Chicago's Greenest Home

This is what green living looks like. To showcase the future of eco-friendly architecture, Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry has built a three-story "green" home in its backyard. On display from May 8, 2008 to Jan. 4, 2009, the Smart Home: Green + Wired exhibit not only features sustainable design and recycled materials, it also includes cutting-edge "smart" technology. With help from Wired magazine, the exhibit incorporates automation systems that save homeowners time, reduce energy consumption and enhance entertainment. For more information, visit msismarthome.org.
(JB Spector/Museum of Science and Industry)

The landscaping and surrounding gardens demonstrate a commitment to conserving and protecting natural resources. Green roofs reduce energy costs, cool the air temperatures and slow stormwater run-off. Permeable pavements, rain gardens and bioswales (shallow depressions in the ground) ease water run-off into surrounding streams and lakes. They also enable slow, healthy seepage into the soil. Rain barrels harvest rainwater to irrigate plants so that less drinking water is used. Fresh, home-grown vegetables are available three seasons a year. Yard and garden waste is composted and added to the garden to enrich the soil.
(JB Spector/Museum of Science and Industry)

The flat-panel LCD screen compares the current use of electricity, gas and water in the home with totals from the previous day and month. This allows users to discover ways to curb consumption. The in-wall iPort lets homeowners pipe audio from their music player throughout the house.
(JB Spector/Museum of Science and Industry)

The coffee table is made of locally-sourced reclaimed walnut with a non-toxic, clear finish. The fireplace burns ethanol -- a renewable resource -- not fossil fuel. Not only does the artwork reflect green living themes, the artist also used non-off-gassing paints.
(JB Spector/Museum of Science and Industry)

The wall coverings in this child's room contain no heavy metals, PVC or harmful solvents and the cabinets are made from sustainably sourced walnut. The tri-chair is also environmentally responsbile -- the ultralight wooden chair is completely biodegradable. The laptop is durable, recyclable and works with renewable energy. Even the dinosaur is the "pet of the future" -- "Pleo" emulates the appearance and behavior of a one-week-old infant and adapts from experience through artificial intelligence.
(JB Spector/Museum of Science and Industry)

The ash table was made from a fallen tree and the finish is low-VOC (volatile organic compund). Recycled lightbulbs feature in the chandelier and sustainably sourced walnut and cork were used for the tea trolley.
(JB Spector/Museum of Science and Industry)

These cabinets were made from wood certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) as responsibly sourced and the countertops were made from recycled wood fiber. The under-cabinet lights are energy-efficient LEDs that can last 30,000 to 50,000 hours. Their incandescant equivalents last 800 to 1,000 hours. The dishwasher is an Energy Star-qualified General Electric appliance. (If all Americans used Energy-Star qualified dishwashers, more than 20 billion gallons of water would be saved per year -- enough to fill 25,000 Olympic Swimming Pools.)
(JB Spector/Museum of Science and Industry)

The desk in this home office is made from a fallen walnut tree in the Chicago Park District. The green object on the far left is a Hymini -- a hand-held, hybrid wind and sun-fed "green platform" universal charging device that is suitable for most digital gadgets.
(JB Spector/Museum of Science and Industry)

The bed in this master bedroom has a natural rubber latex mattress with an organic cover. The throw is 100 percent "bamboo cashmere." The side table is made from repurposed wood scraps.
(JB Spector/Museum of Science and Industry)

The floor tile in this master bath was made with 55 percent recycled glass content. The sinks and countertops were made from fly ash concrete. The shower tiles were made of 100 percent recycled post-consumer glass. The showerhead reduces water consumption by 30 percent without sacrificing performance.
(JB Spector/Museum of Science and Industry)

Special windows help optimize energy efficiency, natural lighting and ventilation for the home. Dual-panel low-E (low-emissivity) glass can save 10 percent to 25 percent of heating and air conditioning from leaking.
(JB Spector/Museum of Science and Industry)

The roofdeck maximizes outdoor space and is made of reclaimed plastic and scrap wood that would otherwise be in a landfill.
(JB Spector/Museum of Science and Industry)

Because the Honda Civic Hybrid (featured here) deserves equally green accomodations, this garage was also designed to be eco-friendly. Glass doors on two sides maximize natural light and the carpeting was made from recycled and low-VOC materials.
(JB Spector/Museum of Science and Industry)