Chicago Center for Green Technology
(Sacramento Stone Co.)
445 N. Sacramento Blvd.
2002, Farr Assocs.
A small abandoned factory on a former brownfields site was transformed into a showcase for energy efficiency. Photovoltaic panels are on the roof and in the place of awnings. The barrels on the front of the building catch the rain for reuse on the landscape. High-performance insulation, as well as HVAC using ground source heat technology, and a rooftop planted with sun- and drought-tolerant greenery all help the building achieve its LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum rating, the first building in the Midwest and the third in the world to earn such a rating.
Image courtesy City of Chicago
