Sarah elizabeth ippel house built seattle wa

BRIDGEPORT — The director of an environmentally focused charter school has bought a plot of city-owned land, hoping to turn the grassy lot into an eco-friendly home that serves as model of sustainability.

The city council earlier this month OK’d Sarah Elizabeth Ippel’s $48,000 purchase of a piece of property at 2622 S.

Green St., just north of Palmisano Park.

Ippel, 32, said she’s “working on building a net-positive energy house that produces more energy than it uses."

Slated for a groundbreaking in the spring, the home will be built with sustainable materials and plans call for solar energy, outdoor gardens, a fruit orchard, an indoor greenhouse and a backyard apiary for beekeeping.

She plans to document the construction of the home and share the plans in an effort to hold up the project as a model for sustainable home building in Chicago.