Green Home
The Holistic Design Approach
A comprehensive approach to architectural design that integrates the client’s need, climate and location with cutting edge knowledge in sustainable technology.
#01 Active Solar uses mechanical devices to transfer collected heat from the sun to storage mediums and/or end use.
#02 Genius Loci: from Latin genius (“lar”) + loci (“of (a) place”) – distinctive atmosphere, or characteristic spirit of a place.
#03 Sustainable: able to be used without being completely used up or destroyed; involving methods that do not completely use up or destroy natural resources.
#04 Xeriscaping uses native, drought-tolerant plants to create low-maintenance landscaping.
#05 Green Roofs use a lightweight medium to support low-growing plants. They provide evaporation cooling, convert carbon dioxide to oxygen, and reduce stormwater runoff.
#06 Passive Solar uses the sun to to directly heat water, or the interior of a building, using natural heat-transfer mechanisms such as conduction and air convention currents.
#07 Historic Image Restoration is the renovation of a building or community that saves and restores the historic image and energy of a place.
#08 Permaculture Design is a system of assembling conceptual, material, and strategic components in a pattern which functions to benefit life in all forms.
#09 Holistic Design is a comprehensive and highly-integrated approach toward the making of places.
#10 Rainwater Catchment is a method of collecting rain and snow melt in a cistern for use during the dry season.
#11 Reuses Components are quality structural or finish materials removed from old buildings and reused in new or remodeled buildings.
#12 Previous Surfaces allow stormwater to percolate and infiltrate the surface areas, traditionally impervious to the soil below.
#13 Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are highly evaporative chemical substances that produce noxious fumes. VOCs are found in many paints, caulks, stains, vinyl products, and adhesives.
#14 The average American house size has more than doubled since the 1950’s – from 983 s.f. in 1950 to 2,679 s.f. in 2013!
#15 Geothermal of, relating to, or produced by the internal heat of the earth. “some 70% of Iceland’s energy needs are met from geothermal sources”.
