Gold LEED certification for Wis Tavern Building (Smog Veil Records) in Chicago

I wanted to share this news release because it's not only very interesting
but also a rare case of the normally self-serving entertainment industry
giving something back.

The Wis Tavern Building has been awarded the only gold level LEED
certification for a single family home in all of Chicago and in all of
the state of Illinois.  Only eight of these certifications have been
awarded nation-wide. The building, which was fully refurbished,
generates its own electrical energy through the use of rooftop
wind turbines and solar panels in combination with geothermal heating and
cooling.

Leadership in Energy And Environmental Design (LEED) certification
is a rigorous test used to determine if the building was constructed
using green and sustainable practices. The sustainable energy systems
incorporated into the structure will generate an estimated 10,000
kilowatts of electricity per year ­at least half of the building¹s energy needs.
The system also sports net metering, so that owners, Lisa and Frank Mauceri,
can monitor how much electricity is being generated and used.
If the system is producing more power than is needed,
the meter indicates how much they¹re sending back into the City of Chicago
energy grid.

The Mauceris teamed up with Wilkinson Blender Architecture to
realize their dream of an energy efficient live/work space. 
They worked closely with principal architect Michael Wilkinson
and Greg Gibson who served as the project's manager, as well as
with renewable energy specialist Bil Becker of the local
Aerotecture International firm and Green Project administrator Erik Olsen. 
Olsen was instrumental in making the Wis Tavern Building one of
the case studies in Chicago¹s Green Permit Program.

The team was also able to successfully advocate a
change to Chicago¹s notoriously restrictive zoning code that
allowed the wind turbines to be placed on the roof and
won a grant from the city which helped finance the insulating roof garden.
The green roof will minimize water runoff during the winter and
block sunlight during the summer.

Eighty percent of materials torn out of the building
when it was initially stripped to its walls, were recycled or reused.
The original roof joists were used to build interior staircases
and landings. Drywall comprised of 99% recycled material was
selected. Insulated glass with a low-e coating was installed, as well as
energy-efficient appliances. The terrazzo flooring on
the ground level is a composite of recycled glass and
pulverized vinyl records from the label¹s old inventory.

The Chicago Tribune recently ran a feature on the building.
"If one of the bands on our label decided to do an impromptu
session in our office," Frank
Mauceri told the reporter "they could plug in and do it
powered off wind and sunshine. That's pretty crazy to think about."

Preliminary estimates indicate the system will recoup its cost in
10 years or less, depending on energy price increases.
For additional technical specifications, illustrations,
and photographs of the building please visit Smog Veil Records
online at SmogVeil.com.

Smog Veil Records was founded in Cleveland, Ohio in 1991.
Artists on the label include Unknown Instructors (with Mike Watt and
George Hurley of the Minutemen), Pere Ubu,
Peter Laughner, Thor, and Rocket From The Tombs.
Label owners Frank and
Lisa Mauceri are spearheading the initiative
to green the music industry.

Their manifesto is comprised of five precepts:
1) Green and Sustainable Live
And Workspace;
2) Move Label Toward Digipaks And The Digital Future;
3)Increase Recycling Efforts;
4) Reduce The Amount Of Paper Used In Promotional And Marketing Campaigns;
5) Involve The Industry, Artists and  Fans.