June 2013: Making Connections at the Brietzke Residence

Greenheart Introduces HOG to New Friends in Chicago

The streets of Oak Park, Illinois, a village adjacent to Chicago’s west side, have been witness to architectural legends. Frank Lloyd Wright spent the first twenty years of practice in his Oak Park Home and Studio.

That spirit of architectural innovation and a commitment to sustainability continues in Oak Park today. One residence, belonging to the Brietzke family, has recently installed a rainwater harvesting system that seamlessly marries high and low in the rainwater harvesting market.

image via Greenheart Buildings, Inc.

“I was looking for a system that would be able to sit as flat against the wall as possible, which could easily form an array, ” says Michael Ruehle of Greenheart Buildings, Inc. who oversaw the installation.

Two Rainwater HOG tanks were selected by Ruehle to complement the six 55-gallon plastic barrels already in place. He installed the system to share water across each unit equally.

For nine months out of the year – from March through November – the harvested rainwater will water the garden and feed an as-yet-to-be-installed backyard pond.  Ruehle estimates that the capacity – 440 gallons – of the eight-unit system is enough to capture 100 percent of the average rainfall, or about 15,000 gallons per year.

“I go to nature every day for inspiration in the day’s work,” said Frank Lloyd Wright. The Brietzkes need only look to their backyard to hear an echo of the renowned architect’s words.

image via Greenheart Buildings, Inc.

image via Greenheart Buildings, Inc.

Close up on Connectors

“The integrity of the connectors was paramount,” Ruehle explains.  “I have had too many experiences with poorly-installed fittings on plastic barrels.”

August 2012: Glencoe Green Home

Twenty-five miles outside of Chicago,  the fifth LEED Platinum home in Illinois was certified in December 2011 in the town of Glencoe. Barry and Natalie Slotnick publicize their residence online as the Glencoe Green Home.

“The fact that it is a traditional home that is LEED Platinum makes it a unique structure,” says Barry Slotnick, of his Glencoe Green Home.

“Our two children are the biggest motivator,” explains Barry, on the inspiration behind building a home to the highest environmental standards. “They are four and six. The world will be theirs and their kids and grandkids.”

He identifies the most distinctive feature of his Illinois home, constructed from April 2010 through April 2011, as its traditional facade . It fits into the neighborhood. “It looks like it was built in 1911 rather than 2011,” says Barry.

The heightened functionality of the home belies its conventional facade. The materials and technologies used help save energy and minimize its environmental impact. The Glencoe Green Home has a green roof, solar rooftop panels, Energy Star appliances, and windows and sliding glass door sized and oriented to increase passive solar energy. Water efficiency, indoor environmental quality, and sustainable landscaping were considered during construction. Additionally, a modular, off-site construction method reduced the energy and waste output and shortened the overall build time.

Rainwater HOG features in the LEED certification of the Slotnick’s home. The main roof was configured to direct rainwater towards the east side of the house and into two vertically-mounted HOG tanks.  “HOGs work well because of their design,” explains Barry, after using them for over a year to irrigate arbor vitae around the perimeter of the yard. “They have a very good outflow.”