Sustainability

Green design and Construction

Our focus is to deliver a design developed and delivered under the following strategic green design principles:

Health:

An active and healthy lifestyle is a direct result of building material selection. Improved Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) and occupant comfort level is our primary concern. Our product selection guidelines consider safety and lasting performance. To ensure the highest possible levels of indoor air quality, only products certified by the Greenguard Environmental Institute or those meeting the California Air Resources Board Regulations for Reducing Volatile Organic Compound Emissions from consumer products are selected for our projects.

Economics:

Products and building assemblies are developed specifically for each project ensuring the highest achievable performance ratings. Our primary objective is to minimize operating costs, limit the exposure to volatile utility costs while providing energy security, lower maintenance requirements, increase building component durability, increase the potential for tax credits and rebates and increase the overall home value.

Sustainability:

Together with the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (www.raic.org for more information) we have implemented a plan dedicated to reaching a carbon neutral operating target by the year 2030 for all new and renovation projects. With support from the RAIC and the Ontario Association of Architects (OAA), our research and mandatory continuing education programs we have the tools and the drive to meet this global effort. In effort to reduce the carbon footprint we choose mostly local, low embodied energy and sustainable material selections, on-site construction waste diversion strategies, project coordination, sensible product selection, water conservation and management practices, alternative building servicing programs, EON Project carbon offsetting credits and careful site considerations contribute to a Limited Trace Construction strategy

Our efforts will concentrate on:

The EON Project (for eternity) carbon offset with trees – approaching Net zero living

Planting Trees to Offset Carbon

The EON Project will allow our clients the option to offset either a part or all of their construction carbon emissions. Our goal is to provide a means to reduce the overall impact that the construction industry has on our atmosphere and to reach a net zero carbon footprint for the construction. Trees remove carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and store it in their woody tissues. Approximately 50% of the dry weight of a tree is carbon. This process, called sequestration, is very slow initially but accelerates as the tree matures. Globally, forests currently absorb between 1/5 and 1/4 of all human emissions of CO2. Clearly, this is an important factor in the struggle to combat global warming as CO2 is the major greenhouse gas. Planting trees on its own will not solve the problem of global warming, but it is a step in the right direction.

Efficient Homes

It always comes down to money and the costs of a new home. The bigger the home and the more lavish the fittings, the higher the costs. Many architects and designers specialize in designing large edifices. This gives the impression that many architects just want to design large lavish homes. Remember that the architect doesn't design these buildings without the input of the client. A large home comes about because a client desires to have a large home. It still takes skill and talent to make these spaces work well together and to design a home whose proportions work well and is attractive.

While we can design large homes, sometimes the greater challenge is to work on smaller lots with tight space constraints. We develop exciting and sustainable designs that are functional, innovative and good looking even with limited construction budgets. A builder can design and build you a home fairly inexpensively. You choose an architect when you have an unusual situation and are hoping to make the most of it. There is a big difference between a tract or builder home and one designed by an architect. There are good residential designers, builders and architects out there. As a client, it's your responsibility to find one who will best convey your dreams and aspirations into a home you enjoy over your lifetime. To reach that point, takes skill, talent and hard earned knowledge. So choose your designer well and understand the costs implications.

Remember that a good, efficient design by an architect can save the clients money, provide a better home and yet the architects fee will only be a drop in the bucket in the overall scheme of things. We strive to design homes that are better, not just bigger and work in a practical, personal, functional, and attractive way.

Building information modeling, smart design and Technology:

Effective and beautiful designs should achieve harmony in the landscape, provide the highest level of comfort achievable both inside and out, and reflect the client's vision in an expressive and meaningful way. Our projects integrate smart design and building technology in order to achieve a design that lives and breathes in the most efficient way possible using strategies such as: