High Performance Building Tour: Ford Calumet Environmental Center

Join Illinois Green Alliance and Chicago Living Future Community for a tour of the Ford Calumet Environmental Center at Big Marsh Park!

Once an ecological sanctuary dominated by wetlands, Big Marsh Park is one of many areas within the Calumet Region that was altered by more than a century of industrialization. The brownfield is now the Chicago Park District’s largest reclamation project, with a 9,300-square-foot facility at its entrance that serves as both a gateway and a hub—educating visitors about the site’s past and setting precedent for a new, sustainable future.

Attendees will learn about many of the site’s unique features, including:

• Nail laminated timber construction
• On-site black water management with constructed wastewater wetland system
• Bird-safe building design
• Site remediation and wildlife conservation efforts

If you would like to arrive early or stay late, rental bikes are available and a fun way to experience the rest of Big Marsh Park!

Speakers & Tour Guides:

• Robert Webber, AIA, Chief Sustainability Officer at Valerio Dewalt Train
• Alex Raynor, AIA, former Architect at Valerio Dewalt Train
• Stephen Bell, Center Director, Big Marsh Park

Learn more about this Chicago Park District project designed by Valerio Dewalt Train.