 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
fit between architecture and the environment. It is important to think of your residential or
commercial project in a holistic way, not just building cost but long term value. James and Daina
specialize in helping you make the value judgements that will make your home or office both cost
efficient and pleasing to live and work in by looking at these five elements of the project:
Site
In ancient times, a Japanese architect would spend a year on a proposed site, taking note of the
seasonal changes and other conditions on the site. Today, we rarely have such luxury, and have to
make our decisions based on engineering reports, utility requirements, environmental regulations,
state and local building codes. Still, it remains very important to balance environmental aspects
with engineering and regulatory factors.
Frame
The structure and foundation link the building to the site. You can choose to float your building over
a site by using pilings, or anchor your building to the site by using a masonry or concrete
foundation. The frame will also serve as your protection against wind and rain and should be
considered in regard to the specific climate conditions of your site.
Skin
These are the materials we use to clad the building, both inside and outside, and careful
consideration needs to be given to these choices. Today, it is important to weigh the impact of
these materials on the environment, not just in terms of the nature of the materials themselves but
the energy required to produce them.
Comfort
Here we look at environmental systems for your building, ranging from heat, air conditioning and
ventilation systems to electrical, lighting and communication systems. Again, we must look at the
sustainable nature of these products, not only in terms of monthly cost, but the impact these
systems have on the broader environment. There is a wide range of systems available on the
market today that can provide the comfort you desire, as well as make a limited impact on the
environment.
Space
The space and volume of your building is defined not only by your individual or business needs, but
by proportional relationships that will make the space more pleasing in which to live and work.
Pythagoras believed that the golden ratio expressed an underlying truth about existence, and the
golden ratio of 1.618 has been used repeatedly throughout time in both art and architecture.
Binding these five elements of design together is flow or circulation, which the Chinese call Qi. It
is important to create good circulation between the spaces in the building, as well as a positive
flow of energy between the building, site and the immediate surroundings. The way in which these
five elements come together will determine the quality of the design.
