Innovation
One of the major reasons Archimage Architects Ltd. was formed,
long before being "green" was in fashion, was to pursue the
partners' passion for environmentally responsible design.
They felt that inspiring design could combine with natural
systems to provide energy and material efficiency.
Archimage's projects, typically, have vertical spaces that serve
as circulation and orienting devices that provide natural light
and open at the top to create negative pressure inducing air
circulation in warmer weather. As opposed to "gadget
green" architecture where alternative energy elements are placed
on a building, Archimage seeks to create designs where the
"green" features are integral to the architectural design
concept. Archimage has extensive experience with
energy efficient design and construction and is constantly
exploring better ways of building. Among others, the
following systems and considerations have been designed into
their buildings. - buildings and rooms oriented and shaped to
prevailing winds and solar exposure - building materials low in
embodied energy (polycarbonate walls - tensile fabric roof) -
ICF's (insulated concrete forms) - SIPS (structural insulated
panels) - double wall construction - high density wet sprayed
cellulose insulation - LED lighting - tankless water heaters -
active solar hot water & photovoltaic - passive solar -
geothermal heat pumps - rainwater collection systems - radiant
heating and cooling - reclaimed building materials - trees
removed from site milled into heavy timber framing - certified
(sustainably harvested) wood - waterless urinals - vertical axis
wind turbines - pressure differential ventilation and space
conditioning - natural
ventilation - nontoxic building materials - disassembly
planned for re-use or recycling - permeable paving with water
collection - indigenous landscaping - recycled and
recyclable building materials - composting (red worm drawers) -
engineered habitable truss systems - heat recovery systems - soy
based insulation