanley Real Estate
Developer: The John Buck Company / Brijus Property Company
Architect: Goettsch Partners
General Contractor: Bovis Lend Lease
Structural Engineer: Magnusson Klemencic Associates
Mechanical Engineer: Hill Mechanical Group
Owner-advocate for LEED Management: Environmental Systems Design Inc.
Project Manager: Raphael Carreira—The John Buck Company
Certification: U.S. [...]

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.