Location: 449 North Clark Street, Chicago
Owner/Developer: Rick Bayless
Architect: Farr Associates
General Contractor: Goldberg General Contracting
By Garratt Hasenstab
Most “foodies” associate the name Rick Bayless with innovative Mexican cuisine, however now Bayless also stands out as a leader in Chicago’s sustainable development scene.
First came the groundbreaking gourmet Mexican restaurant, Frontera Grill. Then Bayless brought Topolobampo to the scene, [...]

Location: Hannah’s Bretzel, 233 N. Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60601
Owner: Florian Pfahler
Architect: UrbanLab

By Azmina Alimohd
The restaurant industry is well-known for its wasteful habits and large carbon footprint, disposing of materials such as Styrofoam, plastic and trash. Fighting the customary commercial business practices, Hannah’s Bretzel brings a new rise to Chicago food consumers.
Hannah’s Bretzel was the first U.S. Green [...]

The Haworth Merchandise Mart showroom was chosen as one of 104 projects to participate in the U.S. Green Building Council’s nationwide LEED-CI pilot program. In 2005, the Haworth showroom became the first LEED-CI Gold certified showroom in the Merchandise Mart. This project set the bar for at least eight other showrooms seeking LEED-CI or LEED-EB certification within the Merchandise Mart.

Logan Square Kitchen is more than a commercial kitchen and 75-seat event space that happens to be designed sustainably; it is a community incubator that will provide social and public health benefits that are beyond the scope of LEED. The project intends to set the bar for a LEED Gold Commercial Interior renovation.