Sustainable design companies and their practices

Sustainable Building Design

According to the National Park Service, an estimated 26 billion tons of topsoil are lost beyond the ability to replace it every year. In addition, out underground water tables are not contaminated in 32 American states. Water tables are dropping as our consumption of these resources climbs faster than the earth's capacity to replace them. The impact the humans have on the environment is staggering. There is now a movement to help reduce the impact that we have on the environment by using sustainable techniques in new building design. The following will compare two companies and their ability to meet these goals in their design program.

Sustainable Company

Helmuth & Bicknese is a sustainable design architecture firm that follows the entire building process from site selection to final specifications. They begin by analyzing the site to determine the impact that the building will have on the environmental resources on the site. They design the building so that it will have the minimal impact on the environment and the people that will occupy it. Sustainable design tries to consider every aspect of the building, both inside and out. It considers the impact of building systems, such as heat and water, choosing the method that has the least impact.

Helmuth & Bicknese perform a detailed analysis and attempt to consider every part of the building. Their approach appears to be detailed and methodical. On several places on their website, they mention the LEEDS system, which assigns a sustainability rating to the building. They appear to be knowledgeable and thorough in their approach to sustainable building design. It is likely that this company accomplishes its goal in designing low impact buildings.

Non-Sustainable Company

Cumberland Design & Building Company, Inc. offers full-scale services from concept to project competition. They specialize in large corporate office complexes. The key point stressed on their website is efficiency and their ability to deliver what the customer wants. They have an extensive portfolio of past projects.

Cumberland Design & Building Company uses the Butler Manufactured Building system. This building design is a prefabricated metal building. There is no mention of sustainability on their website. They emphasize project delivery and quality. Their experienced staff and extensive portfolio are their main selling points. This company does not state any environmental goals and therefore should not be used when environmental issues are a concern. The key concern of this company was that they are able to meet the customer's needs and make their bottom line. They have no environmentally related goals, therefore they meet their goals.

Government standards are beginning to recognize the necessity of protecting our natural resources. Companies such as this will eventually have to pay attention to the concept of sustainability in their designs. At this point, there are many grants and programs available for companies that choose to pay attention to energy efficiency, alternative power, and water conservation in their design. Companies that do not choose to consider these options in their building design are losing out on some significant payouts from the government. They can also gain considerable tax incentives as well. However, there are still many companies in existence that refuse to jump on the wagon and realize the benefits of green design. This type of thinking demonstrates an antiquated philosophy regarding design work.

Conclusions

In recognition that the world must change its attitude and act in a way that will help to conserve our vital resources, the General Service Administration (GSA) has mandated that sustainable building techniques be used. According to these standards, the sustainable building will seek to Sustainable design principles include the ability to: optimize site potential, minimize non-renewable energy consumption, use environmentally preferable products, protect and conserve water, enhance indoor environmental quality, and optimize operational and maintenance practices. These government standards are a response to the responsibility that the government has in protecting its citizens from harm stemming from environmental degradation. Sustainable building design is responsible from a social standpoint.