Our Changing World – One Design at a Time

We have all been hearing the news over the past number of years that our world is changing, and that the environment we live in has been disrupted by human activity. Whether you believe this obvious change is a result of human activity or not, that is up to you. I tend to believe the science and support the facts. But if you are not empirically driven, think back to the days when you were a kid. 

The winters were very different, we also had a nice long spring and fall season, giving us time to acclimate. The summertime was hot, yes, but rarely did we see heat advisory alerts all summer long, or thick blanketing smoke in the air from forest fires hundreds of miles to the north, raising concerns for anyone outdoors. 

Besides all the environmental concerns regarding the weather and outdoor air quality these days, we are also hyper-aware of the other concerns within our homes and businesses pertaining to the toxicity of materials, unhealthy IAQ (indoor air quality), and unsustainable materials used in the production of many of the products people use and build with. 

The construction industry is unfortunately one of the most wasteful and energy intensive industries on the planet and the paradigm has been one of “get er done” for too long. 

Are you freaked out yet? Alas, there are some solutions to help offset or perhaps reduce the impact we are having on the planet to make our homes and businesses healthier to live/work in, be less of a drain on our planetary resources, use less energy, and start making smarter decisions!

I’m happy to say that in 2017, I partnered up with Trade Design Build, an Ithaca based architecture/design and construction company that is highly motivated to make real changes one beautiful building at a time. Recognizing that the construction industry is rife with wasteful practices, unsustainable and toxic materials, and a general lack of understanding of the carbon footprint of the goods used in construction, we decided to start doing something about it. 

Our team has dedicated themselves to a process that streamlines design, continuing through the construction process to offer our clients real options to reduce the impacts from new construction and extensive renovation projects. We have made great strides along the way to be net zero or ready for net zero (producing enough energy onsite for the entire operation of the home or business), which provides a unique opportunity to have a high level of design and building performance. 

Shifting away from the traditional building methodologies, we have been incorporating software (Tally and EC3) in our design department to track the carbon footprint of the building materials we use and the construction process itself. This allows us to determine our embodied carbon footprint, which helps us narrow down the materials that we use to reduce the impact we have.

In conjunction with the carbon tracking program, we have enabled energy modeling software (AutoDesk Insight and Passive Haus Planning Program) for our designers to use at early stages of design to determine wall and roof system performance, which models the energy usage based on this feedback. This allows us to achieve high performance structures and reduce the amount of energy needed to heat and cool. 

What does all this mean? 

Incorporating this new technology and some traditional methods for reducing energy usage such as south facing windows to gain the heat from the sun in winter, larger overhangs to shade windows in the summer, air sealing, etc. these solutions have become the cornerstone of the design and construction of our buildings. By using this formula, we have determined a number of ways to make huge impacts on the means and methods for new construction and large scale renovations which can greatly reduce our impact on the planet.

We recognize that people need homes, businesses need a location, so there will be no stopping the need for new construction and renovations. So let’s just do it with more intention and with a goal to reduce our impact on the planet…easy right! Well, kind of, yes. A few of the ways we can have a positive impact on the construction industry and our health and happiness are simple in these built environments, but it has to be a decisive choice to do so. We can have huge impacts (see graph) if we can reduce the amount of concrete we use (one of the most energy intensive material to produce), use locally sourced materials for siding and framing, use lime or linseed based paints and finishes, reduce or eliminate plastic and petroleum based products, air and ground sourced heating and cooling, use low embodied carbon building materials such as wood, the list goes on. 

Through decisive actions we can play a strong role in the reduction of greenhouse gasses, use less energy, have healthier living conditions and hopefully have a brighter future for generations to come. Making these choices does not mean you have to sacrifice the design, it only enhances it.