Thomas
Jefferson wrote: “The earth
belongs to each generation, and no generation can contract debts greater than
may be paid during the course of its own existence.”
The
principles of Green Architecture and Sustainable Design embody Jefferson’s
insight. Green Architecture is
the practice of using materials, designs and concepts that minimize resource
and energy use now and in the future. Sustainable
Design creates environments that have a minimum negative impact on the
environment, energy consumption and the users of the design.
Ideally, Sustainable Design will actually enhance both the environment
and the users. Green Architecture
and Sustainable Design solutions reach beyond the specific environment of a
project to create a greater good for the surrounding community.
Dimension
IV is dedicated to the principles of Green Architecture and Sustainable
Design. Through the careful
consideration of building requirements, material and systems quality and the
construction budget, the project can develop to meet not only the owner’s
immediate and long range goals but also the goals of Green Architecture and
Sustainable Design. Some of the
advantages of this approach include:
- Reduced
operational energy costs, use of “free” energy resources
- Reduced
maintenance costs
- Support
of local building materials and components (by extension, the local
economy)
- Improved
indoor air quality
- Enhanced
working environment
- Smaller
negative impact on landfills, less pollution
- Increased
flexibility/usability of the facility
- Reduced
burden on community infra structure
- Facilities
that stand the test of time
Moreover,
when incorporated from the very beginning of the design process, this approach
will have minimal impact on short-term costs and scheduling and will produce
significant savings in the long term. Though
additional time may be required in the initial design, these costs may be
recovered quickly over the life of the building.
Most
importantly, green and sustainable design looks at costs more comprehensively
thereby providing the owner a more accurate picture of the investment.
This in turn can lead to smaller overall lifetime costs and greater
returns on investment.
Dimension
IV was founded on the premise that architecture is more than the height, width
and depth of a building. Architecture
must also factor a fourth dimension, time, into the design equation.
Time is significant as financing, as long term operation, as building
use, as construction, as environmental impact, as occupancy, as a part of the
community’s architectural fabric and as change.
Green Architecture and Sustainable Design are essentially “time”
elements of the construction process. By
incorporating the principles of Green Architecture and Sustainable Design into
the design process at Dimension IV, the resulting architecture is fulfilling
to the owner, appropriate to the user, sensitive to the environment and
responsive to time.
