The Science of
Sustainability

Web Exhibits - Special Collections Research Center The University of Chicago Library
  • Introduction and About the Exhibit
  • Rights and Reproductions
  • Leed Building Certification
  • LEED Categories
  • LEED Certification Levels
  • LEED Buildings at the University of Chicago
  • Sustainable Building Materials
  • Reused Materials
  • Locally Sourced Materials
  • Rapidly Renewable Resources
  • Conservation: Energy and Water
  • Renewable Energy
  • Energy Efficiency
  • Water Conservation
  • Green Roofs
  • Kinds of Green Roofs and Benefits
  • Urban Heat Islands
  • Construction Components of Green Roofs
  • Cool Roof
  • Bibliography

Locally Sources Material

Using locally sourced material means less fuel is needed for the material's transport. Staff kitchen countertops in the Illinois Bell Building are made from glass that is produced in Chicago with local materials. The counters are composed of a minimum 81% recycled materials, the bulk of which is glass that cannot be recycled in traditional methods and would otherwise go to a landfill. Countertops made of the same product are also used in the "Smart Home: Green and Wired" at the Museum of Science and Industry. Using lumber in new buildings from on site trees that cannot be preserved in the construction also adds to the sustainability of a site. Trees removed from the Mansueto Library construction site will be made into furniture for use in Regenstein Library.

 

Recycled Coutertop

Gilasi countertops are made from recycled glass at the Illinois Bell Building 

6045 S. Kenwood Avenue.  Photo by Cheryl Rusnak.

Wood to be Reused

Lumber removed from the Joe and Rika Mansueto Library construction site will be made into furniture for use in Joseph Regenstein Library


Photo by Cheryl Rusnak.

The Science of Sustainability: The Design and Technology of Green Buildings
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