Category: passive solar
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Green Home Design Closes the Wealth Gap in the US
Sustainable homes may seem like a luxury, but green design solutions can help close the wealth gap in the United States…
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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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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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Creating Layers of Value – What’s Good For Environment is Good for Business.
We consider a project unsatisfactory if it’s just beautiful. We consider a project unsatisfactory if it’s only green — or only functional. We consider a project falls short if it’s not a good fit for it’s natural setting or urban context.
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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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Adaptation
Lichen grows on the sunny side of the bark of a tree, capitalizing on the warm of the environment. I’m fascinated by the compass termite amitermes meridionalis, native to northern Australia, that builds its nest like a sundial.
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Shape in Context
The natural world has many examples of adaptation to climate. The northern white-tailed deer has a lower surface area to volume ratio than does its more diminutive southern cousin and radiates less body heat per unit of mass, allowing it to stay warmer in the colder climate.
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Engaging the Developer
The developer-builder operates under a series of environmental pressures the most important of which is to sell homes while making a profit. The Developer-Builders consider first costs, first because profit equals marketability less first costs.