Environmentally sustainable design incorporates passive design principles which optimises form, orientation, layout and glazing distribution of buildings in relation to its climatic location.
When addressed in early stages of a project, erbas™ SUSTAIN can propose design options that would greatly reduce building energy requirements.
The principle of passive design is to incorporate optimal use of solar energy. Building design should aim to capture winter sun energy and reject hot summer heat. Such could be achieved by considering the following:
- Glazing performance and distribution
- Shading design that reduces summer heat and admits winter sun
- Building orientation
- Daylight access
Deemed to Satisfy and JV3 assessments
erbas™ SUSTAIN is experienced in delivering Deemed to Satisfy (DTS) assessments and optimising building fabric and glazing systems. Where the DTS outcome is not practical, the team strives to design a solution via JV3 modelling. We balance environmental performance and project costs and work closely with architects and the design team to develop cost-effective design options that meet the client’s vision for the development.
Design considerations for JV3 assessments include:
- Providing uniform glazing
- Minimising use of expensive glazing with high performance specifications
- Retaining existing building fabric elements
- Improving construction and cost-optimisation opportunities
NatHERS
Our capability includes NatHERS modelling of residential-type developments and providing advice on improving energy efficiency through optimising building design. This includes exploring options in shading, orientation, building material construction and glazing systems.
