Windy City renovation hits it out of the park
A story to start the New Year off with a bang: A net-zero energy rehab project in Chicago scores 119 out of 136 points, the most LEED for Homes points to date.
Mon, Jan 03 2011 at 12:31 PM EST
Images: Zukas Photography Happy 2011, MNN readers! Here’s an impressive green renovation to kick off the New Year on a high (scoring) note: after undergoing a massive, 4-year long gut rehab, a 3,300 square-foot home in Chicago has emerged with the highest LEED for Homes point total in the history of the program with a whopping 119 points (out of a possible 136).
In addition to LEED Platinum certification and net-zero energy status, the Helenowski Residence is also EnergyStar rated, garnered a HERS (Home Energy Rating) score of 13, and racked up 3 Stars through the Chicago Green Homes Program. And in case you were wondering, the Helenowski Residence scored higher than U.S. Green Building Council founder David Gottfried's Oakland, California, home (it achieved 106.5 out of 136 on the LEED scale).
Although 3,300 square feet — the home has six bedrooms and 4 bathrooms — may seem a bit excessive for such a sky-high ranking, this eco-rehab project designed by Mariusz Bleszynski, AIA, and built by Square 1 Precision Lighting (led by owner Jacek Helenowski) boasts a truly exceptional laundry list of green features that helped push it over the edge: rooftop solar photovoltaics, a vertical axis wind turbine, a geothermal HVAC system, recycled-content drywall, recycled-content tiles, reclaimed and FSC-certified woods, a green roof, a rainwater collection system, triple-paned windows, soy-based spray foam insulation, and much more. In total, 94 percent of construction waste was diverted from landfills.
An additional standout feature is the use of cold cathode lighting instead of CFLs or LEDs. As noted by Preston over at Jetson Green, cold cathode lights can be up to three times efficient as LEDs.
Head on over to LEED Home Living to view more photos of the Helenowski Residence. This project snapshot (PDF) from LEED for Homes Illinois also lists various building specs worth checking out. Congrats to everyone involved in the renovation of this record-breaking home!
Via [Jetson Green]
| Previous Post Playing catch up: Adios 2010! | Next Post Sharing is caring: MNN Idea Lab |
