Eco-Chic Clubs Put Energy Into Conservation
The Butterfly Social Club in Chicago was constructed using recycled materials for the floors and walls, part of a trend to create eco-friendly nightspots.
(Photos By Stacie Freudenberg -- Associated Press)
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Friday, August 3, 2007; Page C04
MIAMI -- It's 2 a.m. on a Saturday, with clubgoers dancing their cares away to fluorescent lights and the pulse of techno music -- most blissfully unaware that their favorite nightspot consumes 140 times the energy of an average household, experts say.
An ironic pastime for a generation driving hybrid cars and crusading against global warming, and perhaps the reason environmentally friendly dance clubs are the latest green trend.
The most eco-chic clubs offer everything from dance floors that generate electricity to stationary bikes that power the DJ booth. The rest have barely tapped the keg, using recycled goods and energy-efficient lighting.
Experts say it's hard to tell how efficient "green clubs" really are.
"Without them providing an estimate of energy reduction or environmental impact it seems like hype to me," said Glenn Hill, a Texas Tech University professor who specializes in sustainable architecture.
Not so, say the owners. Home and Guest House owner John B. has ruled Manhattan's night life with over-the-top decor and Broadway-worthy special effects. But his latest club, Greenhouse, is all about conserving.
The venue, slated to open in late summer, is applying for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.
The club will be made mostly from recycled materials and has the feeling of a glitzy nature preserve, with a huge waterfall and a ceiling covered with live plants.
"I don't necessarily think just because something is green or energy-saving or recycled means it isn't going to be luxurious," he said.
At Chicago's Butterfly Social Club, employees pedal away on a bicycle to power the DJ booth and drink machines. They also use solar panels and make most of they serve -- instead of buying canned drinks, with the added cost of cans, cardboard boxes and advertising, owner Mark Klemen said.
He built the club, which opened in April, out of products like clay and straw, and said one of his mantras is not to recycle more but to use less.
At his less eco-friendly sister club next door, by the end of the night "we have 19 trash cans full of bottles. Yeah, we recycle them, but where are they going?" Klemen said.
