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Sustainable Design
At S-IAD we are extremely passionate about sustainable design. We believe it is our responsibility to ensure our designs promote health, comfort, energy conservation and seamless integration with the natural environment. Our founder is both Passive House and LEED certified, ensuring exceptional expertise to meet the sustainable design goals of all of our clients.
Our Sustainable Design Ethos
In recent years sustainable design has become somewhat contentious. For some it is vital part of building construction, a necessity to stem the momentum of global climate change. However, for others it is viewed as a trendy buzzword without any real relevance. While the political connotations of sustainable design is relatively charged, at S-IAD we believe that regardless of where you land in the debate, the reality is that buildings are a primary energy user and potential pollution contributor. Good stewardship is our ultimate goal at S-IAD. Designing a building which is an energy sink, simply feels irresponsible and wasteful.
We have the expertise and the means to design buildings which operate efficiently and contribute positively to the natural environment, so why shouldn't we. With that in mind we believe buildings should be designed to be as energy efficient as possible. Efficiency reduces energy use and thereby reduces building operating costs which is a win-win for any building owner/operator. Moreover the benefits of sustainable design extend beyond energy efficiency to include increased building comfort, improved air quality, carbon reduction, biophilic design etc. All of which contribute to an enhanced occupant experience.
Our Design Process
Sustainable Design is client focused. It begins with a conversation to determine what your sustainable design goals are for your project. If you are unsure of your goals or the benefits of sustainable design, then we are very happy to guide and advise you towards the goals which are right for you. While we would love it if every project could be designed to a Net-Zero, Passive House or LEED Certified standard; we are aware that this may not be financially feasible or attainable for every project. We endeavor to collaborate with you to determine which degree of sustainable design is achievable and appropriate for you.
Our goal is to move the needle on every project to create buildings which achieve some level of sustainable design over and above the code minimum standard. This may be as simple as an improved building envelope assembly or it could be as wholistic and comprehensive as achieving a certified sustainable design standard; such as Passive House.
Throughout the design process we will continue to collaborate and communicate with you to ensure you understand the benefits of the sustainable design initiatives we are employing. The reality is that reduced energy use and lower operating costs are just the beginning of the benefits of sustainable design. A sustainably designed building will provide increased inhabitant comfort, consistent internal temperatures, higher air quality, access to natural daylighting, and include biophilic design elements; all of these factors contribute to improved cognitive performance as well as improved physical and emotional well-being.
Furthermore, at S-IAD we believe a vital sustainable design facet is ensuring your project fits seamlessly within the natural environment. The built environment should achieve a synergy with the natural environment to ensure that each enhances the other. Therefore an integral part of our design process involves extensive site analysis to determine the perfect fit of every project into the environment.
Our Sustainable Design Services:
- Site Analysis
- Grade Analysis
- Wind Analysis
- Precipitation + Water Table Analysis
- Solar Daylighting and Sun Path Analysis
- Cataloguing Native Flora + Fauna
- Climate Data Analysis
- Passive House Certified Design Consulting
- PHPP Analysis
- LEED Certified Building Design + Construction Consulting
- Net-Zero Energy Consulting
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