Photovoltaic Systems

One of Chicago’s biggest names in landscaping now lays claim to one of the greenest locations in the city.  Christy Webber Landscapes, along with the City of Chicago and GreenWorks, came together to develop an area in a struggling neighborhood.  After decades of abuse as an auto impound, landfill,
and iron-works, the polluted site had been declared a brownfield.  Subsequently,
in 2003 the City of Chicago proposed an initiative to reclaim the site, and a short three years later, the 12.5 acre piece of land was clean and fully operational.  Called "Rancho Verde," in honor of the mostly Hispanic workforce that makes up the landscaping industry, the former brownfield is now the headquarters for Christy Webber
Landscapes.  Rancho Verde features a one-story office building, warehouse, and a
shop-yard big enough to hold dozens of trucks that keep Chicago looking
healthy all year round. 

The building includes many familiar features in sustainable design
such as geothermal heating/cooling, solar panels to actively heat water
and air, and an off-site wind turbine to generate electricity.
Additional key elements include an intensive green roof system,
rainwater harvesting, and a top floor green house that helps to filter
air before it is directed to the office building.  Rainwater is
collected into giant cisterns that are used to irrigate site
vegetation, but also fill the water trucks that maintain lush streetscapes around the city.  Additional storm water is directed through bioswales,
and if necessary into a detention pond large enough to handle a 100
year storm event. 

The east/west building orientation takes advantage
of day lighting techniques with skylights, sun shades, and even
reflective materials on the ceiling to bounce light into work spaces.  Indoor materials are all low VOC, and 20% of the building material was retrieved
locally.  After completion, a total of 75% of construction waste was
diverted from landfills, an impressive statistic to say the least.   

Rancho
Verde has received universal praise and recognition of its bold and
progressive approach to sustainable development and community
improvement.  A few of the many accolades include the following: AIA
Chicago Special Recognition of Farr Architects, Chicago Building
Congress Merit Award, and most recently, the 2008 IDEAS Award
(Innovative Design in Engineering and Architecture with Structure
Steel) to Drucker Zajdel
Structural Engineers.  Having personally visited the site and building,
I am happy to say that it deserves all the respect it gets.

The Cromley Lofts in Alexandria, Virginia have earned a Gold level certification making them the first condos in Virginia to become LEED certified.  These 8 beautiful units are located in The Old Town area of Alexandria in a vintage warehouse building circa 1910 — a fitting example of the environmental benefits of adaptive reuse. 

The condos retain many elements of their commercial past, including
brick walls with spray paint and rough-hewn beams.  The Lofts’ green
elements include a gorgeous green roof, salvaged Georgian pine floors,
bamboo cabinetry, cork flooring, low-voc carpets, paints, glues and sealants, Energy Star appliances, and the wonderful dual-flush toilets. 

The style is a unique mix of rustic, industrial, and modern while still
achieving a sense of warmth.  One and two-bedroom units are available,
some with a rooftop terrace.  Prices range from $535,000-645,000.
Not cheap, but unique, green, and certainly fun.  Learn more about Cromley Lofts on their website.

Photo credits: Cromley Lofts.

The Chicago FBI Headquarters has become the world’s first LEED EBOM project to earn Platinum level certification.  Under the prior iteration for certifying existing buildings, what we refer to as LEED-EB, approximately 14 projects received LEED Platinum; however, FBI Chicago Headquarters is the first to receive the USGBC’s highest level of certification under LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance (EBOM).  To date, though, only about six projects have been certified under EBOM since its inception in early 2008. 

The 430k square foot structure is located at 2111 West Roosevelt in Chicago, Illinois.  Although we haven’t been able to view the certification checklist, the building is sure to capture some attention in corporate circles for its achievement.  It’s owned by USAA Real Estate Company, a company that owns two of six properties currently certified under the EBOM program. 

While nowhere near as sexy and attention-grabbing as LEED for New Construction, the EBOM program allows building owners and property managers to consistently and verifiable measure and improve operating efficiency and minimize environmental impacts.  This translates to lower energy costs, a better place to work, and ultimately, the ability to command a higher price per square foot for owners and developers.

Prerequisites Include:

• Plumbing Fixture Efficiency
• Energy Efficient Performance of HVAC and Electrical Systems
• Sustainable Purchasing
• Solid Waste Management
• Green Cleaning Policies

More on LEED EBOM at the USGBC website.

[+] FBI Chicago Receives Highest USGBC Award [PR Newswire]