• Skip to main content
Alfandre Architecture, Hudson Valley - logo

Healthy Buildings, Healthy People, Healthy Communities, and a Healthful Planet

845.255.4774

  • home
  • services
    • commercial architecture
    • residential architecture
    • design & build services
    • green building
    • sustainable design
    • master planning & visioning
  • projects
    • case studies
    • commercial
    • residential
    • hotel & lodging
    • retail
    • professional & office
    • spiritual & religious buildings
    • cultural & civic
    • government, municipal & education
    • multifamily
    • agribusiness
  • about
    • who we are
    • case studies
    • careers
  • News
  • Blog
  • contact

Home » Sustainable Design

SUSTAINABLE DESIGN

Sustainable Design: How it can benefit you and help build a better world.

Sustainable design and green building have become popular buzzwords in recent years. But we have seen these terms become so overused that it’s hard for people to know what they really mean, especially when applied to design and construction.

So let’s start by defining what sustainability is – and what that means when applied to architectural design.

What is sustainable design?

Solar Hot Water System

Takes advantage of the warmth of the sun to pre-heat water used for domestic and other purposes.

Integrating Renewable Energy

A core principal in building design at Alfandre Architecture.

At its most basic definition, sustainability means living from today’s resources without depleting them for tomorrow’s generations.

We believe that we have a responsibility to our children and their children to be responsible stewards of the Earth we all call home.

The truth is, the environmental impact of building and development can be tremendous. From the raw materials used and waste created during the building process, to the consumption of fossil fuels required to keep a building heated and cooled over the course of its use, traditional buildings can be incredibly wasteful.

Fossil fuels are non-renewable, which means once they are depleted they are gone forever. Also, as populations increase, the drain on our shared resources only increases exponentially.

“We are waking up to our failure to recognize that our buildings and communities are part of nature.


Rather than working with nature, we’ve been setting ourselves and our built environment apart; we’ve been blind to the devastating impact our choices have had on the natural environment.


As a result, the global environment has become so degraded that, given current trends, there is some question as to whether it can continue to support human life over the long term.”

 

Bob Berkebile, FAIA

Founding Chair, American Institute of Architects Committee on the Environment

Sustainable Design can include many things such as:

  • Minimizing reliance on non-renewable energy

  • Using renewable energy such as solar power

  • Designing communities to reduce waste and increase efficiency

Sustainable vs. “Green”

It’s important to note that using “green” or “environmentally friendly” products and techniques are not enough to ensure sustainability.

So rather than just a set of “green” products or techniques, sustainable design is about taking a holistic approach, looking at the larger picture and all of the factors and consequences involved in the process.

THE SOCIETAL BENEFITS OF SUSTAINABLE DESIGN

Sustainable design reaches beyond building design.

It is a way to envision and ensure our communities of tomorrow and beyond.

Humans are social beings, and buildings live within the context of our collective existence.

They are an exterior expression of the layers of community that bind us together.

Buildings that use less energy, water and sewage utilities will ultimately result in less strain on public infrastructure, lower costs for the community, fewer power plants and transmission lines.

Widespread adoption of sustainable design will lead to less pollution through stormwater runoff. Thus, a reduction in the heat island effect, which is a rise in temperature in urban areas due in part to paved surfaces absorbing and reflecting heat.

Studies show that people who occupy healthier, more comfortable buildings are happier, more productive, and tend to carry that general well-being back to their families and friends in the community.

All of these examples illustrate how changes to just one building can have widespread ripple effects, improving the conditions of the surrounding community.

GOING BEYOND SUSTAINABLE

A green building is also a healthy building for you, your staff, and your customers.

Sustainable design is a noble goal, and a growing movement.

But there’s even a further level, which is “restorative design” or “restorative building,” meaning building sites and structures that actually improve the environment by restoring what we take out of our fragile ecosystem.

For example, a restorative building might …

  • Produce more energy than it consumes, putting the excess back into the power grid so that other buildings can meet their energy demands

  • Provide space for urban agriculture, such as through a “living” roof, allowing the building occupant to grow food, or plants beneficial to the local habitat

  • Harvest most of the water it uses for the building and landscaping, through techniques such as rainwater collection and greywater recycling

This movement to replenish what we take from the environment is the goal of some of major thought leaders in the design and construction world, and it’s where the industry is pushing towards for the future.

At Alfandre Architecture, we are always engaged in continuing education from thought leaders throughout the industry. We continually research the latest materials and methods, looking for innovation and improved ways of doing things.

Our goal is always to use sustainable design in ways that are cost-effective and beneficial for our clients.

That’s why we are committed to finding ways to help our clients incorporate sustainable design and green building techniques into their projects in ways that will work for them.

Read more about green building.

FEATURED PROJECTS

CASE STUDY

EMERSON RESORT & SPA - MT. TREMPOR, NY

CASE STUDY

ENERGY STAR HOME - PUTNAM COUNTY, NY 

CASE STUDY

P.O.A. OFFICE SPACE - MIDDLETOWN, NY

FIND OUT HOW SUSTAINABLE DESIGN CAN WORK FOR YOUR PROJECT

Let’s discuss your goals for building your new home.
Then, we’ll give you our best advice on how to move forward on your project.

SCHEDULE A CALL
Share
Tweet
Pin
0 Shares

DESIGN

PLAN

BUILD

231 Main Street Suite 201     New Paltz, NY 12561     Phone: 845.255.4774

Diversity flag

HOME | SERVICES | PORTFOLIO | ABOUT | NEWS | BLOG | CONTACT | TERMS OF SERVICE | PRIVACY POLICY | PAYMENTS

Copyright © 2023 Alfandre Architecture PC | Site

"*" indicates required fields

How did you find us?*

The send button will be hidden until you answer this.
Before you submit this form please be advised that we do send out 1-2 important automated emails to you immediately after this form is submitted. To ensure that the email gets to you, please add [email protected] to your contacts and make sure to check your spam folder.*
We are NOT putting you on an email list.
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.