Mixed-Use Chicago Building Uses Renewables

After over a year of renovation supervised by Wilkinson Blender Architecture, a 120-year-old building in Chicago is ready to house both living quarters for its owners and a recording studio for their record label. The two-story building has registered for LEED for Homes certification and features several renewable-energy systems that will provide around 10,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity a year—enough to provide half of the building’s energy needs. A large photovoltaic array joins three wind turbines on the roof, which also contains a garden and patio. The project uses 15 wells in conjunction with a ground-source heat pump; the wells were drilled from within the basement using a small, portable drilling rig, since the urban lot prevented the use of any large machinery.