An all-electric home now under construction will be open for tours on Oct. 17 at 4 p.m. Located at 524 N. Cuyler, the home is the brainchild of Oak Park Passive House expert and architect Tom Basset-Dilley, working with Bosi Construction.
Basset-Dilley said the home offers a great chance for people to see Oak Park’s new electric ordinance in practice. The ordinance, which went into effect in January 2024 requires new construction to be built on an all-electric basis, without natural gas appliances or mechanicals.
Basset-Dilley, whose practice is focused on sustainability, noted that he’s been designing all-electric homes since 2010 and that the new ordinance is bringing more people and contractors into the practice.
“There’s a lot of awareness now thanks to articles and projects that have been done since the ordinance went into effect,” he said.
Events like the open house are helpful for showing people what an electric house looks like. Basset-Dilley said, “We’re showing that it’s not anything less; it’s actually more and better living when you get rid of gas.”
While completely new construction homes like this are rare in the village that is already built-out. Basset-Dilley said his clients lucked into this lot when a developer bought a house, tore it down and excavated but then had to leave the project.
“It was a rare empty lot in Oak Park,” he said.
Building from the ground up allows for a bit more control with energy efficiency, but Basset-Dilley stressed that even rehabilitations of older homes that are not subject to the ordinance, are ripe for energy efficiency.
“We like renovations too,” he said. “We’ve got two really exciting renovations going on right now in historic districts in Oak Park. We love to retrofit. We make it super-efficient and healthy. I did the same with my house.”
The October open house will allow people to see what’s possible with their own projects whether it’s a new build or a remodel. Basset-Dilley said that people will see that the house doesn’t look obviously different, but it behaves very differently than a house that is not net-zero.
The house is certified net-zero, a different certification than Passive House, but Basset-Dilley noted that many of the building practices remain the same: lots of insulation, triple-glazed windows and a tight envelope that prevents leaks of air.
Solar panels and a geothermal heating and cooling system will keep the home’s energy costs quite low, and the comfort level quite high.
He noted that working to build an energy-efficient home is a different paradigm than typical construction, but something that is well within the wheelhouse of contractors who are detail-oriented. “It’s the same attention to detail that you would want when you’re designing trim work or cabinets. It’s all one level of quality.”
The home was not only built to be net-zero, a third-party certification like LEED or Passive House, but it is also meant for owners who would like to age in place.
Basset-Dilley said the house has a primary suite on the first floor, as well as the kitchen, living room and laundry, making it perfect for the grandparents who will be moving in soon.
“My guess is it’s going to stay in the family, for at least a generation, if not a couple,” he said.
Tour Information
Tickets to the tour are free but limited in number. Please register at: https://tinyurl.com/TBDA-tour
The home will be open at 4 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 17. During the open house, representatives of Oak Park Climate Action Network, Illinois Green Alliance, Bosi Construction and the owners will be on hand to share their experiences.
