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Chicago’s First LEED-Gold Certified Dental Office Opens in Wicker Park
February 8, 2012 by Matt Baker · Leave a Comment
There’s now one less reason to fear going to the dentist: the air you breath will be free of VOCs. ORA Dental Studio, which promotes “Ecofriendly Dentistry,” is now also Chicago’s first dental office to be certified for green building. The company’s new Wicker Park office on Division was recently awarded LEED Gold certification by the USGBC for its eco-friendly and high-performance design, construction and operation.
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BOMA Chicago Announces Winners of 2011-2012 TOBY Awards
January 31, 2012 by Matt Baker · Leave a Comment
The Building Owners and Managers Association of Chicago (BOMA/Chicago) announced the winners of “The Outstanding Building of the Year” (TOBY) Awards at an awards gala over the weekend. The TOBY Awards are designed to recognize excellence in office building management across several categories based on building size and type. The buildings were judged on tenant relations, commitment to environmental sustainability, emergency preparedness, budgeting, work order systems, security standards, staff experience and continuing education opportunities.
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Illinois Among the Top for New Green Space in 2011
January 20, 2012 by Matt Baker · Leave a Comment
The Wrigley Building, which the USGBC highlighted in their report, after the iconic structure earned LEED Silver in 2011.
A new ranking of US states by green buildings finds Illinois in the top ten. The USGBC’s list ranked states for LEED-certified commercial and institutional green buildings per capita. The District of Columbia lead the nation, with more than 31 square feet of LEED-certified space per person last year.
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O’Hare Goes Green. Big Time.
December 15, 2011 by Matt Baker · Leave a Comment
By Matt Baker
Courtesy Chicago Department of Aviation
The project was designed to reduce delays and increase capacity at the airfield. Spend some money now, the thinking goes (the current OMP budget is estimated at $8 billion), and make more later once O’Hare’s prominence as a transportation hub is carried on into the 21st century.
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Chicago’s Nine Largest Green Roofs
December 15, 2011 by Matt Baker · 1 Comment
 #1 Millennium Park |
Spanning roughly 24 acres, the 1,067,220 square foot Millennium Park is considered one of the largest green roof projects in the world. Completed in 2004, the $475 million project includes landscape art, full grown trees, interactive water fountains and a skating rink in the winter. What many people forget is that the roof actually covers two parking garages, a transit center and the 1,525 seat Harris Theater. |
The Chicago Energy Code Turns Ten
December 15, 2011 by Matt Baker · Leave a Comment
By Linda Seggelke
Ten years ago, the city of Chicago introduced its Energy Conservation Code, based largely on the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC). The 2001 Chicago Energy Code was written to increase savings by lessening energy drain both commercially and residentially.
In that time, it has been revised twice: in 2006 and 2009. These revisions have seen some modest gains in efficiency. The 2009 edition, for example, contains a 15% increase in overall energy savings beyond the 2006 book.
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Slow Down in the UK: A Chicagoan in London
December 15, 2011 by Matt Baker · Leave a Comment
By Valerie Miller
Photo: Valerie Miller
It may sound noble. I could say I wanted to take a stand for energy consumption but the truth is, I live in London and all of this is normal. No one has dryers (or very few). People look at me a little funny when I ask for a plastic bag at the checkout and since December 2010, people have rented a bike 8,811,527 times instead of driving to work.
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Chicago’s Own High Line: The Bloomingdale Trail
December 15, 2011 by Matt Baker · Leave a Comment
By Jon Sedey
Photo: David B. Gleason
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The John Marshall Law School Offers New Certificate in Sustainability Law
December 15, 2011 by Matt Baker · Leave a Comment
By Matt Baker
The John Marshall Law School
The school offers JD and other graduate degrees in a variety of curricula, such as property law, trial advocacy and legal writing; U.S. News & World Report recently ranked the institution sixth in the nation in this latter category. Starting in January 2012, JMLS will now also offer a new JD Certificate in Sustainability Law through its Center for Real Estate Law.
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Little Village Unveils Plans for Urban Farm and Park
November 1, 2011 by jsedey · Leave a Comment
During the next step of Little Village’s effort to clean and remediate local brownfields, the nonprofit Little Village Environmental Justice Organization (LVEJO) unveiled plans for two neighboring sites, which total over 24 acres of land.
One site will become a soccer field with walking trails. The other will host organic beans and tomatoes. Both sites are former contaminated brownfields that comprise the first new green spaces in more than 80 years in a community that ranks second-worst in Chicago in available open space. LVEJO and community members hope that these sites can become catalysts for local anti-obesity and climate change efforts.
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