The building sector is the single largest consumer of energy and producer of greenhouse gas emissions. Buildings account for 40% of global carbon emissions and an astonishing 70% of New York City’s emissions. In order to meet current climate action goals set by states and municipalities, we create strategies for achieving these goals. To convince our clients to embark on these projects we highlight transformative benefits that go beyond energy savings.
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Since 2013, the U.S. Department of Energy Housing Innovation Awards have honored the very best in innovation on the path to zero energy ready homes by recognizing forward-thinking architects and builders delivering American homebuyers with a better homeowner experience. Explore these award-winning homes on the Tour of Zero.
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We just moved in! I call it “House 2” because 22 years ago we designed House 1 in our family odyssey in search of a better environment in which to raise our two children. House 1 was all about expanding into a larger space that living in Manhattan had restricted, a 2-bedroom apartment of 1,200 square feet. It worked.
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The primary lesson for us as architects was that the technology is readily available to model and measure the design of the house before you build it. A healthy, energy efficient, and environmentally responsible house is achievable at a reasonable cost. In the hands of a qualified contractor who understands how to build a highly insulated and airtight house, this is relatively simple to achieve. Therefore, why not all houses or why not your house? Many of the design principles can be transferred to an existing home too.
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We use design practices, technologies, and systems that bring sustainable solutions to our clients and their communities. It is a design process by which we gain insight into critical environmental factors affecting air, water, climate, and ecosystems.
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Since July of last year, we have also been working on our site to provide an environment that promotes the health of insects and birds. As we are not landscape architects or naturalists, it took months of research and advice from friends and our landscape architect to establish and execute our design. Here are some of the choices we have made.
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Since 2013, the U.S. Department of Energy Housing Innovation Awards have honored the very best in innovation on the path to zero energy ready homes by recognizing forward-thinking architects and builders delivering American homebuyers with a better homeowner experience. Explore these award-winning homes on the Tour of Zero.
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Our new house will use a fraction of the energy used to heat and cool a traditional house. It will conserve resources and thus be sustainable. Other aspects of the house that qualify it as sustainable will be the materials, which, with the exception of the windows will come from local sources.
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