With new statistics showing that 20% of the global energy is being used by buildings and households, it is becoming more and more apparent that a push for sustainable buildings is not only beneficial for decreasing household utility costs but also for long term environmental factors. At the end of last year, some of the team were lucky enough to sit in on Rory Martins seminar on sustainability opportunities in design and Architecture. Rory is highly influential in Architectural sustainability design, being a registered Architect with a Masters with distinction in Environmental Design and working in a range of sustainability roles. The seminar focused on new and existing tools that can be utilised to not on reduce the impact and foot print of our designs but to create Architecture that has the capabilities to give back to the environment.
The rise of BIM and environmental technology in architectural software’s and building processes are revealing the benefits of environmentally sensitive design. Combining this new technology with fundamental principles such as orientation of buildings and positioning of materials throughout the design of a building can be crucial in ensuring the buildings efficiency, reducing monthly bills and increasing the overall enjoyment of the space.
“We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors – we borrow it from our Children”
-Native American Proverb
The fact of the matter is that sustainable design is good design and creating architecture which is sympathetic to the environment subsequently creates spaces which improve the health and well being of the users.
Staying at the forefront of environmental sustainability is of the highest importance to the team at Finnis as we look forward to combining new technology with our wealth of experience to ensure that sustainability is inherent in our designs which will benefit long term energy saving, comfort and health.
Take a look at Willow Grove, a low impact rammed earth home designed by Finnis.