Nearly every energy conservation measure possible has been applied in this green home in order to reach the zero energy goal. The remaining heating and cooling are provided by a geothermal system. The project has received city approval and is seeking state approval for a greywater and rainwater harvesting system that will be used both for toilet flushing and irrigation. The inverted roof visible in the rendering is designed for rainwater collection, but also cleverly hides the solar hot water and solar electric panels that round out the energy approach. This is a nice example of a design statement and two different performance goals all working in tandem.

Location
6001 N. Menard, Chicago, IL 60646  Map
Owner
Private Residence
Architect
Mark A. Miller
The Matson Residence is a new 3,600 sf, 2-story plus basement single family home with an unusually naturalistic site backing up to the Chicago River. The project will be Energy Star rated and is an example of homeowners choosing an energy-efficient and green home because of [...]

Location
1927 W. Potomac, Chicago, IL 60622  Map
Owner
Private Owner
Architect
URBANWorks
1927 W. Potomac is a 5-unit, 9,300 sf new construction condo building. This is a modest project demonstrating that a for-profit developer can build a reasonably green building without breaking the bank or pushing the envelope. And to top it off, the design team set a Green Permit [...]

Location
1729 W. Potomac, Chicago, IL 60622 Map
Owner
HN Builders
Architect
Norsman Architects
The Norsman Residence is another example of a higher-budget single family home with a carefully considered green and design sense. The project is new construction on a substandard Chicago lot (23.5’ x 100’). It includes many of the features we are increasingly seeing for these semi-demonstration projects, [...]