An inside look at Chicago real estate
By Dream Town
In recent times, people have shown increasing interest in Green Certified properties. As there is a limited supply of green home listings on the market, many buyers and homeowners are turning to the next best option: retro-fitting an existing home to make it more energy efficient. Curious how you can…
By Dream Town
So what is LEED? In a nutshell, LEED is a certification developed by the United States Green Building Council that rates the energy efficiency and environmental design of a structure. It takes into account everything from construction to water usage and incorporates the entire lifecycle of a building from design…
By Dream Town
One of the greenest existing buildings in the world is right here in Chicago. It’s the Federal Bureau of Investigation Regional Facility and it the first to receive Platinum Rating in Leadership for Energy and Environmental Design for Existing Buildings. Yes, that is a mouthful, but what it means is…
By Dream Town
No one knows better than home designers what people want in a dwelling. Their clients are the voice of residential real estate consumers and what they are asking for these days is not surprising considering the rising cost of utility bills and other everyday commodities. People want to save money…
By Dream Town
The Chicago Architecture Foundation’s newest exhibit focuses on green living and how we can all be more eco-friendly in our daily habits. Green with Desire: Can We Live Sustainably in Our Homes? debuted this week and will run through September 5 in the Atrium Gallery of the Chicago Architecture Foundation…
By Dream Town
Awareness of Chicago’s green scene is spreading to the small screen. A new program on Planet Green (formerly the Discovery Home Channel), will take audiences on a trip around the country to eco-friendly homes, a handful of which are in the Windy City. “Renovation Nation” is a new hour-long show…
By Dream Town
You won’t find Chicago’s most eco-friendly home in any of its LEED-certified condominiums or even in any of its 183 neighborhoods. Instead Chicago’s greenest residential structure is located in the backyard of the Science and Industry Museum as part of the Smart Home: Green + Wired exhibit. To demonstrate how we…
By Dream Town
April was Earth Month – a time when everyone is encouraged to work together, do our part to protect our earth and conserve our natural resources But now, with all the publicity behind us, maybe it’s a good time to reevaluate our daily routines and think about what we can…
By Dream Town
Earth Day has passed, but that doesn’t mean we can’t keep the eco-friendly activities going! There are plenty of things we can do in our everyday lives to help reduce our carbon footprints and make our environment safer and healthier. First of all – RECYCLE! Chicago hasn’t gotten to the…
By Dream Town
Driving along the Kennedy Expressway in northwest Chicago, it’s hard to miss the gigantic “Green Exchange” banner right off the highway at Diversey Avenue in the Logan Square neighborhood. The billboard certainly draws attention, but one might wonder exactly what it’s advertising Come to find out, the old 250,000-square-foot factory…
By Dream Town
Many have forecasted 2008 will be the year of “going green” for the real estate industry. Developers and architects have already started incorporating elements of eco-friendly design into their buildings and some homeowners crossed that bridge long ago with solar-powered systems and other green home improvements. Already this year we’ve…
By Dream Town
Your daily habits can affect how much energy you use in your home, but having green appliances can make a considerable difference in the amount of electricity, gas and water your household consumes. There are a number of manufacturers turning out specialized energy-saving products and major home appliances these days,…