A building is a matrix of systems. Structure, insulation, fenestration, plumbing, electrical, heating, cooling, and ventilation are all examples of systems that come together in a single building. In order to reach the performance standards we set for ourselves, all building systems need to work together seamlessly. At the same time, it’s important to disentangle systems so that they can be dealt with individually as the building ages. For example, while the structure of a building needs, in our opinion, to be designed to last for hundreds of years, plumbing may need to be accessed for repair or modification within 5 years of installation. It’s important, then, to be able to get at the plumbing system without affecting the structural system.
Creating this dance between interconnection and disentanglement requires a lot of design time, expertise, and consequent expense. Frankly, that’s why it is seldom done in residential construction. This is even more of a problem in “green building” because there are often even more systems at play, some of them quite expensive. Very often a green building project starts out as an idealistic love fest where the client is resolved to “go all the way” and the designer or builder is excited to finally get to utilize renewable energy, geothermal heating, or some other system out of the mainstream. However, by the time the project is finished, budget realities have clashed with best intentions and the dream of a cohesive and holistic green building has become a hodge podge of compromises and inefficiencies.
Our approach to this dilemma is to come to the table with a number of complete, customizable designs. We call these “core designs”, each of which includes everything required to create a fully functional healthy, efficient, beautiful, and responsible building. The idea here is that it is much easier to start with a building that we know reaches the performance and lifestyle standards we have set, and then change it to fit individual needs. This approach allows us to provide the most intricate integrated systems design for the same basic price, or less, that you’d pay to design a conventional building. Of course, if you have the budget and together we decide that our approach is right for your project, then we can also create a completely custom design. Even in these situations, core designs are very helpful as starting points.
A design is only as good as its execution, so we work hard to establish a network of competent like-minded builders and building professionals who understand our approach and goals. Once your design is complete we help you find the right builder from this network, and then work with them through the construction process to make sure our high design standards are realized in construction.
Multi-family, Mixed-use, and Cohousing
If carefully considered, urban living offers the greatest opportunity for true sustainability. The potential decreased dependence on car travel alone in comparison to suburban commuting is a huge environmental benefit. In this context, the single family home definitely has its place. However, in an urban setting, more sophisticated planning models are often required if we want to stay true to the Nauhaus motto: “facing climate change while making life better”. Multi-family buildings solve so many problems that plague sustainable designers in urban settings. For example, multi-family projects can take advantage of shared interior walls and a larger volume to surface area ratio to be incredibly energy efficient. Economy of scale can reduce price per occupant and bring renewable energy and other sustainable systems into the realm of affordability. Access to solar heat and light, the most basic of sustainable strategies, can be difficult on a small urban lot, but often maximized on a larger parcel. Finally, the efficiency of clustered or multi-story designs frees up space for landscaping, food production, parks, and other necessities at a premium in the urban environment.
Though appropriate in a variety of contexts, the Nauhaus approach is aimed at urban sustainability. As such, we stand ready to apply our skills to projects of basically any size.
Contact
If you’d like more information on Nauhaus designs and how they might work for your project, please call us at
828-239-0215 or send an email to info@thenauhaus.com.
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