what is a sustainable building?

Sustainability is currently a word that is thrown around with respect to almost anything. What does it mean though? What is a sustainable building?

For Sustainable Design, a sustainable building is one that takes into account the health of its occupants, now and into the future, and the health of our planet.

We address the health of the occupants of the buildings we design by paying careful attention to:

• Designing carefully for maximum passive solar gain.
• The thermal comfort of the building.
• The interior environment quality including temperature, humidity and toxins from building materials.
• Providing natural light for the building.
• Designing buildings that meet the needs and lifestyles of the people who will occupy them.
• Designing buildings that will meet the needs of different users into the future.

We look after the health of our planet by paying careful attention to:

• The amount of energy that the building uses to maintain comfortable temperatures all year round.
• The amount of energy required to manufacture and transport the materials we use to construct the building.
• The recyclability of the materials we use.
• The sustainability of NZ's economy by using locally manufactured products.
• The amount of water the building uses, and the amount of effluent it creates.

At each stage of the design process, we ask ourselves, "How will this decision impact on the sustainability of this building?"