Sustainability
On the boards
Projects that are in progress, on hold, proposed, or somewhere in-between.
Night view of east elevation, May 2007. Faceted panels frame openings at kitchen and second-floor bedroom balconies with glazing atop the stair tower for passive heating.
View from the first floor kitchen east toward the back yard, May 2007.
View from the first floor kitchen east toward the back yard, March 2007. “Woven” cladding may be seen through the stair tower.
Different cladding schemes for rear stair tower, March 2007.
Warren-Boulton Residence design development
It’s changed a bit since 2005 (and will change again), but the Warren-Boulton Residence is still, at heart, a sustainable renovation on a tight urban lot and an example of the kind of collaboration Echo Studio enjoys most - this time with locally-based Slapedo and Yoseido Architects of Japan.
Design discussion has lately centered around the massing, materials, and articulation of the rear balconies at first floor kitchen and second floor bedroom and the stair tower, as well as potential strategies for passive heating and cooling using the very narrow window of sunlight that falls on this part of the site.
Stay tuned!!
Status: In progress.
Marty Bhatia of Om Development describes the project in the airy, light-filled family room at the June 2 open house.
Exterior view prior to start of work.
Gutted second floor prior to installation of interior framing and advanced thermal envelope.
Bronzeville rehab
The project is a unique joint venture between architect, engineer, contractor, and developer on the same team to make an attainable, sustainable home.
Few eco-bells & whistles here… just straightforward design and solid construction.
See the full project page.
Status: Completed July 4, 2007.
West Lawndale rooftop agriculture
Echo Studio, along with Michael Repkin Designs, won one of the 2006 Green Roof Grants program from the City of Chicago Department on the Environment on behalf of a client on Chicago’s southwest side. The vegetated roof (featuring valuable, edible plants as opposed to a simply ‘green roof’ comprised of ornamentals or grasses) is only one element of a larger sustainable rehab strategy in a locale where arable land is at a premium for locals.
Status: Design development; projected completion early fall 2007.
Planting under way in November 2006.
Rooftop Victory Garden, True Nature Foods
Read all about it over at Urban Habitat Chicago.
Status: Construction completed fall 2006; garden’s first season - spring 2007
‘Shadeframes’ - inexpensive, lightweight elements added to extend a roof overhang and train seasonal vegetation for better summer shading.
Highland Park green feasibility study
This collaboration, again with Michael Repkin Designs (biological, landscape), involves an in-depth study to see which passive- and active- sustainable strategies are applicable to the site, existing conditions, and modest budget of this suburban client.
Possible solutions include ‘shadeframes’ - lightweight reclaimed wood or lightweight metal frames or trellises for vegetated shading (pictured above) - and a firepit over a below-grade cistern for storage of stormwater from one of the flattest sites I’ve ever seen.
Sustainable strategies to explore include:
Architectural
1. Solarwall
2. Thermal mass dampening
3. Passive solar heating and cooling
4. Shading devices – Light without heat
5. Vegetated roofs
Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems
6. Ground-source (geothermal) heat pump
7. Air sealing and insulation
8. Equipment efficiency
9. Greywater reuse
Site and landscape
10. Rainwater catchment
11. Greenhouse
12. Productive landscaping
Status: Proposal under review by owner.