Environmental Issues

We prefer to call Green Architecture "Integrated Architecture". This involves thinking of all aspects of the building during the design stage, including such green issues as energy conservation embodied in heating, lighting, ventilation, building materials and maintenance. Life cycle replacement a complete approach but at the same time occupancy comfort and well being must be catered for.

In the 70's after the first oil crisis, prototype self sufficient "green" buildings were developed, mainly in America. By and large, the gimmicks were of little long term value unless related to a tradition of grass roofs or adobe construction. What did emerge was that the traditional way of building in many countries either to keep warm or cool had a great deal to offer. This is called the passive approach which we favour, applying correct orientation, shelter, minimum external envelope to floor area, window sizing, thermal capacity of materials and so on to their best advantage.

The difference today is that computers can project with a degree of certainty the effect of applying and varying these design principles through modelling and simulation. This we firmly believe is the way forward in to the future without throwing away the wealth of experience we have inherited from the past.