By I came to practice architecture in Florida via Minnesota. In 2004, a headhunter discovered me and called to ask if I would be interested in moving to Orlando. His timing was excellent because it was the dead of winter . . . and if you haven’t heard, it gets mighty cold in Minnesota. I didn’t hesitate in expressing interest. He matched me up with a firm that was looking for a senior architect with government experience. We had many telephone conversations before I was flown to Florida for a face-to-face interview.
I recall one phone call where he asked, “What do you know about Sustainable USGBC Reference Guide 1Design?” After an awkward pause, I tried to bluff my way through that question. The word “sustainable” was not a common term in the design industry . . . and that was about 10 years ago. I was hired anyway, and by mid-2005 I had passed the LEED exam to become a LEED accredited professional. But even then, the concept of designing something to be sustainable was still foreign to me.
Understanding of what sustainable is and how it fits in the design community. Sustainability is achieved by utilizing energy provided by four natural resources: Earth, Wind, Solar, and Water. Utilizing any one or all of these natural resources is not a new concept. Prior to the advent of the Industrial Revolution that is all we knew and depended upon. The Industrial Revolution accelerated us into a whole new world of man-made, artificial environments. Over the centuries we can now see the environmental cost to ourselves, our communities, and our planet.
Sustainable Design is the appropriate balance of modern comfort expectations powered by renewable, natural resources. One of the best ways to measure a balanced, sustainable approach is to build Net Zero. It is as easy as checking your monthly power bill and calculating at the end of the year if you consumed less energy than you produced on site. If so, congratulations! If not, than you can reduce your consumption or introduce additional renewable, Net Zero systems until Net Zero is achieved. It may take a combination of Earth, Wind, Solar, and Water to get to Net Zero, but the result is 100% independence from the local power grid, and money back in your pocket. THAT . . . IS SUSTAINABLE!
Sustainable Design and Green Building. We must take the lead now and implement the amazing sustainable technology that is already out there. dbs Architects PLLC is prepared, ready, and willing to help bring your project into the 21st Century by a careful and sensitive integration of Net Zero design. Give us a call!
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