Basic Principles
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We employ basic principles of passive micro-climate moderation, where every element of the building and surrounding landscape is complementary and co-operative in creating a comfortable habitat for all seasons. Time proven techniques from global vernacular tradition have taught us that solar gain and thermal storage within a well insulated envelope are vital for winter warmth, as is sun shading and cross-ventilation for summer cooling.
We use computer simulation software to gauge thermal performance and determine optimal areas of glass, sun shading, insulation values and building orientation. There should be no need for air-conditioning, and heating should only need to be used minimally.
For us, environmentally sustainable design encompasses and is a balance of technology, renewable materials of low-embodied energy, renewable energy sources to operate the building, economical building design which minimizes waste and reduces cost, and passive micro-climate moderation to reduce the reliance on auxiliary heating and cooling. However, environmentally sustainable design is not just about the responsibility to reduce energy and resource consumption, but it is also about creating an aesthetically considered typology appropriate for its place and time, and which is befitting of the landscape, of the climate, and of its occupants.