Category: energy efficiency
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Zero energy homes | the Passivhaus approach to reducing energy bills in homes
True or false – adding insulation has diminishing returns? True, doubling the thickness of a roof insulation doubles the cost while halving the heat loss/gain, and half of a half is a quarter and half of that an eighth…. So, “How low should we go?” as some have asked.
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In Pursuit of Happiness – The Question of Size and Architecture
The topic of size comes up a lot at architectural conferences. The issue is an important one for obvious reasons – bigger homes require more energy to heat and cool and more energy goes into the construction materials.
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Affordable Green Buildings: Lessons From the Make It Right Homes
To understand how to build affordable green buildings, it’s useful to look toward low-income communities where these strategies are being applied at scale, where costs and paybacks are being measured.
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Modern Green Virginia Beach House Tour
Superinsulated and designed to meet Passivhaus standards, triple glazed windows, Huber Zip system, FSC certified woods and many other sustainable features.
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Lewis & Clark Exploratory Center of Virginia: Engaging People is Key to a Building’s Success
We design with the philosophy that engaging people in our buildings is key to a project’s success. We think a lot about how to create opportunities for discovery, for collaboration, for a conversation with nature
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Sustainable Design Requires Creative Solutions
A sustainable architect needs to solve for more than would the typical designer. I liken our process to solving the Rubic’s cube – where all the goals, challenges and givens must be in alignment.
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Harness the Sun at the Community Level
Passive solar design is well understood yet little considered at the community design level. New York City planners had the foresight to lay out the NYC street grid with solar aspect in mind.
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Safety in Numbers
In Aristotelian terms, techné, craftmanship, craft or art, was considered the imperfect practice of nature. Nature was regarded as teacher and keeper.