We take responsibility for designing projects that live lightly on the land and encourage minimal use of resources. We strive for a green architecture that performs technologically and also stirs the imaginations of its inhabitants.
MSH embraces sustainability as a design philosophy-an ethic that looks to the efficiency and diversity of nature to develop design solutions that are responsive, self-regulating and full of spirit. This culture leads us to create buildings that enhance human health, biodiversity and productivity. While no one issue should be given ultimate priority over all others, we invite the issue of sustainable design into each decision and recommendation we make.
Creating sustainable buildings stats with proper site selection. The location of a building affects a wide range of environmental factors--as well as other factors such as security, accessibility, and energy consumption, as well as the energy consumed by transportation needs of occupants for commuting, the impact on local ecosystems, and the use/reuse of existing structures and infrastructures.
On an annual basis, buildings in the United States consume 39% of America's energy and 68% of its electricity. Furthermore, buildings emit 38% of the carbon dioxide (the primary greenhouse gas associated with climate change), 49% of the sulfur dioxide, and 25% of the nitrogen oxides found in the air. Currently, the vast majority of this energy is produced from nonrenewable, fossil fuel resources. With America's supply of fossil fuel dwindling, concerns for energy supply security increasing (both for general supply and specific needs of facilities), and the impact of greenhouse gasses on world climate rising, it is essential to find ways to reduce load, increase efficiency, and utilize renewable fuel resources in facilities of all types.
Reducing water consumption and protecting water quality are key objectives of sustainable design. One critical issue of water consumption is that in many areas of the country, the demands on the supplying aquifer exceed its ability to replenish itself. To the maximum extent feasible, facilities should increase their dependence on water that is collected, used, purified, and reused on-site.
A sustainable building is constructed of materials that minimize life-cycle environmental impacts such as global warming, resource depletion, and human toxicity. Environmentally preferable materials have a reduced effect on human health and the environment and contribute to improved worker safety and health, reduced liabilities, reduced disposal costs, and achievement of environmental goals.
The indoor environmental quality (IEQ) of a building has a significant impact on occupant health, comfort, and productivity. Among other attributes, a sustainable building maximizes daylighting; has appropriate ventilation and moisture control; and avoids the use of materials with high-VOC emissions.
Considering a building's operating and maintenance issues during the preliminary design phase of a facility will contribute to improved working environments, higher productivity, reduced energy and resource costs, and prevented system failures. Encourage building operators and maintenance personnel to participate in the design and development phases to ensure optimal operations and maintenance of the building.
We currently have several ongoing LEED projects that will achieve LEED Silver certification or higher when completed.