Green Building

Green Building

Hurricane Proofing
Wind Turbines
Solar Panels

The subject of Green Building is certainly a sweeping one. Issues range from abstractions, like "carbon footprint" to fundamentally pragmatic issues, like passive solar design.

In an era when we have all become painfully aware of the dangers and pitfalls of runaway consumerism, we must acknowledge a fundamental ethical and moral responsibility to one another and to the generations who follow us. The human population on the earth is increasing and significant numbers of Earth's human population are moving from Third World status to Second- or First-World status and consumption levels. This is a reality.

As the commonly utilized fossil fuel reserves and resources are consumed and diminish at an alarmingly increasing pace, it is incumbent on us all to develop and to thoughtfully apply new approaches, new paradigms, and new technologies.

It is also a moral duty, we believe, for Architects, in particular, to thoughtfully examine and consider these issues. We believe that Architects must, in order to maintain their own meaning and relevance, participate actively in developing, utilizing, demonstrating, and, thereby, proving the functional utility of these new approaches, new paradigms, and new technologies.

New insulation materials, construction techniques that focus on renewable resources, water conservation,… the list goes on and on.

Electrical Cogeneration: Modern technology offers us energy cell..., wind turbine generator..., hydroelectric..., and solar-photovoltaic electrical cogeneration systems to actually produce some, most, or even all of the electricity we use in a home or a business. State and Federal Governments offer significant tax credit incentives.

HVAC systems: We have available to us incredibly efficient HVAC systems that rely on the static temperature of the earth beneath us to regulate the air quality, temperature, and humidity of the built environment.

Materials: There are new building construction materials and interior finish materials that reutilize what were formerly waste materials, and some have been developed that will not only, not pollute the indoor environment, they will actually absorb indoor pollutants. As Architects, we believe we must embrace new materials like Kevlar and carbon fiber, while also returning to overlooked and speedily renewable resources like bamboo.

Insulation: There are new insulation technologies: aluminum Mylar radiant barrier; open and closed cell Polyicynene foam; blown, recycled, stabilized, cellulose that has been treated for fire and insect resistance; etc. We now have, through research and new analytical scientific testing methodologies, an unprecedented understanding of the construction techniques that will yield their greatest insulative efficiencies. On-demand water heaters, solar water heaters, and heat-recapture-system water heaters all dramatically outperform traditional tank style water heaters in both function and efficiency.

Water Conservation: Bathroom sanitary fixtures and landscape maintenance techniques and technologies have been developed that use rainwater, drain-water ("gray-water"), far less water, or even no water.

Lighting: Traditional incandescent and fluorescent lighting technologies are now, in a rush of new research, being supplanted by compact fluorescent and light emitting diode (LED) lamp fixtures that last significantly longer and consume a mere fraction of the energy required by their former counterparts.

Information Management: Finally, digital-control "smart" systems can regulate temperature, manage lighting, regulate solar shading devices, at the same time that they protect us, entertain us, and communicate with and for us, all without even straining.

Each of these topics is remarkably complex and the research and knowlege base is constantly shifting and growing. Waring Architects is fascinated with this area of study and will continue to stay abreast of developments and to implement what we learn in our work.


	Green Building Hurricane Proofing Wind Turbines Solar Panels The subject of Green Building is certainly a sweeping one. Issues range from abstractions, like "carbon footprint" to fundamentally pragmatic issues, like passive solar design. In an era when we have all become painfully aware of the dangers and pitfalls of runaway consumerism, we must acknowledge a fundamental ethical and moral responsibility to one another and to the generations who follow us. The human population on the earth is increasing and significant numbers of Earth's human population are moving from Third World status to Second- or First-World status and consumption levels. This is a reality. As the commonly utilized fossil fuel reserves and resources are consumed and diminish at an alarmingly increasing pace, it is incumbent on us all to develop and to thoughtfully apply new approaches, new paradigms, and new technologies. It is also a moral duty, we believe, for Architects, in particular, to thoughtfully examine and consider these issues. We believe that Architects must, in order to maintain their own meaning and relevance, participate actively in developing, utilizing, demonstrating, and, thereby, proving the functional utility of these new approaches, new paradigms, and new technologies. New insulation materials, construction techniques that focus on renewable resources, water conservation,… the list goes on and on. Electrical Cogeneration: Modern technology offers us energy cell..., wind turbine generator..., hydroelectric..., and solar-photovoltaic electrical cogeneration systems to actually produce some, most, or even all of the electricity we use in a home or a business. State and Federal Governments offer significant tax credit incentives. HVAC systems: We have available to us incredibly efficient HVAC systems that rely on the static temperature of the earth beneath us to regulate the air quality, temperature, and humidity of the built environment. Materials: There are new building construction materials and interior finish materials that reutilize what were formerly waste materials, and some have been developed that will not only, not pollute the indoor environment, they will actually absorb indoor pollutants. As Architects, we believe we must embrace new materials like Kevlar and carbon fiber, while also returning to overlooked and speedily renewable resources like bamboo. Insulation: There are new insulation technologies: aluminum Mylar radiant barrier; open and closed cell Polyicynene foam; blown, recycled, stabilized, cellulose that has been treated for fire and insect resistance; etc. We now have, through research and new analytical scientific testing methodologies, an unprecedented understanding of the construction techniques that will yield their greatest insulative efficiencies. On-demand water heaters, solar water heaters, and heat-recapture-system water heaters all dramatically outperform traditional tank style water heaters in both function and efficiency. Water Conservation: Bathroom sanitary fixtures and landscape maintenance techniques and technologies have been developed that use rainwater, drain-water ("gray-water"), far less water, or even no water. Lighting: Traditional incandescent and fluorescent lighting technologies are now, in a rush of new research, being supplanted by compact fluorescent and light emitting diode (LED) lamp fixtures that last significantly longer and consume a mere fraction of the energy required by their former counterparts. Information Management: Finally, digital-control "smart" systems can regulate temperature, manage lighting, regulate solar shading devices, at the same time that they protect us, entertain us, and communicate with and for us, all without even straining. Each of these topics is remarkably complex and the research and knowlege base is constantly shifting and growing. Waring Architects is fascinated with this area of study and will continue to stay abreast of developments and to implement what we learn in our work.