What We Mean By "Green"
We are using the word “Green” broadly to refer to a set of elements that we take into consideration when approaching a project. The word Green is an overused catch phrase that has no defined meaning in today’s market place, but we are using it for simplicity’s sake. When we say “Green” when referring to a product, technique or entire project, we mean that one or many of the elements listed below have been considered.
Site management is the general consideration of the building site and all the characteristics it has that can be used to maximize the efficiency and comfort of the building while minimizing the use of energy and resources. The outdoor environment is considered as carefully as the indoors, ensuring that the entire site of the building is optimally designed. This category includes topics such as ground disturbance boundaries, ground water and surface run-off characteristics, landscaping using native or adapted plants that require minimal use of resources, establishing maintained zones for landscaping, preserving the existing natural environment on the site (disturbance boundaries, preservation of trees), and comprehensive site protection planning.
Energy Efficiency involves multiple techniques and technologies that can help minimize the building’s use of energy. This category includes topics such as advanced framing techniques, right-sizing mechanical equipment, geothermal heating and cooling, solar, passive solar, natural ventilation, heat recovery ventilators, insulation, building envelope, material choices (structurally insulated panels, insulated concrete forms, thermal mass), lighting/daylighting (use of day lighting), as well as many others. The ultimate goal in this category is reducing the amount of energy in all forms that the building uses on a daily basis, as well as reducing the amount of “embodied energy” within the products and materials chosen for the building and its outdoor environment.
Materials and Products that are used should be considered for their impact on the environment during manufacturing, as well as the impact they may have on the environment you are trying to create. Some characteristics that we believe are important to consider when choosing materials are: recycled content, FSC certified and responsibly grown and harvested woods, renewable materials, local materials, salvaged materials, and consideration of chemical components and treatments of products, materials, finishes, adhesives.
By using recycled or reclaimed materials we can reduce the project’s impact on the environment by reducing the release of carbon into the atmosphere through extraction, processing, manufacturing and transportation of new materials.
Overall, we try to choose products from companies that are dedicated to being sustainable in their business practices and responsible to their employees and the natural environment as a whole.
Water Efficiency concerns the conservation and efficient use of all water both inside and outside the building. There are several ways in which a project can be designed in order to achieve the maximum possible water efficiency. These elements include grey water reuse, rain water management, water efficient fixtures and appliances, and zerascaping (the practice of using local and indigenous plants that are adapted to the local environment to reduce irrigation and maintenance requirements) among others. Whether the building is in a geographic location where water is scarce or not, we believe that the efficient use of water is important for all buildings. Remember that all water used has taken some energy to get to your sink or toilet, whether it comes from a municipal source (in which energy has been used to treat and transport the water), or from a well on site (pumping water up to a building uses energy too).
Economics and the Environment: in order for it to be practical to use “Green” products and methods, we understand that the choices you make have to be within your project budget. In every project we work on, we are conscious of the fact that very few individuals can afford the time and money to consider every single aspect of the project for its impact on the environment. Our job is to help our clients figure out how to stay within their budgets while making the improvements that are the most important to each individual. We see our role not as consulting you on how to make everything you build completely “Green”, but helping inform you of the best and most advantageous choices for your situation that will help you achieve the end result you desire within your budget.
Indoor Environmental Quality concerns the health of the indoor environment including the air the breath, the lighting, and the general design of the building’s interior. Whether you are chemically sensitive or just conscious of your own health or the health of your family and other building inhabitants, the quality of the indoor environment is important. This topic includes elements such as ventilation of carbon monoxide levels and indoor toxins, causes of indoor toxins and what systems (heat recovery ventilators) there are to mitigate these (material selection, finish and adhesive selections), thermal comfort (indoor temperature, ventilation control), lighting concerns (natural lighting, task lighting), source control (preventing pollutants of from the building process, materials, etc. from contaminating the original indoor environmental quality of the building).
The Concept of Sustainability as it relates to the built environment is an integration of all the above elements. It is finding ways to take advantage of what the environment on your building site has to offers in terms of heating, cooling, day lighting, energy, and water use in order to work in harmony with the surroundings instead of using energy and technology to fight these forces. Every site has many attributes to offer, however with technology and fossil fuels these attributes are often forgotten or ignored leading the building industry down an unsustainable path. Now that we know that fossil fuel is not limitless and also harmful to the environment, the building industry needs to start taking advantage of the specific features each site has to offer in order to maximize efficiency and minimize energy use from external sources.
Features such as access to solar, wind, hydro or geothermal energy can be used to supplement traditional energy sources. Passive solar heating and cooling can account for up to 80% of a building’s heating and cooling needs even in the colder climates if the design is well thought out. Proper use of daylight can substantially reduce energy use for indoor lighting, as well as improve the quality of the environment indoors. Advanced framing techniques can reduce the need for virgin material use as well as improve a building’s energy use by increasing insulation, and reducing thermal bridging and air infiltration.
Having an integrated approach to design with sustainable building as a core objective for the pre-planning phase of the project will allow the design to evolve smoothly into an energy efficient, sustainably built, healthy, more energy efficient and beautiful building. Taking into consideration these Green elements, that building could be comparable in cost to a traditionally built structure, yet costs less to operate and provide a healthier environment for its inhabitants and be healthier the planet too.