Create a space that is sensitive to our environment and healthy for the occupants! During the design process, H2D and the client will sit down to talk through the sustainability goals for the project. The one-on-one meeting will involve recommendations, education on topics that the client may not be familiar with, and discussion of what works with the site, design, and budget. From the meeting, we will take our list of goals and begin incorporating them into the design, the construction process, and ultimately the finished product.
Here are some sustainability goals to think about for your project:
-Site:
- Rainwater Harvesting (for irrigation or domestic water use)
- Pervious surfaces for patios, walkways, or driveways
- Drought tolerant plantings and reducing the amount of turf on your site
- Orientation of the building to take advantage of light, solar access, and views
-Foundation:
- Specifying fly ash concrete
- Utilizing insulated concrete forms (ICF)
-Framing:
- Design for advanced framing techniques
- Design for and use structural insulated panels (SIPS) for wall or roof system
-Insulation:
- Utilize formaldehyde free insulation
- Insulate beyond code requirements for better energy efficiency
- Utilize insulation with recycled content
- Cellulose insulation
- Cotton insulation
-Systems:
- Efficient heating system that is most appropriate for your site: solar, geothermal, heat pump, radiant heat
- Efficient water heating: solar, on-demand, close to point of use
-Materials:
- Low or zero-VOC materials (paints, stains, carpeting, etc)
- Select materials that are locally produced
- Select materials that have recycled content
- Select materials that can be recycled or re-purposed at the end of their life (Crade-to-Cradle)
Contact us to learn more about our design process for making your space healthy, energy efficient, and environmentally sensitive. H2D can be reached at info@h2darchitects.com or at 206-370-4762.
H2D Architecture + Design Blog 