The Chicago office of HOK recently completed Greenway Self-Park, an 11-story energy-efficient parking garage located in the popular River North neighborhood.

The structure, which is the first of its kind in Chicago, is currently pursuing LEED Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

Sustainable design initiatives for Greenway Self-Park include a cistern rain water collection system, electric car plug-in stations and a way-finding system at each elevator lobby that educates Chicagoans on how to live more sustainably and better protect the environment.

Perhaps most significant is a 12-paired array of vertical turbines, located on the southwest corner of the garage, which were designed to harvest the wind to power the exterior wall lighting of the facility.

A reversible meter was also installed to measure and return power to the city’s grid throughout the year.

HOK’s team worked closely with client Friedman Properties to create a practical, yet architecturally distinctive garage.

In a departure from the typical, closed-exterior-wall design (one that requires 24-hour mechanical ventilation) used on other parking garages, the team conceived a naturally ventilated exterior wall design, utilizing a glazed screen that eliminates the need for a mechanical system entirely.

This unique glazed screen is comprised of a visually layered fabric of breathable glass channels that progressively reveal the inner concrete super-structure of the building.