• Toxicity
• Ecology
• Energy
• Resources

TOXICITY

Indoor air quality concerns the health of the occupants of the building Low toxic finishes Isolation of unhabitable spaces from living/working spaces Controlled ventilation Occupational health considers the people whose work is the creation of the building's components Low toxic production back to top

ECOLOGY

Ecosystems reflect the health of our planet upon which human industry is having an adverse effect Clean air Clean water Non-hazardous waste Sustainable forestry Wetland preservation Habitat preservation Landscape mitigates the impact of building on the project site Maximum pervious area Abundant plants and animals On site sewage treatment Food and yard waste composting back to top

ENERGY

Renewables perpetually generate energy without damage to the earth's ecology Daylighting Cogeneration Solar heating and cooling Solar electricity Efficiency involves reducing the amount of energy needed to use the building, regardless of source Thermal mass Insulation Heating Cooling Hot water Appliances Lighting Plug loads Transport acknowledges that a building can affect the energy used to access it Transit system proximity Neighborhood commercial fosters pedestrian life Bicycle facilities Embodied energy is the aggregate energy needed to produce and deliver a material to the site Local materials Natural materials Minimal thermal processing back to top

RESOURCES

Material reduction requires thoughtful design to simply use less Smaller buildings Double duty spaces Standard material sizes Design for deconstruction Material reuse is dumpster diving raised to an art form On site Salvaging Deconstruction Shopping around Refurbishing Material recycling mimics nature's method of using waste as the raw material for new products Concrete Masonry Steel Wood Roofing Insulation Doors and windows Finishes Water reduction depends on equipment that meets our needs with fewer gallons Bathroom Kitchen Garden Water reuse involves capturing rain and other nearly potable water Rain harvesting Water recycling takes advantage of water from the building that is normally discharged Greywater Blackwater back to top