1. Growing Power

Green has made it to warehouses, and it's spurring some incredibly cool and unique design. We opted to avoid the long lines at the Chicago Architecture Foundation's Open House Chicago for the high-rises downtown to explore what's happening in Bridgeport and Back of the Yards, around the Stockyards PMD. The former meatpacking district is now home to a growing number of sustainable businesses either adapting old warehouses for modern use, or building new green buildings.

Our first stop was at Growing Power's farm at 3333 S Iron (pictured). This former 10k SF warehouse and seven surrounding acres now has seven hoop houses growing produce year-round, an aquaponics farm that recycles fish waste, vermicompost, mushroom production, an apiary and pygmy goats. Nestled near the infamous "Bubbly Creek," Growing Power recycles over 450,000 pounds of waste annually.

2. The Plant

John Edel founded The Plant (pictured) in a 94k SF former meatpacking plant at 1400 W 46th St. The building is now one of the largest vertical indoor farms in Chicago, and a business incubator housing a bakery, coffee roaster, brewery, apiary, aquaponics farm and spice shop. The building was in such good shape that 80% of its building materials were adapted for reuse. The Plant also installed an anaerobic digester on-site, converting waste into gas to heat and, eventually, power the building.

3. Testa Produce

Food wholesaler Testa Produce opened its state-of-the-art, 91k SF building at 4555 S Racine in 2011. The building was ahead of its time for sustainable structures in Chicago, with LED lighting inside the offices, rotating solar panels and a wind turbine capable of providing power to the entire building, and a green roof with native seedlings that collect rainwater and snow, which is used to flush the building's toilets.