Low Energy Architecture SUSTAINABLITY AND LEED SHAPE works to promote and include sustainability in every project. To achieve this we have developed relationships with our engineers and contractors so that we can deliver low-energy architecture without a premium price tag. Our goal is to deliver superior projects by first addressing the elements of green design which are free: building orientation, massing, use of natural light and natural ventilation. We then move up the sustainability food chain to look at enhanced building envelope design, triple glazed windows, and insulated concrete formwork. We have a seasoned understanding of simple technologies like rainwater harvesting, solar hot-water heating and heat recovery ventilation which allows our clients significant energy savings with a relatively low investment. We recognize that not every developer wishes to certify their project for LEED; for us the principles of sustainable design come first, not the cache of being green.
There is a strong element of social sustainability in the focus of our practice. From residential infill on Vancouver’s east side to public recreational projects, we are working to enhance the fabric of existing communities by providing a new model of sustainable design at the building scale and the urban scale. Infill projects help to re-activate neglected laneways, and carefully considered housing with well-placed amenities makes smaller, more affordable units a desirable option. For the Eco-4plex near Vancouver’s Commercial Drive, we are pursuing LEED® Platinum under the new LEED Canada for Homes rating system. In this case, we are including everything from insulation of hot-water piping to eco-batt insulation. Wherever possible, we make sustainable systems visible to enhance public understanding of the environmental impact of building. © 2006-2011 SHAPE Architecture Inc. |
