Museum of Science and Industry

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See our online media kit for press releases and additional information about Smart Home: Green + Wired.

MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY TO BUILD SMART HOME: GREEN + WIRED

Real, three-story home built on Museum’s property will showcase green living and technologies for the 21st century

CHICAGO, Jan 8, 2008—During its 75th Anniversary year, the Museum of Science and Industry will build afunctioning, three-story modular and sustainable “green” home in its own backyard to showcase the ways, big andsmall, that people can make eco-friendly living a part of their lives—and to highlight unique home technologies forthe 21st century.

The home—which is designed by Michelle Kaufmann Designs™ and built by All American Homes™—will be thebasis for the original Museum of Science and Industry exhibit Smart Home: Green + Wired, Powered by ComEd andWarmed by Peoples Gas, which will be open from May 8 through Jan. 4, 2009. This marks the first time that amuseum has built a fully functioning exhibit home of this kind on its grounds.

Celebrating exciting new directions in sustainable living and spectacular, environmentally-friendly technology, SmartHome: Green + Wired will offer guests guided tours of the 2,500 square-foot home and grounds, located in a park onthe east side of the Museum. Within the home, guests will be able to view the latest innovations in renewableresources, smart energy consumption, and clean, healthy-living environments in a contemporary setting.

With the help of key participant Wired magazine, “smart” technologies will be incorporated throughout the home,including a full-home automation system that allows homeowners to control heat, window coverings, lighting,security sensors and cameras. A touch screen will track electricity and water consumption in the home on a real-timebasis. The technologies will demonstrate how a home can inspire lifestyle choices and be equipped to save resourceswhile residents are away, as well as keep a home and its occupants protected.

How the Home Will Be Built

The modular home is being constructed at the All American Homes’ modular construction facility in Decatur, Ind.The module construction takes place on an assembly line and lasts approximately three weeks. In this precisionengineeredand climate-controlled environment, All American is able to build homes 60 percent faster and in a moreenvironmentally-friendly way than traditional site-built construction. (Waste is reduced because much of the lumberarrives precut, reducing the need to dispose of “off-cuts” in the field. Drywall scrap is trucked to local farmers to usein preparing soil for planting, keeping it out of landfills.)

Once finished on the factory line, the fully completed house will be “soft set” at the factory prior to the individualmodules being transported to the Museum site. The home will be set on its foundation at the Museum of Science andIndustry in late February. After the set date, final interior work, furnishing and landscaping will be completed inpreparation for the exhibit’s opening in May.

The fully completed house is then “test fit” or “soft set” at the factory prior to the individual modules beingtransported to the Museum site. The home will be set on its foundation at the Museum in mid-February. After the setdate, final interior work, furnishing and landscaping will be completed in preparation for the home’s opening in May.

Smart Home Interior

The interior architecture, which is inviting, sophisticated and family-friendly, will demonstrate the use of natural light,open spaces, energy-efficient heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems and energy-efficient buildingcomponents to maximize a healthy-living environment. The materials chosen—from the windows to the fixtures tothe counters and floors—will tell a compelling story of sustainable engineering and eco-friendly design. Guests willsee how stormwater runoff can be collected for landscape irrigation; how toilets can be equipped to use waste waterfrom the shower and bath; how spray-in foam insulation can create a completely sealed building, resulting in better airquality, a quieter home and greater energy efficiency; how recycled bottles and fly ash can create beautiful bathroomcountertops and much more.

Landscape, Green Roof and Garage

Using organic materials and environment replenishing concepts such as composting and collection of rainwater, ateam from the University of Illinois Extension Horticulture, Environmental and Green Educators and a landscapearchitect professor will create a beautiful landscape around the house, alive with plants native to this area. Starting inthe garden, guests will explore the possibilities of a sustainable vegetable garden, rain gardens and other vegetation—how it can be used for food, indoor climate control and water recycling and conservation.

The home’s tour will conclude on the roof, which is covered by a green-roof garden as well as photovoltaic panels,which will harvest daylight and provide much of the home’s electrical energy. Rooftop gardens not only act as asource of cooling in the summer and insulation in the winter, but also absorb precipitation, which reduces storm waterrunoff and can allow that water to be reused for landscape irrigation. In the exhibit, guests will explore the process ofbuilding a garden, along with its many environmental benefits.

The Smart Home: Green + Wired garage will house the latest in low-emission and energy-efficient vehicles providedby Honda.

Smart Home: Green + Wired is a must-see exhibit for anyone who wants their home, and life, to be smarter, moreefficient and more in tune with the environment than it is today. This exhibit will require an additional timed-entryticket, which will be $10 for adults and seniors and $5 for children 3-11. Advance tickets will be on sale atwww.msichicago.org by Feb. 15, 2008. Smart Home: Green + Wired is additionally supported by sponsors Honda,Motorola and Dominick’s.

About Michelle Kaufman

Michelle Kaufmann Designs (MKD) is a full service architectural design firm that specializes in sustainable,innovative, high-quality modular architecture. Kaufmann began designing her current style of environmentallyresponsible, modular homes when she and her husband were looking for a “green” home of their own. Now workingunder the belief that sustainable, well-designed buildings should be accessible to more people, Kaufman hassimplified the process and chosen off-site modular technology as its means to create beautiful, eco-friendly homes andbuildings. The goal of her company is to make it easier for people to build green and live a more sustainable lifestyle.The home being built for the Smart Home: Green + Wired exhibit is a new MKD design called mkSolaire™, a threestory,loft-style home, suitable for an urban environment. The Museum’s home is the first mkSolaire™ to beconstructed. More information about MKD can be found at www.michellekaufmann.com.

About All American Homes

Founded in 1970 and owned by Coachmen Industries, Inc., All American Homes is one of the nation’s leadingbuilders of residential systems-built (modular) housing. The company has a network of more than 300 independentbuilders that serve homebuyers in 36 states. Coachmen Industries is a publicly held company with stock listed on theNew York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the ticker COA. In addition, All American Building Systems and Ameri-Log Homes are sister companies owned by Coachmen Industries. All American Building Systems works solely onlarger, more complex projects with developers, non-profit agencies, and government agencies; Ameri-Log Homes arebeautiful and affordable quality alternatives to conventional timber-framed log homes.

About ComEd

Commonwealth Edison Company (ComEd) is a unit of Chicago-based Exelon Corporation (NYSE: EXC), one of thenation’s largest electric utilities with approximately 5.4 million customers. ComEd provides service to approximately3.8 million customers across Northern Illinois, or 70 percent of the state’s population.

About Peoples Gas

Peoples Gas, a subsidiary of Integrys Energy Group (NYSE: TEG), is the natural gas delivery company for Chicago.The company’s employees focus on its core business of delivering clean, safe and reliable natural gas service to itsnearly one-million customers, which contributes to the growth of Chicago as the nation’s most vibrant city.

The Museum of Science and Industry’s mission is to inspire the inventive genius in everyone by presentingcaptivating and compelling experiences that are real and educational. The Museum first opened its doors on June 19,1933. In 2008—more than 175 million guests later—the Museum commemorates its 75th Anniversary with a yearlongcelebration. Located at 57th Street and Lake Shore Drive, the Museum is open every day of the year exceptDecember 25. Regular Museum hours are 9:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and 11:00 a.m. until4:00 p.m. on Sunday. General admission is free every day from January 12-31. The Museum offers indoor parkingand is accessible by CTA and Metra. The Museum is supported in part through the generosity of the people ofChicago through the Chicago Park District. For more information, visit the Museum’s Web site atwww.msichicago.org or call (773) 684-1414 or (800) GO-TO-MSI outside of the Chicago.

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Press Materials

• Smart Home Announcement (PDF)

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