A garden is growing on the roof of Downers Grove resident Lois Vitt Sale’s garage.

Flowers, blooming in red, yellow, white and violet, drink in rain and cool the roof. It is just one of many ways Vitt Sale has made her home environmentally friendly.

Green roofs are still rare, but Vitt Sale said awareness and interest in green building is growing. Principal of the Downers Grove-based sustainable design firm Phoenix Architects, she said her business has been growing rapidly.

“It’s about time,” she said. “If you look at the developments, all the construction going on in Downers Grove. The loss of open space, it takes a toll on us. Access to nature is a big issue. If we learn how to use our resources more wisely, why wouldn’t you do it?”

Green architecture is taking root, not only for home construction, but for public buildings like the Lyman Woods Interpretive Center. The Downers Grove Park District building features a green roof and rain barrels to catch storm water. According to Shannon Forsythe, manager of the Park District’s natural resources and interpretive services, it also uses recycled building materials, energy efficient lighting and water conserving fixtures.

The biggest issue is getting the word out on eco-friendly building, said Downers Grove resident Bill Styczynski, an architect with the Willowbrook based Styczynski, Walker and Associates, who is using the construction of his own home to demonstrate different green techniques. On Tuesday, more than 50 people came out to see his progress and hear speakers discuss the merits of replacing fiberglass with cellulose, insulation made from recycled newspapers. 

Getting a return on an such a high investment is a challenge. Styczynski said he spent an additional $8,000 to $10,000 to outfit his 4,200-square-foot home with cellulose and triple-glazed windows to regulate internal temperatures. He spent about $6,000 to upgrade to a more energy efficient furnace.

But as a result, Styczynski only needed one furnace for the entire home, saving about $15,000. He expects to save about 40 percent on his heating and cooling bills. Cellulose has been around since the 1930s, seeing a burst of popularity during the 1970s before fading away again.

Now that energy costs are soaring, more people are looking to green solutions.
After driving large, gas-guzzling SUVs for years, Hinsdale resident Lane Ann Maillet and her family decided it was time for a change. They started looking into hybrids two years ago, and after some investigation, they purchased two Honda Priuses. Lane Ann uses her hybrid mostly for errands and shorter trips and gets between 35 and 38 miles per gallon. Her daughter, Michelle, uses hers for longer highway trips, as well as errands, and gets about 42 miles per gallon.

“I personally like that it’s better for the environment, and it’s cheaper,” Michelle said.
The car’s small computer screen displays an energy monitor, showing how much gasoline is being used compared to battery power.

“You always go back to the gas savings,” Lane Ann said.  “I can’t imagine the hundreds of dollars we’ve saved in gas purchases. We’ll continue to purchase some sort of hybrid from now on.”

Michelle said she thinks the hybrid trend relates to a growing environmental awareness.

“I think people are finally realizing that we don’t have an indefinite supply of fuel and oil,” she said. “Anything we can do to help the environment will benefit, and even the smallest things can add up.”

While Styczynski believes the industry still has to be more proactive in promoting green techniques, he said they have come to the forefront.

“It’s definitely become much more prevalent than it’s ever been,” he said. “All the talk about global warming and those issues have made people more aware. Whenever you see a jump in energy costs, you see a renewed business in doing energy efficient housing.”

Staff writer Sarah Koci contributed to this story.