residential architect – LEAP Architecture

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5 Benefits of a Happy, Healthy Home, Part 2

Energy efficiency never felt so good! In our last post, we discussed how great home design can enhance family life, along with your sleeping, eating, bathing and lifestyles. If you missed it, pop over and have a read. This week, we delve into the last 3 design considerations on our list (daylight, air quality and energy), and how they can be leveraged to make a happy & healthy home!

Just to refresh, we consider all of the following aspects in LEAP’s Residential Designs.

How to:

Enhance Family Life
Enhance Sleeping, Eating, Bathing and Living Lifestyles
Increase Daylight
Promote Healthy Indoor Air
Increase Energy Efficiency

Healthy Home: Increased Daylight

You have probably experienced for yourself the sense of well being you get from a little sunshine. It can improve your mood, stimulate your circadian rhythm, and make you feel more connected to the outdoors.

Sunlight is energizing. Getting a good dose during the day helps you feel more alert, and can also be beneficial for a good nights rest. It also helps keep seasonal affective disorder at bay.

And let’s face it, in the North East, we’re all trying to get as much sunlight as we can. During the day, natural lighting makes rooms feel cleaner, more spacious, and more comfortable than electric light. It’s also a free source of illumination, which plays into energy efficiency. Natural light will animate spaces and can create drama and diversity.

Windows with high head heights provide more access to daylight by an increased sky view (which is particularly important in dense neighborhoods) and better daylight distribution in the room.

Healthy Home: Indoor Air Quality

No doubt you’ve heard reports of smog, and the really poor air quality in some developing nations, but have you stopped to consider the air purity inside your house?

We as Americans, spend a lot of time inside, and all that time is spent, well, breathing. So where do these nasty bits come from? Most you could guess, but some may be a surprise.

Particulates – pets fur and dander, pollen, mold spores

VOC – cleaning products, paint, paint remover, furniture or building products such as flooring, carpet, pressed wood products, kids arts supplies

Bioeffluents – people give off toxins, such as breathing (CO2), skin shedding, bacteria loads

Eww. So before you accuse everything and everyone in your house for being polluters, let us tell you how we can help. Tightly sealed houses (as discussed below) have a very low rate of air change, meaning, a means of mechanical ventilation is required to remove stale air and provide fresh air. These mechanical ventilation systems are designed to be very energy efficient, and what’s better is that we install HEPA filters inline, which does the job of filtering out those nasty bits that make you sick.

Reducing particulates, VOC, and bio effluents means relief from allergies, congestion, better sleep, and reduced eye irritation. Ventilation systems also reduce mold in moist areas such as kitchens and bathrooms, which is definitively something that makes a healthy home.

What’s important to note, is not all home designers incorporate this system for ventilation and filtering, but LEAP does!

Healthy Home: Increased Energy Efficiency

Lowering heating and cooling bills is one way to put a smile on your face! The even better news? Energy efficiency is tied into all of the life enhancing design considerations we’ve already discussed. When working with LEAP, efficiency is an added bonus—we already build it into all we do.

Why? Well, LEAP is Passive House Certified (we have a whole series of posts explaining), but in a nutshell, it means that your house is designed and built to operate with very minimal energy input. So even if you don’t intend to go for Passive House Certification, we drawn upon those principles in all our work.

This is especially important for new home construction. In October 2016, the New York State requirements for building sealing were upgraded to an ACH50 of 3 . This means 3 air changes or less per hour, which requires the installation of a whole house ventilation system (per ASHRAE standards). If you are interested in more specifics on how air changes are measured using blower tests, check our our post on air sealing.

Are you considering a new home or addition? Leverage LEAP’s design expertise to make the most of your new happy and healthy home.

5 Benefits of Designing a Happy, Healthy Home

in Healthy Home, Stories

More and more families and businesses are recognizing the value of designing for health, and working with architects like LEAP to create happier homes and more productive businesses. You probably spend a significant amount of time in your home, but is that affecting your health for better or worse? Check out 5 ways we design to ensure a healthy home, which also makes you feel great!

5 Benefits of a Happy, Healthy Home

Feel better, save money, and add more of that je ne sais que to your day. Sound good? We think so. LEAP’s design process was developed to truly understand and enhance your family’s goals, dynamics, and needs. We gather information and then custom design your space, while working to save you money in the construction phase, and long-term on utilities.

How do we do that?

We consider all of the following aspects in LEAP’s Residential Designs.

How to:

Enhance Family Life
Enhance Sleeping, Eating, Bathing and Living Lifestyles
Increase Daylight
Promote Healthy Indoor Air
Increase Energy Efficiency

For today, let’s look at some of the specific ways design can enhance your life with respect to enhanced family life, and living lifestyles.

Enhanced Family Life

Architecture, whether or not we realize it, can shape our relationships with each other and our environment, through space, form, and materials. How? By creating interactive settings—places to congregate, or just making it difficult to avoid each other. For example, designing so the stairs to the upper floor bedrooms cannot be accessed from the front hallway. This directs everyone to pass through the main living space, creating more opportunity for family interaction, as opposed to a straight bee-line upstairs. More open floor plans, or the use of L-shaped interlocking rooms can also creative a sense of connectedness, even when family member are technically in a different “room”. Increased human interactions improve our sense of well-being, enrich our lives, make them healthier and more pleasurable.

“The shaft of sunlight in a recessed window seat that creates a moment of warmth and calm, combined with a glimpse of nature, soft and acoustically absorbent seat materials, and the tactile delight of the smooth grip to adjust a wooden shutter.

Our well-being is intimately linked with such moments of delight. To an extent, such stimuli happen all the time, often without being recognized or designed, but when they are orchestrated throughout a building the effect is cumulative.” –Koen Steemers, D&A Magazine issue 23 by VELUX

Enhanced Sleeping, Eating, Bathing and Living Lifestyles

Healthy Home: Sleeping

The design of the bedroom can make or break a good night’s sleep. Naturally, light plays an important role for sleep cycles. A good dose of morning light will stimulate the circadian rhythm and help you feel more awake. Conversely, at night, bedrooms should have effective blackout options to support total darkness. This can be achieved using thermal shutters (for cold periods) and/or with adjustable louvers (for secure night time ventilation in warm conditions).

The bedroom shown at the right was designed as part of a master suite addition. It has an open floor plan between the bedroom and the bathroom, with a partial wall that creates a sense of boundary. The openness of the space allows sunlight to permeate far into the bedroom space, which gently illuminates the space in the morning. By afternoon, the space is so bright, no additional illumination is required. The white walls, ceiling and floor tile provide a sense of calm, spaciousness, and airiness. The wood bed and headboard/partition ground the space for a restful sleep.

Healthy Home: Eating

And for tonight’s kitchen performance… A good strategy for healthy, community eating is to create a sense of theater related to cooking. This can be achieved through designing in accessible counter-tops and seating, allowing for both spectating and participating (like the breakfast bar with stools shown to the right). To further support communal eating, (and the social interactions that result) the dining area should be adjacent to the kitchen, making an easy transition from preparation to eating enjoyment. (Read how LEAP used Ikea cabinets to get this look)

Conversely, the TV area should further from the kitchen, limiting the temptation to mentally check-out and simply down your food, while watching reruns of Seinfeld.

Healthy Home: Bathing

Hopefully we do not need to go over the merits of good personal hygiene here, well, unless you have a teen that refuses to shower. Bathing and the family or master bath have so many functions. When washing, the surroundings should not only enable you to get clean, but to also mentally wash away the day. You should be able to both literally and figuratively cleanse yourself. Bathrooms should generally feel serene, have clean lines, streamline fixtures, which should be easy to keep clean, along with the proper amount of storage. The master bath shown to the left creates an ultra calming atmosphere, with its white and soft gray pallet, along with contemplative views of nature. (BTW, this addition won a design award).

Healthy Home: Living Lifestyles

A thermal design strategy encompasses not only room temperature, but also radiant conditions, air movement, and thermal conduction of materials. We’re talking about things like sunlight, natural ventilation, and the feel of materials. Materials such as wood feel warm to the touch, while stone is cooling.

These various characteristics can be mixed and matched to create the mood for different rooms. A reading nook could comfortably warm, with ample sunlight and plenty of wood and fabric surfaces to create a cozy retreat. You may want your office to feel more stimulating—cooler both temperature and material-wise, minimal clean lines, with a good view outdoors for inspiration.

Sound is another important consideration. As with thermal design, different materials have different acoustic properties, which can be tailors to fit the space. Within the home there are places where acoustic privacy is welcome, and spaces where room-to-room conversation is desired.

The great room shown on the right was designed with a mixture of materials (wood floors and beams, stone fireplace, metal staircase and rails) to be a stimulating, yet balanced space. The high ceiling creates an air of magnificence, while the natural materials (wood and stone) provide a grounding effect.

Are you considering an addition or building a new home? Leverage LEAP’s design expertise to make the most of your new happy and healthy home.

Architecture of Health. Design Your Way Happy.

in Stories

Architecture of health. It feels good to look at incredible views, clean lines, minimal clutter, and that’s not all. More and more families and businesses are recognizing the value of designing for health, and working with architects like LEAP to create happier homes and more productive businesses.

Architecture of Health

As we approach the end of January, let’s check in: what was your New Year’s Resolution? Was it to take control of your health? Maybe you already eat a pretty healthy diet, get exercise, and still feel like there’s a missing piece? Maybe it’s not you. It very well could be your environment that’s getting you down—home or work. And you’re not alone. Let’s take a look at how your environment can effect your health, for the better!

Design Impact on Home and Business

Okay, so you might be thinking, my house will never look anything like Frank Loyd Wright’s Falling Water. What does architecture really have to do with the success of my home and business? Well, design influences us everyday, in every way. Think of how a department store like Anthropology very carefully crafts their layout to provide their shoppers a highly curated experience. You can have this too! Below are some examples of how great design can influence your home and business.

LEAP’s Residential Designs:

Enhance Family Life
Enhance Sleeping, Eating, Bathing and Living Lifestyles
Increase Daylight (improved mood, circadian rhythm)
Promote Healthy Indoor Air (fewer allergies)
Increase Energy Efficiency (decrease heating and cooling bills)

LEAP’s Commercial Designs:

Improve Productivity (employees feel better, and have less sick days)
Enhances Business Culture (good design = good business)
Increase Daylight (decrease electric bills)
Promote Healthy Indoor Air
Increase Energy Efficiency

“That which surrounds us shapes our existence. We should therefore surround ourselves with beauty. In a beautiful environment, our fears, our nagging doubts, hold much less power than they do in an ugly environment.” – Alain de Bottom, founder of Living Architecture

What do you want to experience every day?

At home: You wake up refreshed, sunshine illuminates the kitchen, your house is clean and organized, none of your kids are suffering from allergies (even though spring is in full swing), and your morning routine rolls out effortlessly; your household moves as if in a choreographed dance. Have kids? Great! We have a lot of experience (personal and professional) designing for families and their dynamics.

At work: You have steady foot traffic all day, as people walking by immediately notice your storefront and want to know more. Once inside, the temperature is just right, the lighting is perfect and the layout moves them through the space, where the story of your brand unfolds before their eyes. We have also helped many businesses improve their bottom line through creating curated customer experiences.

Working with an architect like LEAP, you can be the curator of your own home, your own business. And that certainly doesn’t mean put everything behind glass, and with a do not touch sign. What fun is that?

Your Brain on Architecture

One of the studies that is helping to scientifically provide evidence of the architecture/brain connection is being conducted by Dr. Julio Bermudez. His work uses an fMRI to capture the effects of architecture on the brain when showing subject photos of contemplative and non-contemplative architectural structures. His preliminary results show that “contemplative architecture” (think churches, museums, ancient sites, building that make you go WOW), had effects on the brain, similar to that of a meditative state. (“The Brain on Architecture“, The Atlantic)

The presence of an external stimulus (the photos of the buildings) also removes the tedious self-regulation that occurs in the prefrontal cortex during traditional meditation. The interviews of the 12 subjects revealed that “peacefulness and relaxation, lessening of mind wandering, increasing of attention, and deepening of experience”. (ref)

The idea is that this type of research can be refined to help determine things like: the optimal ceiling heights for different cognitive functions; the best city design for making way-finding easier; the ideal hospital layout to improve memory-related tasks in patients recovering from brain injuries; the influence of different types and quantities of light within a built space on mood and performance. Now that’s some architecture of health.

Health-Based Approaches to Design

Still curious? Let’s take a look at some research on the architecture of health.

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) recognizes the profound impact that design decisions can have on human health for individuals and communities, which is why they started their Design and Health Initiative. One of the outcomes from a 2014 summit was the development of six evidence-based approaches designers can use to promote health and well-being:

1. Environmental quality: Preventing, mitigating and reversing chemical and microbial pollutants that harm public health

2. Natural systems: Utilizing natural forms, diverse species and existing ecosystems that relieve stress, accelerate recuperation, encourage healthy eating and promote physical and social activity

3. Physical activity: Encouraging exercise, recreation and other daily activities that lower the risk of cardiovascular disease and other health problems

4. Safety: Reducing accidental injury and crime to remove impediments to physical activity and alleviate anxiety and stress

5. Sensory environments: Diversifying the touch, smell and acoustics of an environment to promote safety, improve physical, mental and emotional well-being and enhance quality of life

6. Social connectedness: Strengthening personal and professional relationships and encouraging behaviors like civic participation to increase happiness and ensure communities function more effectively

Our next few posts will explore the impact on architecture of health as it specifically relates to homes and businesses.

Been thinking about how you can design your dream home or business? Give us a call for a free consultation!

LEAP Design Wins Capital Region’s Innovative Remodel

in Modern Addition, Stories

LEAP’s design for a modern addition was awarded the “Most Innovative Remodel” and “Most Creative Remodel Feature” at the 2016 Best in Building Awards by the Capital Region Builders & Remodelers Association, Inc. (CRBRA).

Modern Addition

We’ve been super proud of how this project turned out, and if you’ve read our Stories before, you’re sure to have seen our posts on Modern Addition. We’re pleased that the rest of the Capital Region of NY also took notice! And we certainly won’t be too persnickety that our builder was actually awarded the acclaim…ah-hem.

It might be a good time to read our Architects – Why You’re Not Working with Them post, as a reminder of why builders don’t want to share the spotlight. But in fact, we can do greater things working together!

“To me, this award affirms the advantage of builders working with an architect. It gives you great design—award winning design—and accolades from your community.” -E.Davenport

Innovative Remodel

After LEAP met with the homeowners and developed a good grasp of their vision, we got down to work doing the design and construction plan. Design is somewhat obvious, what will it all look like and what materials should be used where, but a LEAP design goes well beyond that. In our innovative design process, we really focus on how people are going to live in the space and how they want to feel. The design we come up with not only has to be beautiful, it has to serve. Every little detail has to be functional. We also design green building practices into every one of our projects.

Energy efficient homes not only require great design, it very much matters how the materials go together, making it really important to work with a builder that has skills and attention to detail. The builder for this project was C & J Custom Builders Inc, and they did a fantastic job. LEAP’s innovative remodel to life!

Smart Bathroom Renovation As Featured on Houzz

in Stories

It’s time for your bathroom renovation project. There is a lot of effort involved, so how do you insure enjoyment for years to come?

Smart Bathroom Renovation

Any readers of Ram Dass know the mantra “Be here now”, which basically directs you to live in the present moment. While we at LEAP try our best to Carpe diem, it does make sense to give a little nod to the future every now and then.

And what pray tell do we daydream about? Well, how you use the bathroom—em, or rather—how your bathroom serves your needs. Yes, the less graphic one.

For this post, we are really focused more on a family bathroom, rather than a master suite. The family bathroom needs to be robust in order to serve everyone from adults to children to guests, and adapt as families grow.

Considerations for a family bathroom renovation include:

Accessibility
Age and ability of users
Space/layout
Ergonomics
Appearance
Future needs

Let an Architect Do the Design

When you start taking into account all of the bullets above, planning out ye ole bathroom doesn’t seem so simple. But not to fear. Years of meditating have instilled clairvoyant sensibilities to Eric Davenport, LEAP’s chief architect. With a short interview, Eric is able to foresee the needs of your family for years to come, and design a space that encourages good personal hygiene for all.

So you may be thinking, “My bathroom is so small, I don’t need a professional design”. In fact, if you have a tiny bathroom, that’s all the more reason to bring an architect in. Professional designers have tricks up their sleeves for maximizing storage, making your tiny space feel much larger, and arranging fixtures for enhanced efficiency and comfort. We have used Duravit vanities in some of our bathroom designs, as the super clean lines are modern and simplistic, yet they supply ample hidden storage.

An architect can also weigh-in on the possibility for expanding your bathroom space. Do you have a closet or cupboard adjoining the bath? Well, we can determine if that space can be incorporated in order to gain a few extra square feet.

Modern bathroom renovation in white with clean lines

Modern bathroom designed by LEAP Architecture, shown with Duravit vanity.

Approach for Cost Savings

According to Nadia Sakey, interior designer and Houzz contributor, “People are surprised when I tell them that professional fees usually represent only 4 percent of the total project budget.”

LEAP also makes a special effort to be inventive with materials, creating eco-shiek looks out of common, inexpensive materials. For more on surprising approaches to bathroom design, check out our post Affordable Modern Bathroom Design.

LEAP Bathroom Featured on Houzz

One of LEAP’s bathroom renovation designs was featured in an article by Houzz. Click through the images below to check out our design with frosted privacy glass, along with many other ideas from inspirational designers.

How to Future-Proof Your Family Bathroom

LEAP Architecture’s mission is to bring green building practices into everyday living. We serve the Eastern Corridor of New York, from Long Island to the Adirondack Mountains. We bring you sustainable living technology with elegant modern design aesthetics, and competitively priced services.

Contact LEAP to ensure success on your next residential or commercial project!

Architects – AIA’s List of Critical Questions to Ask

in Get to Know the Architect, Stories

LEAP Architecture is a member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA). Here we share AIA’s list of questions to help you decide if an architect is the right fit for you and your project.

Questions, Questions, Questions

Every architecture firm brings its own combination of skills, expertise, interests, and values to its projects. The challenge is to find the one that aligns most closely with your project’s needs. Selection is a mutual process.

The most thoughtful architects are as careful in selecting their clients as owners are in selecting architects. Be prepared to answer questions about your project’s purpose, budget, time frame, site, and the team of players you anticipate being involved with the project.

Below are some questions, broken up by topic, to address when meeting with a prospective architect.

Architects Experience

• What is your design philosophy?

• What sets your firm apart from other architects with similar experience?

• Do you have experience with the building type and size of my project?

• Will you share with me a portfolio of similar projects and provide a list of client references?

• Who from the architecture firm will I be dealing with on a regular basis? Is this the person who will design my project?

Take a look at LEAP’s Portfolio for Residential and Commercial Projects.

My Project

• What challenges do you foresee for my project?

• What do you see as the important issues or considerations in my project?

• What is your estimated timetable for my project?

• What means will you use to collect information about my needs, goals, etc.?

• How will you help me to fully understand the scope and sequence of the project? Will you utilize models, drawings, or computer animation?

Design

• What are the steps in the design process, and how are they organized?

• What criteria will be used to establish priorities and make design decisions?

• What do you expect me to provide?

• How disruptive will construction be?

• What role do you have during construction? Am I expected to work with the contractor directly?

Here’s a pretty thorough walk-through of LEAP’s design process.

Green Design

• Do you have experience with “green” or sustainable design?

• Do you regularly integrate low or no cost sustainable design strategies into projects?

• Considering the many areas that may be affected by sustainable design, how will you determine which options to pursue?

• If sustainable design technologies are implemented, do upfront costs exist that may affect the construction budget? What are the expected pay back times?

Read how LEAP approaches Green Design.

Architects Fees

• How do you establish fees?

• In anticipation of a formal proposal with costs, what would you expect your fee to be for this project?

• What is included in your basic services and what services would incur additional fees?

• If the scope of the project changes later in the project, will there be additional fees? How will these fees be justified? How will this be communicated to me?

• What is your track record with completing a project within the original budget?

Here’s one of LEAP’s posts that covers the benefits of working with an architect and our general fee structure.

LEAP welcomes your questions. We strive to make sure that your project is a good fit with our expertise. The AIA also offers a nice PDF guide, You and Your Architect. Download it here, and start asking away! Give us a call 518-669-9435, and speak to Eric. And lastly, check out our client reviews and testimonials.

Architects —Why You’re Not Working with Them

in Stories

Do you have a building project on the horizon? Have you kicked around the idea of calling in an architect, but got talked out of it? Here are the 3 reasons why you aren’t calling architects, and why it hurts you not to.

1. My Builder’s Doing the Design

“My builder says we don’t need architects. His team can do the design”.

Sure, they absolutely can, but here’s how it’s likely to go. First of all, the builder wants to keep your design fee, the primary reason they cut out the architect. In order to make the most profit, the builder will look through their stock plans and grab an existing design that most closely matches your requirements. Change the name, move a wall out here or there, and call it done. If you are in the market for a standard issue, (cookie-cutter) house, hey, this really is a fine way to go (no cynicism).

Good Design Floats

You only need an architect if you want your structure tailored to your needs, routines, and desires. If you want a dream-house, or incredibly efficient office building—where form and function are seamlessly integrated—tell your builder you insist on working with an architect. Better yet, get your architect first and then approach a builder.

In recent conversations we’ve had with bankers and real-estate agents, it is established that homes with excellent design have a significantly higher re-sale value, compared to poor or average designed homes of the same square footage. You’re spending the money anyway, let’s make your home great! See an example here of before and after photos for a modern addition we designed. The value of this property has increased astronomically.

modern addition, before and after photos, home improvement, home renovation

House exterior before and after dramatic modern addition

Communication Bridge

Having an architect is having a building advocate. When the builder suggests a change, how do you know it’s in your best interest? It may not be, and it may not fit with your design theme. At LEAP, we make sure all the details that make this design exclusively YOURS—actually get built into the structure.

LEAP Architecture is your communication bridge between you and your builder. We speak plain old English, and we also speak builder. We can take the time to understand your goals from the start, explain building terms, and what impact a particular change will have. Builders also appreciate this arrangement, as they are crazy busy with construction. For a builder to take time out to even pick up the phone, let alone take time out for a in depth conversation, is time away from what they do best.

Documentation (or How to Cover Your Butt)

What if (eekk) something goes wrong in construction, and delays might be the least of it. The wrong type of kitchen counter was used, formaldehyde containing paneling was installed in your bedroom, the project is over budget. How do you protect yourself and make sure you get what you signed up for? Well, a big part of our jobs as architects is documenting everything! It’s certainly not the most glorious part of our job, but from a legal protection standpoint, an absolute necessity. We keep track of the paper trail from day 1, including all correspondence, dates, decisions made, etc. If the time ever arises where say, your builder made a mistake but assures you it’s actually your fault; we quietly pull out our files and get to the bottom of it.

2. Architects Are Too Expensive

“Building a house is so expensive, bringing in an architect will just waste more money.”

Design Fee

Let me break it to you gently, you’re going to pay a design fee either way. Either the builder will get it—see above—or it can go to your architect. Here’s why you want it to go to the architect. A great design will enhance your day-to-day living and it will also significantly increase your property value. And in many cases, you’re not paying anymore than what the builder charges.

The table below shows two options for LEAP’s services, a) a bare bones option for a permit set of drawings and b) our Design Package. Our Design Package only cost a few % more than the bare bones, and what you get for that will amaze you. In addition to structural drawings, we do a whole integrated design where we specify the materials to be used, color schemes, lighting, window placement, storage, functionality and site analysis. For a more in-depth read, take a look through the series on our design process.

3. Architects Aren’t Accessible

“An architect wouldn’t be interested in my project, it’s not grand.”

What comes to mind when you hear the term architect? Skyscrapers? City centers? Looming glass clad structures that seemingly defy the laws of gravity. Well, yes. Architects do design those, but architecture is not exclusive to monuments or anchor buildings. It’s accessible to everyone, and everyone should take advantage of architects services.

You can call us right now (518-669-9435) for an initial conversation about your project. We’re happy to give you feedback and guidance. In the first 5 min we will ballpark the construction costs, so you can make an informed decision, and move forward with realistic expectations. Whereas builders can be tempted to low-ball project budgets and up-charge later, we prefer to be upfront and give you the best information we can from the start.

So what are you waiting for? We don’t bite, and we don’t gouge. Making our clients happy is in our best interest. Give us a call today!

Sustainable Building Goals Made Simple

in Passive House Design, Stories

So you’re interested in going green, being environmentally responsible, and feeling pretty damn good about it—until the influx of terms and programs rush in—LEED, Energy Star, Passive House, Carbon Neutral. What’s right for me? That’s why we’re going to take you through our Sustainable Building Goals Made Simple.

Sustainability Building Goals Don’t Have to be Overwhelming

This can be a complex terrain to navigate, but this is one of the first topics that LEAP tackles and it informs the rest of the design process going forward. We divide sustainability goals into 3 sections of a pyramid—conservation, Net-Zero, and Living Building. A pyramid shape is a perfect representation of starting with a wide base of basic green building practices and becoming more refined as you go up.

Below is a graphical representation of our pyramid, with each of the 3 layers explained in the following text.

Sustainable Building Goals Made Simple

Conservation and Sustainable Architecture

Sustainable architecture is a pretty broad term, which basically seeks to minimize the negative environmental impact of buildings through conscious design, energy efficiency, choice of materials, development space and the ecosystem at large. Sustainable architecture has an eye towards energy and ecological conservation in the design of the built environment. The idea of sustainability is to think ahead to ensure that building are constructed for longevity and effectiveness. Read more about LEAP’s commitment to sustainability.

Energy Star

Energy Star is a government-backed labeling program that helps people and organizations save money and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by identifying factories, office equipment, home appliances and electronics that have superior energy efficiency

LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design)

LEED is one of the most popular green building certification programs used worldwide. Developed by the non-profit U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) it includes a set of rating systems for the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of green buildings, homes, and neighborhoods that aims to help building owners and operators be environmentally responsible and use resources efficiently.

Buildings can qualify for four levels of LEED certification:

Certified: 40–49 points
Silver: 50–59 points
Gold: 60–79 points
Platinum: 80 points and above

Green Globes

Green Globes is an online green building rating and certification tool that is used primarily in Canada and the US. Their standard is recognized by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council and Green Globe is an Affiliate Member of the UNWTO. Green Globe members are committed to benchmarking and managing the use of energy and water with the aim of reducing the use of these resources as well as promoting reuse and recycling of materials.

Net Zero Building

A zero net energy (ZNE) building is a structure with zero net energy consumption. This means the total amount of energy used by the building on an annual basis is roughly equal to the amount of renewable energy created on the site. In some definitions, the energy balance can be from renewable energy sources elsewhere. These buildings consequently contribute less overall greenhouse gas to the atmosphere than similar non-ZNE buildings. They do at times consume non-renewable energy and produce greenhouse gases, but at other times reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas production elsewhere by the same amount.

Carbon Neutral Buildings

Carbon-neutral, also called carbon neutrality is a term used to describe the action of organizations, businesses and individuals taking action to remove as much carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as each put in to it. It is similar to net zero building. The overall goal of carbon neutrality is to achieve a zero carbon footprint, which means using no fossil fuel GHG emitting energy to operate.

Read more in our story of meeting the 2030 CHALLENGE: CARBON-NEUTRAL BUILDINGS

Passive House Building

The term passive house refers to a rigorous, voluntary standard for energy efficiency in a building, reducing its ecological footprint. It results in ultra-low energy buildings that require little energy for space heating or cooling. The requirements for a certified Passive House are very stringent. Per the definition—it can use no more than 1.4 kWh per 1 ft² of living space annually.

Read more on our series of Passive House Design Posts.

Living Buildings

A Living Building operates as a structure that “generates all of its own energy with renewable nontoxic resources, captures and treats all of its water, and operates efficiently and for maximum beauty.

The Living Building Challenge™ is a building certification program, advocacy tool and philosophy that defines the most advanced measure of sustainability in the built environment possible today and acts to rapidly diminish the gap between current limits and the end-game positive solutions we seek.

[box type=”bio”] Interested in Sustainable Building, Net Zero, & Passive House Design? Whether you want to start from scratch or renovate—we can help with Sustainable Building Goals Made Simple! Every $1 spent on design saves $10 in construction costs. Let LEAP provide you the best design possible.

Corporate Office Architect Designs GE Battery Plant in Schenectady, NY

in Commercial, Stories

GE required a corporate office architect to re-purposed manufacturing space into a new, highly functional office. LEAP Architecture created the design.

Corporate Office Architect: Innovative design help grow businesses, both large and small.

GE (General Electric) needed ideas for their new battery plant office and administration spaces in Schenectady, NY, and LEAP’s architect designed office space layouts and geometry based on programming and site analysis. As a consultant to MOSAIC Associates, a LEAP architect helped GE determine how to best re-purpose an existing facility on their Schenectady campus.

The result is a responsive design utilizing and new atrium and various shading devices to temper daylight in work areas, and double as the backdrop to a dramatic atrium space. Various office functions needed by GE (project rooms, break-out conference “war” spaces, workstations, docking areas, and presentation and support areas) are sheltered behind various screens of densities determined by programmatic needs. Thus, a dramatic atrium entry was created as an impressive public space that doubled as a very functional design that filters and reflects daylight in the office spaces beyond.

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Design Process – What Does an Architect Do?

in Stories

What does an architect do? What value does an architect bring to projects? Below we go in depth about our design process.

Business owners and homeowners gain value in dollars and quality when working with an architect.

Here’s How.

At LEAP, we use design phases to develop a successful project. In order to build a successful project, the design process is divided into phases to ensure smart decisions. These include:

1. Programming

2. Concept Design

3. Schematic Design

4. Design Development

5. Construction Documents

6. Construction Administration

7. Project Close-Out

A LEAP architect enhances families’ lifestyles, helps businesses increase profits, provides energy efficient designs, and designs healthy spaces for people.

1) Programming by an Architect

Construction is expensive, and we make sure dollars are spent in the right places. So, in programming, needs are identified and prioritized. We use spreadsheets, diagrams, interviews, and sample projects in order to generate documents that become the foundation for the design.

Tools of LEAP Architects for the Design Process

Programming: Tools that LEAP architects use include spreadsheets, diagrams, interviews, and sample projects in order to generate documents that become the foundation for the design.

How can architects help businesses grow?

Example:

A client was relocating their salon to a location with much more foot traffic compared to their previous address. A LEAP architect helped them to identify their priorities. It was noted during programming to capitalize on the new location by increasing the number of people to come into the establishment from the sidewalk (typically, salons generate income through appointments with clients – however, this owner wanted to improve product sales).

Solution:

Mystique. The design of the interior space was developed to entice people inside. How? Seen through the glass entry, lighted panels of bright blue are deep within a warm, enticing space. As people walk by, there attention is grabbed by their curiosity and, like magic, the salon’s foot traffic increased four-fold.

Storefront space utilized large graphics to help viewers at a distance or within cars understand services offered, but the interior design combined the colored panels with good lighting, complimentary materials, and combined them with a calculated walking path to ensure customers had a curated experience.

2) Concept Design Process

Prior to drafting plans, sketch concepts are developed to quickly explore how the owner’s and business operations’ daily rituals can be enhanced by site analysis, spatial adjacencies, circulation, and square foot analysis for preliminary cost estimating so the design is on the right track to meet budget requirements.

This image is a sketch concept design produced for an entrepreneur who contacted LEAP to help develop a coffee shop / incubator space out of shipping containers.

3) Schematic Design Process

When designing an addition, a new building, or an interior space, 3D modeling is used at LEAP to help visualize how the concepts explored can be a constructible object, and explore ways to add value by increasing energy efficiency with proper window locations, shading, and over-all geometry design.

In Schematic Design, we explore options in three dimensional computer models, and make decisions informed by budget and aesthetics, and also present cost-benefit analyses of mechanical systems versus insulation costs.

4) Design Development

Once a schematic design is selected, then materials, systems, equipment and fixtures can be designed and located. For example, in Schematic Design we may not know what the siding material is, or what the interior flooring will be; but in Design Development selections for all the products and materials used for construction will be selected with a set budget and allowances to help track the final construction costs. Also, structural, mechanical, plumbing, electrical, and site engineering are coordinated. Schedules and details are developed to show the make and models of all lighting fixtures, plumbing fixtures, appliances, finishes, door and window specifications, hardware and other design requirements needed for contractor pricing and a cohesive design

LEAP-Architecture-Modern-Contemporary-Addition-09-v2

As the design is developed, a LEAP architect will be able to help clients visualize the final design.

5) Construction Documents

Drawings are now developed to show details and assemblies coming together to inform contractors about how to build the design.

The final design documents benefit the Owner since the contractor is bound to follow this “set of instructions”.

Clients know what they’re getting, and builders understand the expectations.

6) Construction Administration

Architects need to be involved not only in the design process, but during construction to answer questions from the contractors, be available for unforeseen conditions (especially in existing buildings), review shop drawings for structural systems, review quotes from vendors, and visit the site to ensure the building is being constructed to meet specifications.

7) Project Close-Out

An architect will create “punch-lists” to ensure project completion by the contractors, submit a letter of completion to the local municipality for the final Certificate of Occupancy, and also document the final construction.

Along with the design process, the architect also helps clients procure zoning and building permits, assists owners in bidding to contractors, develops budgets with implementation schedules, and stands in the owner’s corner to assist with questions during the entire process through construction.

[author] [author_image timthumb=’on’]http://www.leaparchitecture.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/eric_davenport-blog-profile.jpg[/author_image] [author_info]Eric Davenport, a native Up-State New Yorker, began LEAP Architecture in 2003 at age 23 while designing projects for Haitian education efforts and working to achieve efficient agricultural-based solutions for Haitian families. Eric’s projects in New York include both commercial and residential architecture specializing in energy efficient and net-zero buildings.

Questions about your next design project? Contact Eric.

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