Gilman Smith
Laboratory in Chicago, IL · 5835 S Drexel Ave · 60637
At a glance
Gilman Smith is a 223,605-square-foot laboratory building at 5835 S Drexel Ave in Chicago, Illinois, built in 1953. In its 2019 Chicago benchmarking disclosure it reported a site energy-use intensity of 128.1 kBtu/ft² and 2,694 tCO₂e of greenhouse-gas emissions.
Building Energy Use Benchmarking Ordinance · reporting year 2019
Benchmarking record
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| ENERGY STAR score | — |
| Site EUI | 128.1 kBtu/ft² |
| Source EUI | 210.9 kBtu/ft² |
| GHG emissions | 2,694 tCO₂e |
| GHG intensity | 12.0 kgCO₂e/ft² |
| Electricity | 2,346,601 kWh |
| Natural gas | 6,636 therms |
| Gross floor area | 223,605 sq ft |
| Source record | chicago:251954:2019 |
The disclosure history
Year over year
| Year | Score | Δ | Site EUI | GHG emissions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019latest | — | 128.1 kBtu/ft² | 2,694 tCO₂e | |
| 2018 | — | 122.1 kBtu/ft² | 2,609 tCO₂e | |
| 2017 | — | 136.4 kBtu/ft² | 1,860 tCO₂e | |
| 2016 | — | 137.4 kBtu/ft² | 1,898 tCO₂e | |
| 2015 | — | 147.7 kBtu/ft² | 2,121 tCO₂e |
Compliance context
Building Energy Use Benchmarking Ordinance
Covered buildings that fail to benchmark and report face fines of up to $100 plus $25 per day of violation under the ordinance.
Ownership
No owning organisation shown. Names of private individuals in the disclosure are not published here.
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Location
- Address
- 5835 S Drexel Ave
- City
- Chicago
- State
- Illinois
- ZIP
- 60637
- Coordinates
- 41.78132, -87.60435
Within ~1 km
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See also: most efficient in Chicago · biggest emitters
How does Gilman Smith compare with other laboratory buildings in Chicago?
The latest disclosures cover 32 laboratory buildings in Chicago, out of 3,852 buildings citywide. Its site EUI of 128.1 kBtu/ft² is about half of the average of 282.4 kBtu/ft² — it uses less energy per square foot than the typical building in that group. Its emissions intensity of 12.0 kgCO₂e/ft² is about 55% below the group average of 26.7 kgCO₂e/ft².
At 223,605 sq ft, it is about 25% above the average floor area of 179,276 sq ft for those buildings. It was built in 1953, 9 years earlier than the group's average year built (1962). Across all 24 jurisdictions BuildingCensus covers, the 795 laboratory buildings average an ENERGY STAR score of 29 and a site EUI of 231.7 kBtu/ft².
How has Gilman Smith's energy performance changed over time?
BuildingCensus holds 5 Chicago disclosures for Gilman Smith, covering report years 2015–2019. Site EUI moved from 147.7 kBtu/ft² (2015) to 128.1 kBtu/ft² (2019), a 13% decrease. Reported emissions went from 2,121 tCO₂e to 2,694 tCO₂e over the same span (up 27%).
What does a site EUI of 128.1 kBtu/ft² mean?
Site energy-use intensity (EUI) is the energy a building uses on site in a year divided by its floor area, in thousand Btu per square foot — lower is more efficient. Gilman Smith's 128.1 kBtu/ft² across 223,605 sq ft works out to about 28.6 billion Btu (8,395 MWh-equivalent) in 2019. Its source EUI of 210.9 kBtu/ft² also counts the energy lost generating and delivering that power, which is why it is higher. The disclosure also reports 2,346,601 kWh of electricity and 6,636 therms of natural gas for the year.
Which law requires Gilman Smith to report its energy use?
Gilman Smith reports under the Building Energy Use Benchmarking Ordinance, the legal basis of the Chicago Energy Benchmarking program, which publishes each covered building's annual benchmarking results. The record shown here is the report-year 2019 disclosure (source record chicago:251954:2019). Covered buildings that fail to benchmark and report face fines of up to $100 plus $25 per day of violation under the ordinance.
More laboratory buildings in Chicago
- SBRI· 214,708 sq ft · EUI 381.5 kBtu/ft²
- Wyler· 208,526 sq ft · EUI 206.2 kBtu/ft²
- 8794, 320 E Superior St· 186,803 sq ft · EUI 318.4 kBtu/ft²
- BSLC· 175,729 sq ft · EUI 473.5 kBtu/ft²
- Cummings Life Science Center· 172,408 sq ft · EUI 416.1 kBtu/ft²
- CLI· 169,585 sq ft · EUI 189.3 kBtu/ft²
- Laboratory buildings in Chicago· 32 benchmarked
- All Chicago benchmarked buildings· Building Energy Use Benchmarking Ordinance
- Most efficient large buildings in Chicago
- Least efficient large buildings in Chicago
- Biggest emitters in Chicago
Frequently asked questions
What is Gilman Smith's energy grade?
Gilman Smith did not report an ENERGY STAR score in its 2019 disclosure, but its site energy-use intensity was 128.1 kBtu/ft².
How much energy does Gilman Smith use?
Its 2019 site energy-use intensity was 128.1 kBtu/ft² (210.9 kBtu/ft² source) across 223,605 sq ft, including 2,346,601 kWh of electricity and 6,636 therms of natural gas.
What are Gilman Smith's carbon emissions?
Gilman Smith reported 2,694 tCO₂e of greenhouse-gas emissions (12.0 kgCO₂e/ft²) for 2019.
Where is Gilman Smith?
Gilman Smith is at 5835 S Drexel Ave, in Chicago, Illinois 60637. Its coordinates are 41.78132, -87.60435 (latitude, longitude), as published in the Chicago Energy Benchmarking file.
How big is Gilman Smith and when was it built?
Gilman Smith has 223,605 sq ft of gross floor area, as reported in its 2019 disclosure. The disclosure lists 1953 as its year built. It is classed as laboratory.
Is Gilman Smith covered by the Building Energy Use Benchmarking Ordinance?
Yes — it appears in the 2019 Chicago Energy Benchmarking disclosure, which lists the buildings reporting under the Building Energy Use Benchmarking Ordinance.
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About this data
Source: Chicago Energy Benchmarking (Building Energy Use Benchmarking Ordinance), as published October 2, 2026. See the methodology for how records are matched, cleaned and scored.
Cite as: BuildingCensus, “Gilman Smith, Chicago, Illinois — 2019 benchmarking disclosure”, https://buildingcensus.com/buildings/chicago/gilman-smith-48ddfea6 (data as of October 2, 2026).