Look, we're not gonna preach about saving the planet while designing massive energy-sucking buildings. That'd be pretty hypocritical, right? Every project we touch has sustainability baked into its DNA from day one. It's not an add-on or a fancy certification to wave around – it's literally how we think.
We've spent years figuring out how to make buildings that work with nature instead of against it. And honestly? It just makes sense.
Forget the corporate buzzwords. Here's the real deal on how we approach sustainable design.
Before we even think about solar panels or fancy tech, we orient buildings right. Simple stuff like window placement, overhangs, and natural ventilation can cut energy use by 40% – sometimes more. We did a house in Rosedale where the owners barely touch their HVAC system anymore.
We're kinda obsessed with where stuff comes from. Local materials when possible, recycled content when it makes sense, and low-VOC everything. Plus we've got relationships with suppliers who actually care about their carbon footprint. Makes sourcing easier and the air quality inside? Way better.
Rainwater collection isn't just for hippie communes anymore. We've integrated greywater systems, green roofs, and permeable surfaces into commercial projects that actually pencil out financially. One client's water bill dropped by 60% in the first year. They send us a thank-you card every month.
Once we've got the passive stuff nailed down, then we talk tech. Geothermal when the site allows, solar when it makes economic sense, and building automation that doesn't require a PhD to operate. We want systems that work for regular people, not just engineers.
We've been tracking our projects' performance for years now, and the data's pretty convincing. On average, our buildings use 45% less energy than conventional designs. Carbon emissions? Down by about 50% over the building's lifecycle.
But here's what really gets us excited – the people living and working in these spaces report better health, improved productivity, and yeah, way lower utility bills. One office we designed saw employee sick days drop by 30%. Could be coincidence, but probably not.
Energy Reduction
Lower Emissions
Filter through our work to see how we've implemented these principles across different project types.
Passive house certified with integrated solar array. This family's producing more energy than they use – literally selling power back to the grid.
Living walls, natural ventilation, and a rooftop garden that doubles as employee break space. Air quality sensors show consistently excellent readings.
Maximized natural daylight means lights rarely get turned on during the day. Thermal mass flooring keeps temps stable year-round.
Turned a 1920s warehouse into modern office space while keeping the heritage character. New mechanicals hidden behind original brick.
That green roof isn't just pretty – it's cutting cooling costs by about 35% and managing all the site's stormwater runoff.
Reclaimed wood, recycled steel, and locally-sourced stone. The whole fit-out diverted 85% of waste from landfill during construction.
Kept the historic facade, completely reimagined the guts. New insulation and mechanicals without touching the original character.
Our first commercial net-zero project. Geothermal HVAC, solar canopy parking, and a battery system that keeps them running during outages.
Small footprint, big impact. Cross-ventilation and strategic shading mean the AC barely runs, even in July.
We're not certification obsessed, but they're useful benchmarks. Most of our projects qualify for LEED certification, and we've done several Passive House designs. That said, we don't chase certifications just for the plaque – we chase performance.
What matters more to us is how the building actually performs once people move in. We do post-occupancy evaluations on every project to see if our predictions matched reality. Spoiler: we're getting pretty good at it.
We've been doing this long enough to know that sustainable design isn't a niche anymore – it's just good design.
Lower operating costs, healthier spaces, higher property values, and yeah, you're doing something good for the environment. Win-win-win-win.
We get to design buildings we're actually proud of. Buildings that'll still be performing well decades from now. That's the kind of legacy we want.
Wanna talk about what sustainable design could look like for your project?
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