EMBRACING THE ENVIRONMENT | Chicago Tribune

When Steve Levinthal got ready to build his house in Glenview, he knew he wanted it to be environmentally friendly and energy-efficient–translation, "green."

Levinthal chose a green architect, Nathan Kipnis Architects in Evanston, and green builder, Sturm Builders in Northbrook, to help him design and build his green house. The result is a house that is ahead of its time in green features.

Instead of a furnace and air conditioner, its geothermal system heats the house in winter by pulling heated fluid from the Earth, then cools it in summer by sending the fluid back. Solar panels on the roof generate electricity. Two-by-6 wall studs, set 24 inches apart, allow for more insulation and use less wood. Inside, green products include low-VOC (volatile organic compounds) paints and cabinet finishes, bamboo flooring and nontoxic adhesives.

Levinthal's house is the exception, at least in the single-family market. And the special features are mostly available at the custom level, where buyer, architect and builder form a green team and take time to track down green materials.

That's our friend Steve! We didn't know this article was going to appear this soon – David mentioned that he'd just talked to Steve about it recently.

What a rip, neither of the two photos of Steve or the 3 other photos of "green" features in his house are on the online edition of the Trib.  

[tags]ecology, green house, geothermal system[/tags]