Ohlhausen DuBois Architects, New York City, New York 10012

Strategy
Sustainable goals
Team & expertise Commissioning process

Siting & Community
Development density
Alternative transportation
Erosion control & stormwater management
Reduced site disturbance
Heat island reduction
Light pollution reduction
Building orientation

Energy Efficiency
Highly insulated & airtight envelope
Cool roofs & green roofs
Daylighting
Efficient lighting & lighting controls
Geothermal energy
Solar electric & solar hot water
Wind energy

Water Efficiency
Low flow fixtures
Grey water system
Rain water harvesting
Green roofs
Drought tolerant plantings

Materials Efficiency
Reuse of existing structures
Reuse of existing materials
Use of recycled materials
Use of local materials
Proper disposal of construction waste

Indoor Environmental Quality
Low VOC materials
Air quality control & monitoring
Temperature control
Daylight and exterior views

Sustainable design is good design.

Sustainable or green design is a fundamental part of what we do, and much of sustainable design is common sense. Minimizing the project’s impact on a community and a site; orienting a building for solar gain; consuming less energy & using alternative sources of energy; maximizing daylight; using renewable and recycled materials; and creating a healthy indoor environment – these are all part of our basic design approach.

A big part of sustainable design is assembling a team and figuring out how to implement an overall sustainability strategy for the project. Initiatives such as green roofs, grey water systems, recycling of construction waste, and building commissioning are becoming more commonplace but still require a greater effort to ensure they are successfully planned and executed. (Commissioning is the testing process that verifies that all the building systems are working as planned and the project indeed meets its sustainability goals once it’s in operation.)