Spring is Coming...Think Green!

What do you associate with "green"?  Soon the grass, Chicago River, and the beer at the local tavern will all be turning green.  As architects, however, we most commonly hear "green" associated with the push to design buildings that are more energy and resource efficient.  While this trend seems to have just recently gained widespread popularity, we at Robert Juris & Associated have been practicing this philosophy for years.  When I designed my home in New Lenox over twenty years ago, I used the methods known as "Passive Solar" to maximize the efficiency of my house.  So for us, this is nothing new, but we hope that the trend will help our clients jump on the "green" bandwagon.  I hope everyone has a very safe and happy St. Patrick's Day!

Sincerely,

Robert Juris 
Robert Juris & Associates Architects

How Can You Go GREEN?

DeVry moved their Online University Offices in to a vacant office building

1.  Don't build a new building!

While this may sound like strange advice coming from an architect, one of the greenest ways to build is to renovate an existing building.  Most of the time, there will be considerable time, energy, resources and money saved as opposed to building new.  We assisted DeVry University with this task when they moved their Online University
 Offices in to this vacant office building in Wood Dale, IL.  For smaller companies, moving your office into an existing business center is equally as green.  We have provided services from space planning to construction documents to bidding and permitting** for clients that moved into business centers including President's Row, the Brookside Commons, Abbey Woods and the Crown Centre of Frankfort, IL.

2.  Get advice from a LEED AP.

What is a LEED AP you ask?  LEED stands for "Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design" and the AP stands for "Accredited Professional".  Brent Ludwig, a self-proclaimed "tree hugger" and project manager here at Robert Juris and Associates is a LEED AP and our go-to guy whenever anyone has a question related to green building.  Whether you are interested in new construction, an addition or remodel, Brent can help you make informed decisions about what are the best ways to make your project more GREEN!

**Not sure what the architectural process includes?  Click HERE to read more about it in our blog series "Working With an Architect:  What to Expect"