Sustainability & Architecture
Sustainability is an important consideration, whether you are upgrading an existing building or constructing a new one. According to the Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, buildings are responsible for more than a third of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. To combat climate change, it’s vital to build resilient and sustainable buildings that perform well and minimize our use of resources. As an additional perk, green building design often saves money in the long run by lowering operational costs, and improves the quality of life for occupants.
Green building, at its simplest, means reducing the resources needed throughout a building’s life cycle. In other words, when we select a material, we should think about how it was produced, how it will perform while in use, and whether it can be recycled or will end up in a landfill when it’s demolished.
More often than not, we are hired for a project that reuses an existing building. By reusing our existing building stock, we are already taking an important first step in minimizing our climate impact. During this process, we can make strategic upgrades, such as adding insulation, installing more energy efficient windows, or upgrading equipment. In short, we are able to make your existing space more comfortable while reducing your reliance on fossil fuels.
When designing for sustainability, passive design strategies play an important role. This is what I like to call “common sense design”. Some examples are taking advantage of prevailing winds for natural ventilation, or providing overhangs at south facing windows. These strategies help reduce your need for heating and cooling just by virtue of the building’s design.
Active design strategies boost your building’s efficiency, and are achieved by selecting equipment and fixtures that use less water and energy. We also often assist clients in selection of sustainable finishes. This means that the amount of virgin material and energy used to produce these materials is lessened. For example, materials with recycled content diverts material from the landfill. Rapidly renewable materials, like cork or bamboo, take a fraction of the time to grow than hardwoods.
Harvesting energy and water onsite is also an important part of sustainable design. By maximizing building efficiency and combining that with renewable energy (usually solar PV) we can often easily achieve net zero carbon emissions, meaning that all your operational energy needs are met on site. This is an investment that pays off in the long run, for your wallet and the planet.