|
20 April 2009
Posted in
Spring Renovations: Go Green!
This idea was the opener for a book that I wrote in 1990 (The Resourceful Renovator), which started out with:
"For the past ten years I have been trying successfully to design and build with less. By "less", I mean less materials, less money, less clutter, less impact on the environment, less complication .... just "less". The "more" has often detoured this approach in a variety of ways. Clients have more available bank credit, more land, more gadgets to store, more desires for out-of-scale grandeur, more magazines to look at, more options available ... "more". Added to this are, more available high-tech fixes, more research literature, more marketing from product manufacturers, and more desperate environmental concerns to make one react."
1. Solterre Design
There are many ways that buildings affect the environment: from the resources used, to the energy required to transport materials, to the air we breathe. The most direct environmental impact that any building has on the environment is the energy used to heat it
The first step in reducing this impact is by using energy-efficient construction techniques and by choosing an appropriate heat source. Many people are surprised to know that Nova Scotia is one of Canada's best locations for utilizing passive solar energy. As the sun is a free and available energy source, Solterre Design strives to use passive solar design techniques wherever possible.
For those wanting to live outside of electrical service range, off-grid living is feasible in many applications. Working with wind, sun and energy-efficient design, buildings can limit their long-term dependence on fossil fuels and offer alternative energy options for producing heat, domestic hot water and electricity.
2. Healthy Materials and Systems
A healthy environment in your building is extremely important. Many people suffer minor affects from a poor indoor environment without even knowing it. With the proper guidance up-front, you can improve indoor air quality based on the choices you make during your design process. And many of these choices will have little or no effect on the cost of your project.
3. Resourceful Use of Building Materials
Recycled Material
As more and more manufacturers go green, materials choices become easier yet the selection can still be intimidating. There are many issues to consider -- sustainability, health, adaptability, life cycle, embodied energy, resource efficiency and energy consumption. We design with these issues in mind.
Salvaged Material
Jennifer Corson is also the President of Renovators Resource Inc. (www.renovators-resource.com or ph. (902) 429-3889), a used building material store in Halifax which reclaims pieces from buildings destined for demolition. Incorporating salvaged materials can often save money while retaining our architectural heritage. Often these salvaged items can become the focal point in a renovation or a new construction.
4. Solterre, A Green Design Company
Solterre's mission is to provide comfort and quality while minimizing the environmental impact of each design. Our experience in green design, an ecological approach to building, offers up-to-date information on green practices used in the new construction, renovation and restoration marketplace.
Solterre's philosophy is simple: great green architecture meeting the client's needs. We achieve this by understanding the particular effects of natural resources, materials and energy on the built environment; and by incorporating good design principles while keeping economy in mind. We have project experience and expertise in LEED certification, energy efficient and off-grid projects.
We know the importance of a healthy environment in your building. Our experience will guide you through design choices that can improve indoor air quality.
Ultimately, Solterre aims to build better instead of bigger, by incorporating design features that make smaller spaces more adaptable, aesthetically-pleasing, financially and environmentally beneficial.
For more information, can contact us at Solterre at (902) 492 1215 or visit our website at www.solterre.com or email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
5. Resourceful Use of Building Materials
Recycled Material
There are many issues to consider -- sustainability, health, adaptability, life cycle, embodied energy, resource efficiency and energy consumption. We design with these issues in mind.
Salvaged Material
Jennifer Corson is also the President of Renovators Resource Inc. (www.renovators-resource.com or ph. (902) 429-3889), a used building material store in Halifax which reclaims pieces from buildings destined for demolition. Incorporating salvaged materials can often save money while retaining our architectural heritage. Often these salvaged items can become the focal point in a renovation or a new construction.
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|