LEED Buildings at the University of Chicago

Illinois Bell Building

6045 S. Kenwood Avenue: LEED Gold for Commercial Interiors
The Illinois Bell Building is a commercial building comprised primarily of office space.  University IT staff and the Toyota Technical Institute at Chicago (TTIC) share occupancy.  The building’s sustainable features include: bike storage and showers to promote alternative transportation to work, natural lighting which conserves energy, and window views for most employees to improve the indoor environmental quality.  Other sustainable features of the building are described in the following sections of the exhibit.

Searle Chemistry Laboratory

5735 S. Ellis Avenue: LEED Gold for New Construction
Searle Chemistry Laboratory is a renovation of an existing laboratory building now converted to hold both laboratory and office space.  Some of the sustainable features of the building include laboratory smart sensors that detect and close fume hoods that are not being used which reduces energy consumption and a lobby touch screen directory that highlights the buildings green features and educates visitors.  Other sustainable features of the building are described in the following sections of the exhibit.

Planned Constructions

A variety of construction projects on campus are currently designing and building toward LEED certification.  These include a new building for the Lab School, The Logan Art Center, Eckhardt Research Center, and the Chicago Theological Seminary.

A large hall with a sloped glass ceiling.
Illinois Bell Building

6045 S. Kenwood Avenue. Photo by Cheryl Rusnak.

Bike racks in the basement of a building.
Sustainable Sites: Illinois Bell Building bike racks

6045 S. Kenwood Avenue. Photo by Cheryl Rusnak.

A hallway with glass walls on one side, wooden on the other.
Material & Resources: Searle Chemistry Laboratory DIRTT office partitions made with FSC certified wood

5735 S. Ellis Avenue.  Photo by Cheryl Rusnak.

Various washing stations in a laboratory.
Energy & Atmosphere: Searle Chemistry Laboratory automatic sash closures on fume hoods

5735 S. Ellis Avenue. Photo by Cheryl Rusnak.