CODA Architects Green guide

C O D A C O L L A B O R A T I V E D E S I G N E R S + A R C H I T E C T S

Our Coda Manual_C.indd 1 26/04/2011 10:19:58

“Sustainability is not just an ‘add on’ to design.It is inherent in everything we think and do.”

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FOREWORD

The CODA Green Guide became an entity in 2010. It is an introduction to some of the ‘Big Issues’ relating to sustainability in design and construction that we all face.

The content of this guide is a product of some of the many seminars, meetings, hours of research and informal discussions with clients, consultants, suppliers, contractors and others over the past 5-10 years that have informed our thinking.

In addition there is a constantly evolving database (available on CD) containing the ideas and information touched upon in the manual. The intention is to stimulate discussion and knowledge transfer both internally and amongst those with whom we work.

The database will continue to be updated and developed to keep ahead of changing policies and targets allowing clients and collaborators to benefit from our collective knowledge and expertise.

For a copy contact us at [email protected]


CODA stands for COllaborative Designers and Architects. It was formed in 1994 with the aim of exploring more inclusive and creative approaches to design.

We recognised that many design practices were working in an isolated/ego-centric way and felt there was an opportunity to have more inclusive discussions about lifestyle and design. In contrast to having a singular vision we believe quality architecture is dependant upon an open debate, with as wide an audience as possible, about design and how we live. We believe this is fundamental to the development of buildings and spaces that are sustainable and are embedded in the spirit of local communities.

CODA has an identity which stands it apart from other practices and organisations and the name of the practice holds the key to our ethos.

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CODA


At CODA we fundamentally believe in designing healthy, comfortable buildings that have a minimal impact on the environment around us.

Within the construction industry the sustainability agenda has become something of a ‘tick box’ exercise. In reality however, sustainability can only be achieved through collaboration; engaging professionals, designers, manufacturers and local people to ensure buildings and places are long lived and long loved.

We believe in a lean approach to sustainability in which every stage of the design and construction process is re-evaluated to keep waste and harmful byproducts to a minimum.

Furthermore, we re-evaluate our design processes, question our assumptions, offer choices and propose innovative solutions as a matter of course.

By working in this way and creating a forum for open and positive communication with stakeholders, truely successful projects can be realised.

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Our Ethos


CONTENTS

Economic

Environmental

Social

Source: www.absconsulting.com

Model A: In the, economic factors dominated, with less importance given to environmental and social concerns.

Economic

Environmental

Social

Model B: Means that all these influences are starting to converge.


Site Specific Design A Site Selection B Public Engagement C Place Making (Urban Design) D Site Layout E Design F Construction

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CONTENTS

Economic

Environmental

Social

Model C: True sustainability - achieved between economic, social and environmental.

The Big Issues

1. Transport2. Energy Saving Measures 2.1. Renewables 2.2. Whole Life Cycle3. Water4. Waste5. Materials6. Health, Well Being and Ecology


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Site Specific Design A Site Selection B Public Engagement C Place Making (Urban Design) D Site Layout E Design F Construction

Site Specific Design

By tackling the major issues at the outset and working collaboratively with key stakeholders and design team members fully integrated design solutions can develop.

Early site specific design can result in cost effective, sustainable and high quality design solutions.

The aim is to meet the stakeholders’ aspirations with a light touch and, if possible, to ‘tread lightly’ on the earth.


Facilitate the use of Public Transport

Short direct safe links to public transport and / or enhancement of the public

transport network.

Design Encourages Cycling and Walking

Location of safe pedestrian and cycle routes

(where applicable).

Access to the Natural Environment

Open spaces and provide new and enhanced green spaces to serve the community.

AcousticsNoise in the locality to the site. Effects on natural ventilation/ health and well being.

Secure Design of the Development

Incorporate principles of ‘secure by design’. Consult the Community Safety Partnership

to design public space.Assess visibility from adjoining buildings

and opportunities for passive surveillance.

Contamination of SitePre-application discussions with the local planning authority (LPA) and

other regulators. Environmental Health

Building Control Archaeological

Nature conservation advisers Environment Agency (controlled water, waste

management, land contamination).

Cost EffectivetyHighest Design QualityIntegrated Approach

Context Sensitive


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ASite Selection

Flood Risk Flood resistant design.

Ecological Assessment Scoping study, ecological survey and impact assessment.

Minimise Energy Use Using less energy (lean thinking)Using renewable energy Supplying energy efficiently (example Combined Heat and Power (CHP) technology or a community/ district heating

Reduce Site Co² Emissions Calculate predicted electricity and heat demand for the site (kWh).Convert energy demand (kWh) to carbon dioxide emissions (CO²).Identify renewable energy technologies that are suitable for the site. Calculate level of carbon dioxide emissions offset through use of renewable energy technology.

Construction Materials Reuse existing materials and source materials locally.

Prevent Water Pollution and Overburdening of Drainage Systems

Estimate waste water run off and suggest sustainable urban drainage system (SUDS) options.

Cost EffectivetyHighest Design QualityIntegrated Approach

Context Sensitive


Public Engagement

Look

Listen

Observe

“The crux of social design is working with people, rather than for them.”1

Community involvement is at the heart of good design, after all, the security of buildings and urban space is dependant upon the people that use them.

Stakeholder and client engagement must be embedded into the design process. In broad terms, we aim to create environments that are more responsive and appropriate to their inhabitants’ and users’ cultural, emotional, spiritual and practical needs.

Many companies engage with this process as a tokenistic gesture due to legislation. However, by listening-to and learning-from project stakeholders it is possible to accommodate specific needs and to develop end products that facilitate, rather than inhibit, a range of varying activities.

We continually strive to maximise the involvement of stakeholders in the design, construction, and stewardship of building projects through innovative engagement techniques. We encourage relationships to be fostered between groups and organisations that may have varying perceptions or degrees of interest in a given project. The objective is to promote a sense of community engagement, ownership and pride that will invariably reduce the incidence of vandalism, neglect and apathy in the future.

1 Hall, R. a. P. (2001) - Designing and Developing Accessible Environments, New York, Spon Press. 18

B


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Place Making (Urban Design)

“Architecture, as we have seen, has become either the anonymous product of a quantitatively orientated production process or the personal expression of a designer and his client, detached and, often, almost defiant of social and physical context beyond.”1

To define and shape places effectively requires an understanding of the social, political and environmental factors that have a bearing on the built environment and the people that use buildings. By maintaining an awareness of these pressures and exploring ways in which they influence the design process it is possible to conceive of new ways to produce architecture that is both sustainable and rewarding to experience.

Our perception of places involves social encounters, visual immersion, sounds, sun, wind, atmosphere, curiosity about our traces of thought, imagination and instincts that have guided us over time.

The contemporary convergence of mobile phone, camera, wireless Internet and satellite communication has changed the way we explore and experience our urban landscape. It has accelerated the reconstitution of place from real, occupied space to a collage of here and there, past and present. The information gives us a different sense of place anywhere we travel.

This dynamism of nature and culture alongside the involvement of the end user is how we should all approach design in the public realm.

1 Curran, R. J. (1983). Architecture and the urban experience, Nostrand Reinhold. 15

C


Ecological assessment

Orientation of the building

Security

Minimize habitat disturbance. Minimize development of open space through the selection of disturbed land, re-use of brownfield sites, and retrofitting existing, buildings.

Applying passive solar design principles Installing energy efficient measures and technologies Acoustics, sun, wind, weather patterns, topography, landscape, and views.

Location of access roads, parking, vehicle barriers, and perimeter lighting. Location of layout and boundaries to reduce the opportunity for crime and the fear of crime.

AccessibilityInformation to go into the design and access statement.

ErosionConserve and enhance biodiversity avoiding irreversible losses, through responsible management of key wildlife sites connecting and other areas. Make best use of previously developed land and existing buildings, encouraging sustainable construction practices.

Flood RiskFlood risk assessment

Water saving devicesRainwater harvesting, soft landscaping. Incorporate closed loop water systems. Grey water and central rainwater collection.

TransportIncorporate transportation solutions

Designing buildings and spaces that respond specifically to a geographical location, its topography and its orientation is an important factor in mitigating the impacts of global warming on our communities. With an rise in global temperatures weather conditions will become increasingly extreme. By siting buildings correctly they can become both more efficient and more durable.


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Site Layout D


Design

We believe that Good Design:-

1) Fulfils a function (or functions)2) Makes appropriate use of materials3) Facilitates efficient and safe methods of construction4) Allows for future flexibility and adaptability5) Combines the above in imaginitive and expressive way.

“Regardless of who pays for or profits from development, everyone has the right to live, work and learn in well-designed buildings, places and spaces that inspire and lift the spirits as well as being functional and fit for purpose. Good design is in the public interest.”1

The 20th century has been marked by the emergence of environmental values within Western societies. However, concern for the environment is not new. “If we turn to regional solutions for climatic problems we give our architecture the necessary natural basis. In architecture, as in all areas of human life, this is the expression of the culture of a country.”2

The effect of globalisation and mass production has meant that architecture is no longer defined by the limitations of local resources (materials, skilled labour, transport). Consequently almost identical buildings can be found in disparate locations across the globe. At CODA we believe that this approach to architecture results in a loss of local identity and opportunities to create a unique sense of place. Buildings must be designed to integrate with their immediate environment. We strongly believe in context sensitive design both to lower the carbon footprint of our projects and to foster healthy and striving communities.1 CABE, http://www.cabe.org.uk/corporate/strategy/why-good-design-matters. 18.06.2010

2 Lauber, W. (2005). Tropical Architecture. Munich, Prestal Verlag. 29

E


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Construction

The construction industry has a considerable impact on the planet. It is responsible for the consumption of half of our global resources, both for building and maintainence.

We encourage clients to actively work with construction professionals to minimise this impact. This might include:

1. Designing to reduce energy use on site and where possible exploit renewable sources. Minimising mass excavation, where possible.

2. Choosing materials with low levels of embodied carbon.

3. Reducing waste levels; managing waste though re-use of waste material before recycling, employing off-site prefabrication.

4. Specifying materials with low toxicities and minimal off-gassing (VOC’s) to prevent pollution and improve the wellbeing of a buildings users

The health and well being of construction site workers is paramount. Make sure that designs enable safe access and working methods.

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, pr


, pr

The Big Issues

We must all commit to reducing our environmental footprint by continuously improving our policies, processes, protocols and specifications.

To live a more balanced lifestyle in harmony with our environment there needs to be a shift from private to public transport; increased recycling of waste; the use of alternative energy sources and consumption of primarily locally sourced goods and services.

Under 6 Big Headings this manual attempts to illustrate in broad terms how good design can be woven into projects to promote lifestyle change. Both government policies and coherent design solutions which educate and encourage a greener way of living will redirect us towards a more sustainable future.

The following chapters identify the issues that we believe will make a difference. For a more comprehensive understanding of these subjects please request the CD that accompanies this guide.

“As the effect of economic policies that ignore the needs of people become glaringly apparent, rebuilding community and local economies

becomes more and more urgent.”1

Svensson, H.J.A.K. (2002). Eco-village living, restorating the earth and her people. UK, Green Books. 175

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,

By integrating and fostering new and existing transport links we believe we can encourage a more sustainable way of living. To achieve this the location of the development in relation to parking and cycling facilities, access to public transport, local amenities and the implementation of travel plans all needs to be carefully analysed.

In conjunction with reductions in the energy consumption of our buildings it is important to minimise CO² emissions from transport to and from a building.


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1Transport

“to carry, move, or convey from one place to another.”1

In the UK, the movement of goods and people accounts for a quarter of all CO2 emissions. Responsible design practices should aim to minimise unnecessary travel and transport. Good design should promote the use of the existing infrastructure, not only in terms of transport but also materials, services (through local providers) and labour. By striving to reduce the amount of materials that are moved to and from buildings, and also the distance materials are moved, the harmful by-products of transport can be minimised.

1 Section C p.85; Rough guide to sustainability: A design primer. Brian Edwards

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2Energy Saving Measures

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The key to increasing the energy efficiency of our built environment is to look at low- tech methods that have been effective design solutions for previous generations of architects and builders. Historically vernacular buildings were built with an economy of means (materials, construction techniques, labour); designs evolved in response to the demands put upon them by the immediate environment.

The foundation for minimising the energy consumed in running a building is rooted in the concept and design stages. The concept stage, is one of the major steps in a project life cycle, as it has the largest impact on cost and performance.

Orientation of spaces and buildings is key to maintaining interior thermal comfort whilst reducing the requirement for active heating and cooling systems. Building designs should be a specific response to a site, its climate and location. Building attributes such as the extent and placement of glazing, shading, thermal mass, height and orientation can all be optimised in relation to a given site. Careful integration of all these solutions is required to optimise energy efficiency.

Local climate data and sunpath analysis are essential in designing responsibly, particularly in relation to the optimisation solar control shading and thermal comfort. The benefits of natural ventilation and day lighting are also critical in reducing the need for mechanical ventilation systems and artificial lighting.


2.1Renewables

Renewable energy comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides and geothermal heat. While most renewable energy projects and production is large-scale, renewable technologies are also suited to small off-grid applications.

The most cost effective and sustainable solution to a development is to adopt simple changes (as discussed in the previous chapter) such as an increase in insulation values, planting vegetation, building orientation, etc. Once these options have been exhausted supplementing electrical grid connections with alternative sources of renewable electricity should be considered.

PhotovoltaicsWind PowerCHPBiomassWater PowerWave and Tidal PowerAnaerobic digestionGeothermal Energy

Climate change concerns, coupled with high oil prices, peak oil, and increasing government support, are driving increasing renewable energy legislation, incentives and commercialisation.

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1) Adaptive Reuse (reusing existing buildings)

A large percentage of the existing building stock consists of properties that require a large amount of energy to heat. A detailed audit and inspection of any building that is being considered for re-use should be carried out to assess its reusability, or to identify materials that can be reclaimed or recycled.

Existing structures can be reused through refurbishment, remodelling, recladding, retrofitting, upgrading, change of use, extending, and/or partial demolition. Issues include economic viability, structural and spatial limitations, building regulations, avoiding redundant space, and client awareness.

The main obstacle to re-use is that many buildings were designed with a specific purpose in mind. They are often difficult to adapt to alternative uses and are affected by problems of accessibility, flexibility, cold, damp, overheating, excessive heat-loss and many other issues. Nevertheless there are often retro-fit design solutions that can be implemented to resolve these issues.

2) Making new buildings flexible and replaceable

When designing flexible spaces it is important to ensure they can adapt to the changing functional demands of their users and that they offer scalable solutions that offer opportunities for expansion or subdivision. Although it is not possible to foresee every demand that may be put upon a building some useful approaches for future-proofing include:

• To design buildings to be adaptable to different occupancies in plan, section, and structure.• To ensure buildings are layered according to perceived life spans (See diagram, right).• To plan and identify services to allow them to easily be accessed, upgraded, or replaced with minor disruption.• To identify ownership of buildings and components in order to assign responsibility.• To situate building near transport hubs, water, amenities, etc as these will help it to retain use and value.• To anticipate change when planning site as well as internal layout.• To zone areas of similar function close together.• To consider strategic positioning of bathrooms, kitchens, toilets etc. to maximise flexibility.• To design rooms to allow for different uses and furniture configurations.• To consider fire safety - travel distances between stairs affects floorplate efficiency and adaptability.• To propose cladding and glazing designed in modular sizes to allow easy replacement.


2.2Whole Life Cycle

“...as well as recognising the value of good design, the economic appraisal must take account of the whole-life costs of a building project. It must acknowledge the potential risks of higher long-term costs and poorer performance from buildings and places that are badly designed.”1

With an ageing population and a demographic shift the buildings that we design today need to be able to accommodate changing patterns of use. Furthermore, if they are to be considered both sustainable and ‘permanent’ these buildings will have to be designed to withstand predicted climatic changes e.g rising water levels.

It is important that both architects and the procurers of buildings consider potential future demands and do not think solely in terms of space, function, component, commodity and short term capital expenditure. Without engaging in a serious debate about these issues buildings are at risk of short term redundancy and therein waste (material resources, time, energy).

“The present value of a building over its operating life, including capital cost, occupational costs, operating costs, and the cost or benefit of the eventual disposal of the asset at the end of its life. Life cycle cost techniques take into account, during the design and management of construction projects, the total costs that the project

1 CABE (2006). The Cost of Bad Design. London, CABE.

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3Water

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The withdrawal of fresh water from an ecosystem should not exceed its natural replacement rate.

The following measures should be an integral part of the design process on every job:

1) Aim for a beneficial reduction in water loss, use, or waste during cleaning, manufacturing, and agricultural irrigation.

2) Aim to reduce water use through the implementation of water conservation or water efficiency measures.

3) Aim to improve water management practices that reduce or enhance the beneficial use of water. However, note that the value and cost-effectiveness of a water efficiency measure must be reviewed hollistically in relation to its effects on the use and cost of other natural resources.


We all have an ethical responsibility as individuals, groups and organisations to minimise the potential for waste both in the workplace and in the design, construction, use and eventual disposal of our buildings. Over half of the waste going to landfill sites in 2010 was a product of the construction industry. Waste is a source of pollution of air, water and soil.

It is important to recognise the impact design can have on the life-cycle of building materials and products. We focus on developing design practices that will maximise the potential for re-use of both buildings as a whole but also of the constituent elements of the building fabric.

Buildings should be designed to last. If this is to be achieved a form of construction that enables the useful lifespan of materials and components to extend beyond that of the building must be developed. In doing so the embodied energy costs from manufacture and transport are kept to a minimum.

The work practices that design out waste can be summarised as follows:

Design for Disassembly:

The normative approach Architects employ to ensure buildings are robust and can be built economically is to consider the probable construction methodology and building sequence during the design process. The modern ethos is to develop designs that can be assembled as quickly as possible and with relative ease. Consideration is rarely given to when, inevitably, a building, or part of a building, becomes redundant.

By considering, at the design stage, the differing lifespan of materials, the ability of a building to accommodate future functional changes and the possibilities that materials and components might be useful beyond the building’s lifecycle (or parts thereof), the potential to recover building elements for re-use or recycling is increased.

This approach is leading us to an architecture assembled from discrete components and sub-components, predominantly mechanically fixed and made from durable long-lasting or recyclable materials. The aim is to facilitate dismantling and recovery rather than destructive demolition and waste.


4Waste

Modular/Local Offsite Construction:

The manufacture and assembly of construction components in cleaner ‘factory’ controlled environments can reduce the potential for material cross-contamination, accidental damage and, therein, the waste that often occurs on site. The use of CADCAM and more efficient means of fabrication and assembly also offer benefits in reducing waste. With this in mind CODA are continuing to develop and promote designs that incorporate locally sourced prefabricated building elements.

Adaptability

By designing buildings that are inherently flexible we aim to accommodate the changing future needs of our clients and, hopefully, subsequent occupiers. This approach has the added benefit of reducing the potential for short-term redundancy and demolition.

When implemented with a Design for Disassembly approach to detailing we can develop solutions that can easily be adapted, thus reducing waste from subsequent building modifications and refurbishment.

BIM (Building Information Modeling)

In 2009 CODA implemented full parametric 3D cad modelling. The software allows us to produce standard architectural drawings directly from a fully coordinated component based 3D CAD model. This offers the following benefits in reducing waste:

- The possibility of direct integration with computer aided manufacture allowing offsite production of building components with minimal waste.- The use of clash detection to design out errors in co-ordination with structural or services elements prior to manufacture and installation.- The possibility to demonstrate design solutions with greater clarity minimising the need to re-evaluate and make changes to the design post-construction. 33


Recycled Content: Products with identifiable recycled content, including postindustrial content with a preference for postconsumer content.

Natural, plentiful or renewable: Materials harvested from sustainably managed sources and preferably have an independent certification (e.g., certified wood) and are certified by an independent third party.

Resource efficient manufacturing process: Products manufactured with resource-efficient processes including reducing energy consumption, minimizing waste (recycled, recyclable and or source reduced product packaging), and reducing greenhouse gases.

Locally available: Building materials, components, and systems found locally or regionally saving energy and resources in transportation to the project site.

Salvaged, refurbished, or remanufactured: Includes saving a material from disposal and renovating, repairing, restoring, or generally improving the appearance, performance, quality, functionality, or value of a product.

Reusable or recyclable: Select materials that can be easily dismantled and reused or recycled at the end of their useful life.

Recycled or recyclable product packaging: Products enclosed in recycled content or recyclable packaging.

Durable: Materials that are longer lasting or are comparable to conventional products with long life expectancies.


5Materials

Using green building materials helps to conserve our dwindling non-renewable resources. In addition, integrating green building materials into building projects can help reduce the environmental impacts associated with the extraction, transport, processing, fabrication, installation, reuse, recycling, and disposal of these building industry source materials.

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) is enhanced by utilising materials that meet the following criteria:

Low or non-toxic: Materials that emit few or no carcinogens, reproductive toxicants, or irritants as demonstrated by the manufacturer through appropriate testing.

Minimal chemical emissions: Products that have minimal emissions of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). Products that also maximize resource and energy efficiency while reducing chemical emissions.

Low-VOC assembly: Materials installed with minimal VOC-producing compounds, or no-VOC mechanical attachment methods and minimal hazards.

Moisture resistant: Products and systems that resist moisture or inhibit the growth of biological contaminants in buildings.

Maintenance: Materials, components, and systems that require only simple, non-toxic, or low-VOC methods of cleaning.

Systems or equipment: Products that promote healthy Indoor air quality (IAQ) by identifying indoor air pollutants or enhancing the air quality.

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6 Health, Well Being & Ecology

“On average we spend 90% of our time in buildings, therefore the internal environment of the buildings we live, work and play in has proved to be a major contributor to our quality of life.”1

By developing an understanding of life style and work practices we can develop a clearer picture of the varying needs that our building designs are expected to fulfill, both for now and for the future. We believe individuals should be able to control their immediate environmental surroundings, both at work and at home. By adopting this ethos as a starting point, the adverse effects of centrally controlled environmental systems e.g. ‘sick building syndrome’, can be avoided. Ideally, where possible designs should aim to maximise occupant control of zoned heating, lighting, air quality, noise etc.

Human activities like agriculture, urbanisation, transportation, mass tourism and overfishing are destroying species’ habitats and causing them to disappear. During the early project stages there is often an opportunity to develop a design strategy that focuses on retaining or augmenting the local ecology.

Views of the natural environment, plants, trees and the sky have a positive effect on our sense of wellbeing. Where there is the opportunity glazing should be placed to provide glimpses or vistas of the outside world.1 http://www.breeam.org/page.jsp?id=13#health. 2010.06.22


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To Conclude

This guide is intended to touch upon some of the many design practices that inform the development and utilisation of buildings. The process of design is continually evolving. At CODA we believe in shaping this evolution in an ethical way.

We believe that sustainable design and work practices are part of a morale imperative to minimise our impact on the natural enviroment and to ensure our activities in the ‘now’ will not adversly effect the lifestyle and opportunities available to future generations.

Our approach is it to focus on the established architectural concerns of economy, utility, durability, comfort and aesthetics through sustainable practices. We hope to be able share these objectives through our work with clients, consultants and other stakeholders in the built environment.

Finally, we hope that you have found this short guide informative and that it conveys our work philosophy. We would be happy to discuss our approach in more detail and hope to collaborate with you in the near future.

The complementary CD to this guide can be acquired from us by contacting [email protected]


Printed on recycled paper containing 100% post consumer waste.

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CODA Architects Green guide

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