Wight’s educational mission for sustainability does not end with plaques about green roofs and dual flush toilets (which had to be imported from Australia because no such thing existed in the US at the time of construction), but extends into the day to day operations of the firm itself. The firm offers LEED training classes to aid those preparing for the exam, Green Bag lunches to learn about products and technologies, and a Sustainability Forum encompassing Research and Development, the Green Library, Community Outreach, and the living laboratory that is the Darien office (the firm is constantly experimenting with different green building products and currently has seven different green roof plots on its roof in Darien).

Unlike other high rise projects in the area, Winthrop Club has garnered ample sales to clear its financing hurdle. Due to the current gridlock in the credit markets high- and mid-rise condominium programs in Evanston, akin to the rest of the region, have taken it on the chin of late. Through the third quarter of this year, there were a total of twelve net sales among eight new-construction condominium programs in Evanston, four of which either lost sales or recorded no new contracts thus far this year.