The Green Homes for Chicago project won an Honorable Mention in this 2000 competition sponsored by the City of Chicago Department of Environment. The project philosophy envisioned using a holistic strategy combining design, environmental and social ideals to create affordable and sustainable community housing. The project features three energy efficient modern bungalow homes surrounding a shared natural landscaped garden. The homes utilize passive stack effect ventilation where cooler, denser air at the bottom of the central stairway is pulled upward and through operable windows at the top, cooling the house even on hot summer days. The homes also have deep roof overhangs that shade the home in the sun and allow windows to remain open during rainy weather. The homes were also designed to allow easy expansion for growing families that would not increase the building footprint.
