greenVision is the brand of a new 'cyber-firm' of independent architects and engineers working together on green projects by way of paperless computer-enabled design over the internet. We believe that it is our professional responsibility and obligation to strive to achieve  the highest practical degree of building ‘sustainability’ on every project. We define true 'sustainability' as being the ultimate goal of a building designed and constructed to consume no fossil-fuels or other depletable natural resources, contribute no waste into landfills, and allow no pollution or greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. While complete sustainability is a lofty and expensive goal with today’s emerging technologies, there are many principals and techniques that are well within reach, simply based on appropriate design awareness and knowledge, making intelligent choices in materials and equipment, and managing construction waste. The following is a very brief Q&A overview of our approach to sustainable building and renovation design.

What are the main principals of a green design philosophy?

There are two 'Rules of 3' that are the backbone of green design:
3 GOALS:                                                          3 R's:
   Avoid Depletion                                                 Reduce
   Become Carbon Neutral                                    Reuse
   Save our planet                                                 Recycle

Why is green design so important to our environment?

Consider the following statistics:
Buildings use over 70% of all energy produced in the US
Building construction accounts for over 40% of all materials flow in the US
Lighting is the greatest energy use nationwide which can be greatly reduced by daylighting
Air conditioning is the greatest energy use in the Southern US which can be greatly reduced by proper ventilation in temperate seasons

How do you translate green design goals into design solutions?

By using design resources from:

USGBC     United States Green Building Council
LEED         Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
                   Silver, Gold, and Platinum Performance Ratings
BEES        Building for Environmental and Economic Sustainability
GREEN GLOBES
ENERGY STAR 

What are the areas of focus in green design?

The following performance metrics are targeted for sustainability:
Energy                    reduce consumption and pollution from fossil fuels
Water                      reduce consumption and pollution of our most endangered natural resource
Materials                recycled content, sustainably produced, and locally manufactured
Indoor Air Quality        better ventilation, avoid toxic fuming from 'sick building' materials
Site and Land Use     reusing existing sites and recycling existing buildings when possible
Durability                select high quality, long life-span products and equipment

What are the financial advantages of green design?

We can Lower Operational Life Cycle Costs by:
Avoiding depletion of all natural resources
Increasing daylighting to interior spaces
Installing efficient weather insulating components
Installing water saving plumbing fixtures
Replacing outdated and inefficient mechanical systems
Integrated design and synergy among all systems

How are these financial advantages calculated?

We can Measure Operational Life Cycle Cost Savings by:
Analysis of modest initial cost differentials versus cheapest construction
Simple payback: additional initial cost ÷ annual savings = payback time
Net Present Value: factors in future increases + inflation + useful life + interest  on capital
Internal Rate of Return: compare investment comparisons in marketplace
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