Designed by Dirk Denison Architects, the Culver House is an unbuilt mixed-use condo project in Chicago’s Gold Coast neighborhood with a double-paned glass facade that includes a planted green roof, terraces and greenhouses situated on a lot facing Washington Square Park, near the Newberry Library on Chicago’s Near North Side.

A rendering from wAS, center above, illustrates how the project is designed to reflect the park across the street and to reveal its interior gardens through its low-emission, double-paned glass facade (Metropolis Magazine of June 2006).

According to the Dirk Denison Architects website, see contact info below, the “Program: A mixed-use, residential and commercial building, Culver House is encased in a double-skinned-glass facade with integral terraces, greenhouses, and green roofs that create a three-dimensional landscape. The literal greening of the building provides evidence of its sustainable practices, helping manage stormwater, reducing the urban heat-island effect, cleaning the air, and filtering the water.

“Culver House also incorporates louvered shading devices that assist in regulating radiant heat gain, reduce the need for artificial lighting, and conserve energy. Operable windows, vents, and doors promote airflow through the exterior and interior layer of the double-glazed curtain wall. The natural air movement naturally insulates the interior spaces from extreme temperatures during all seasons. The Culver House will also implement methods of construction to reduce its impact on the environment. The existing building’s usable materials will be salvaged. A jobsite recycling program and waste management plan will alleviate the amount of waste produced from the construction site. When possible, new building materials will be purchased from regional suppliers, have low-embodied-energy consumption, and derive from renewable sources.”