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Community Corner

2014 GreenBuilt Home Tour

The 2014 GreenBuilt Home Tour scheduled for July 26-27, 2014 features 18 one-of-a-kind homes that demonstrate the present and future of residential design and building innovation. The unique event, now in its second year, helps raise public awareness about healthy and sustainable home-building practices in real-world applications.

Each home on the GreenBuilt Home Tour features a variety of residential design ideas, building practices, mechanical systems, materials, fixtures, and furnishings applicable to a wide range of home styles, sizes, and prices. Of the 18 homes on the tour, five are renovations of existing homes: a Chicago bungalow, a luxury 4-flat, a suburban colonial, a single-family home turned artist studio, and a 94-year old American Four Square home. Homeowners looking to renovate an existing home, or build a new home can connect with the area’s most accomplished green-building pros at each home to get ideas and ask questions. 

The tour debuted in 2013 as an initiative of the U.S. Green Building Council – Illinois Chapter. With 16 homes on the inaugural tour more than 1,500 visits were tallied. During this year’s tour more than 70 volunteer docents will be on site to assist visitors and assemble groups to explore each residence – led by the home’s architect or builder approximately every 30 minutes throughout the day from 10 am to 4 pm.

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Setting the caliber for “green” building, the USGBC-Illinois requires that homes on the tour be third-party verified (or pending verification) to ensure they are built to national standards - earning certification through programs such as: ENERGY STAR for Homes, LEED for Homes, GreenStar, the National Green Building Standard, HERS rating, and Passive House. The following is the list of homes that will be featured on the 2014 GreenBuilt Home Tour:

Urban Residence – Deck With A View - Chicago

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Sustainable & Attainable Residence - Chicago

Charles Heppner Artist Studio  - Chicago

Chicago Net Positive Home - Chicago

NetZero Home - Chicago

Wellington Remodel - Chicago

All Electric Greywater Rehab - Oak Park

The Adaptation House - River Forest

BrightLeaf Home - Brookfield

Wesley Chapel Project - Chatham, IL

Lisle Eco House - Lisle

Eco Smart Home - Naperville

Uber Haus - Geneva

Terra Green - Crystal Lake

Swainsen’s House at Serosun Farms - Hampshire

The Healthy Dream Home - Twin Lakes, WI

SmartHaus - Northbrook 

314 Park - Wilmette

Tickets for the tour, which takes place the last weekend in July, can be purchased on the GreenBuilt Home Tour website. An all-access pass for unlimited visits both days is $25.00. Single home passes are $10.00, with all proceeds going to support USGBC-IL chapter initiatives. 

To connect with the tour on social media, or to see images and drawings of the homes, please visit the tour at:

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