Environmental Responsibility

Our firm is strongly committed to preserving and protecting the environment. Resource efficiency and waste reduction benefit both the environment and our quality of life. We believe that green and sustainable buildings are higher quality buildings, and can be produced without sacrificing budget, schedule, or program. They are more pleasant and healthy places to live and work in, and create value for our clients by reducing costs over time.

We have the in-house capability to design any facility according to our clients desired level of environmental sensitivity, and have institutionalized the practice of proposing to our clients additional means by which the environmental impact of a building’s use and construction can be minimized.

Advanced technology tools such as dynamic modeling enable the interaction between architectural forms and environmental elements to be tested. We can provide a wide range of services, including:

• Solar access analysis
• External shading analysis
• Internal solar penetration analysis
• Performance tests of internal and external lighting systems

Our staff has a thorough knowledge of green building materials and sustainable building technologies, including:

• Day lighting
• Indoor air quality
• Recycled materials
• Low toxicity materials
• Onsite and local materials
• Low-maintenance materials
• Insulated concrete forms (ICF)
• Climate and site based passive design
• Structural insulated panels (SIPS)
• High-performance wood framing