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Sustainable Design

Sustainable Design Hero
Sustainable Design

Creating solutions for a stronger environmental future.

At Ghafari, we are deeply committed to improving the environment and enhancing human wellness. We recognize that successful sustainable design depends on innovative alternatives, out-of-the-box thinking, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Our holistic approach considers both the built environment and its users by applying proven design principles and state-of-the-art technologies to create sustainable, healthy constructs.

Our Philosophy

We aim to instill sustainable design strategies that will cultivate a sense of responsibility, wellness, and even cultural change.

Sustainability is a guiding influence that is at the core of what we do. As we shape each project, we collaborate with our clients to instill sustainable strategies that will cultivate a sense of responsibility, wellness, and in some instances, cultural change.

We strive to advance sustainable solutions by developing synergies between three key principles: economic, environmental, and social. Drawing on the knowledge of our in-house sustainability and wellness experts (including LEED Accredited Professionals and WELL Accredited Professionals), our team is able to identify effective sustainable strategies tailored to the demands of each unique project. As technology evolves, our team members continue to educate themselves on sustainable approaches and how to apply these principles.

Sustainable Design Our Philosophy
Sustainable Design AIA 2030 Commitment
OUR AIA 2030 COMMITMENT

Ghafari is a signatory firm of the AIA 2030 commitment, publicly announcing our full support of the Architecture 2030 Challenge goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2030. Our ultimate goal is to design for zero on-site fossil fuel combustion, 100% electric buildings with on-site renewable energy production, and all-grid source electricity through green power contracts and renewable energy certificates (RECs).

We pledge to achieve this through incremental improvements in predicted energy use intensity (pEUI) on our new and major renovation designs. As a signatory firm, we have subsequently committed to report pEUI data, and to track our progress towards this goal. It is an ambitious goal to be certain – but one that is critical for the welfare of our planet and the health and wellness of our communities.

SUSTAINABLE DESIGN APPROACH

We embrace a holistic approach to sustainable design that considers our clients, human wellness, and the environment. These design concepts follow and align with both LEED and WELL strategies yet provide a more integrated form of analysis. Our designs consider:

Site Context

  • Optimizing building and site placement and orientation
  • Effectively utilizing existing infrastructure
  • Minimizing impact on sensitive habitats and natural resources
  • Analyzing options for access to quality transit
  • Reducing light pollution

Resource Utilization

  • Reducing water consumption
  • Investigating opportunities to harvest or reuse water from the site
  • Managing storm water through low-impact site design
  • Implementing land utilization best practices
  • Introducing renewable energy solutions
Sustainable Design Site Context
Sustainable Design Energy Conservation

Energy Conservation

  • Optimizing building envelope performance and thermal efficiency
  • Designing energy-efficient systems to reduce operational cost and carbon footprint
  • Life-cycle cost analyses (LCCA) of building technical installations and building concept to minimize operational greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) emissions
  • Whole building energy simulation to minimize energy use intensity (EUI)
  • Utilizing building commissioning to optimize performance and ensure design goals are met
  • Promoting awareness of ozone depletion and global warming and optimizing refrigerant selections accordingly to minimize carbon emissions
  • Providing adequate metering to properly control and monitor water- and energy-consuming equipment

Materials

  • Evaluating recycled content
  • Promoting material harvesting stewardship
  • Considering rapidly renewable materials
  • Life-cycle analyses (LCA) both on a material-by-material basis, and at the building concept level to minimize GHG emissions
  • Incorporating green construction waste management practices
  • Eliminating red list materials from the site
  • Use of low-carbon steel and concrete
Sustainable Design Materials
Sustainable Design Environmental Quality

Environmental Quality

  • Implementing proper ventilation practices to ensure occupant comfort, health, and productivity
  • Designing for thermal comfort for all occupants
  • Specifying low-emitting materials
  • Controlling indoor pollutant sources
  • Providing individual environmental controls
  • Maximizing natural light and views to the exterior

Personal Wellness

  • Designing for all aspects of human comfort, including physical, visual, and acoustical
  • Implementing options for healthy food and beverage choices from vending machines up to full-service kitchens
  • Providing opportunities for physical fitness, both inside and outside
  • Incorporating flexible, adaptable areas of respite to allow for choice and places to recharge the mind, body, and spirit
  • Engaging the community both internally and externally in places of work

Regional + Local Implications

  • Considering environmental issues specific to the project site at all scales
  • Evaluating material selection for manufacturing processes, recycled content, local availability, and durability
  • Strategizing for future resiliency in the event of extreme weather or climate-related events
Sustainable Design Personal Wellness

Sustainable Design Specialists

We are a partner to our clients.

Our interdisciplinary team combines a well-balanced blend of Sustainable Design expertise and cutting-edge project execution to provide our clients with greater quality, transparency, and efficiency.

Meet Our Specialists
Sustainable Design Specialists

Interested in collaborating with us? Drop us a note. We’d love to hear from you.