In my Urban planning class here at gce we have been focusing on energy and different types of circuits such as series and parallel circuits. We learned about ohm's law and coulombs law. We got into the power grid which is is also known as an electrical grid and is a distribution system of power plants, substations, transformers, and power lines that helps connect energy sources with the people that use that energy. we got to talk to different company's like Whitney architects, Dirtt, Corporate Concepts, and Clune construction which I really enjoyed. Each of them talked about their part in designing and building a building or space. Taking everything we have learned in this unit we were asked to re design a building in the loop to make it more energy efficient and sustainable. We took a walk around the loop and looked at important buildings and were able to choose one that caught our eye and I chose the Chicago Board of Trade building.
EM, 2022This is the Chicago Board of Trade building, it is a commercial office. It is located at 141 W Jackson Blvd, Chicago, IL 60604 right in the loop. It was completed in 1930 by John A. Holabird and John Wellborn Root Jr. During the late 1920s and early 1930s, Art Deco styling was at the peak of its popularity in Chicago. Its influence could be felt in fashion, art, interior design and architecture. Many of the most popular characteristics of the decorative style can be seen in the Chicago Board of Trade Building's design. A very important detail about this building is that a faceless aluminum statue of Ceres, by artist John Storrs, sits atop the building’s pyramidal roof. The straight lines on her garment and her machine-made appearance make her the quintessential Art Deco ornament for this completely stylized structure. EM, 2022
What drew me to this building was the statue at the very top and all the detail on the building. I have never seen a building quite like it. Now the whole point of my research was to find out if this building could be more energy efficient. Where does the energy from this building come from? Well I couldn't find any information on where the energy for this building comes from but i want to assume it comes from the grids power supply which is also known as an electrical grid and is a distribution system of power plants, substations, transformers, and power lines that helps connect energy sources with the people that use that energy. Where is all this energy spent? I couldn’t find exactly where this energy is spent knowing what I do about this building. I assume it’s used for lights and outlets because it is an office building and people need to use computers and other devices.
Now what could be ways that this building could be more energy efficient? Well, One way this building could produce energy on its own is solar panels, solar power is reusable energy and is highly reliable with low maintenance. Also solar panels help save money. They could also simply increase natural lighting which would decrease energy being wasted from incandescent light bulbs. Personally I think solar panels are the way to go because even if you could decrease energy being wasted from incandescent light bulbs, what happens if the lighting isn't good on a certain day or some people are in the building when it's dark. Solar power is more preferable than using fossil fuels that will eventually diminish over time. So therefore I think the Chicago board of trade building should install solar panels.
Overall, I really enjoyed this project I enjoyed learning about new things and finding out about the history of this building because I never paid any attention to it. I also never thought about how much energy is being wasted and how there are different ways we could fix that.
works cited:
SolarFeeds Editorial TeamThe Editorial Team at SolarFeeds is made up of knowledgeable solar industry insiders and experts who have a passion to share valuable. “Pros and Cons of Solar Panels on Commercial Buildings.” SF Magazine, 10 Oct. 2021, https://www.solarfeeds.com/mag/pros-and-cons-of-solar-panels-on-commercial-buildings/.
“Chicago Board of Trade Building.” Buildings of Chicago | Chicago Architecture Center, https://www.architecture.org/learn/resources/buildings-of-chicago/building/chicago-board-of-trade-building/.
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