Sustainability

Lavallee Brensinger Architects’ approach to sustainable design is project-specific. Working collaboratively with clients, contractors, and consultants, we establish clear project goals, and facilitate confident decisions with in-depth analysis of different options. We empower our clients to achieve their sustainability goals with our broad experience of the latest standards, including: LEED® V4, Passive House, State sponsored Advanced Building programs, and many others. Program and Location Optimization Early analysis and space use validation allows our team to “right-size” your program; often resulting in the reduction of square footage and reducing initial investment as well as operations & maintenance expenses for years to come. We can also provide clients with quick analysis of several different sites and building orientations, setting the project up for success before the design even begins.

Resource Use
Thoughtful design decisions can substantially reduce building energy use. We help clients realize their energy goals by utilizing the latest technology both in our office and in the building specifications. Through energy modeling, we can give clients options to meet their energy goals and give them predictable performance. These options have included: intelligent metering, LED lighting, Geothermal systems, Solar Arrays, Demand Response systems, Triple-pane glazing, Electrochromic glazing, truly continuous insulation, mechanical system options, and much more.

To help our clients reduce water use, we often specify automatic sensors, WaterSense products, and recommend clients go a step further through xeriscaping, sub-metering, and rainwater harvesting.

Building Reuse and Materials
The environmental benefits of reusing existing buildings are found to be up to six times greater than new construction, and we encourage existing building reuse whenever practical. As a result, we have developed extensive experience renovating heritage and historic buildings to adapt them for modern use.

In addition, Lavallee Brensinger Architects specifies materials that are locally available, recycled, salvaged, durable, easy to maintain, functional, and aesthetically-pleasing. The building’s life-cycle impact can be determined through modeling tools.

Wellness
We encourage all clients to go beyond a building’s carbon footprint or energy efficiency, and include the health and wellness of the building’s occupants. Appropriate daylighting, quality views, thermal comfort, acoustical isolation, and low-emitting materials have shown to reduce absenteeism, increase employee retention, and facilitate recruitment of new employees. At Lavallee Brensinger Architects, we can predict and deliver these qualities using rigorous standards and the latest technology.

 

Lavallee Brensinger is proud to be an AIA 2030 signatory, doing our part in our carbon-neutral future.