With both commercial and residential construction in Portland expected to remain strong in 2019, the interest from owners and developers in employing sustainable design in new construction continues to grow as well. Sustainable design adopts a holistic approach to the planning, engineering, and construction of buildings, and involves all the professionals in the process, from the architects to the commercial concrete contractors in Portland. There are several key components in the philosophy of sustainable design, and prime examples of these ideas are manifested across the city. Motivation and examples of sustainable design
At the heart of sustainable design are the imperatives of resilience and ecological sustainability. A resilient design or structure is one that is intended not only to have a long life cycle, but also to be able to withstand environmental factors that erode or damage built environments. For example, Portland has the potential to experience seismic activity, and a resilient structure would employ reinforced concrete to meet the environmental stressors it would likely confront. Ecological sustainability entails some of the more familiar concepts of general environmentally-conscious movements, such as minimizing environmental impacts, waste generation, and energy consumption. Putting ecological sustainability into practice within building design means using the given characteristics of the location, size, and materials of the structure to control temperature, reduce energy costs, and conserve water - from the construction process to building use and maintenance. This could include low-emission construction machinery, green roofs, and rainwater catchment systems. A case study in sustainable design For some proponents of sustainable design, there is a third imperative: equity. In Portland, designers have endeavoured to bring all three together by applying sustainable design not just to individual structures, but to whole neighbourhoods. This eco-district concept is a method of community development and revitalization and can be observed in the Lloyd EcoDistrict, located east of Portland’s central business district. Here, the collaboration of multiple local stakeholders, the mixed-use design of the neighbourhood which includes residential, commercial, and institutional buildings, as well as the adoption of shared infrastructure by using single water, energy, and waste systems across multiple buildings demonstrates a dynamic way to employ sustainable design. The anticipated outcomes for the Lloyd EcoDistrict include energy efficiency, return on investment, job creation, district zero-waste, green infrastructure corridors, green streets, and building the character of the neighbourhood. The Conco Companies’ mission is to be the best supplier of concrete services in the Western U.S. and to bring expertise and incomparable quality to each project. We continue to upgrade and expand our facilities to better serve the growing market for commercial, educational, parking structures, public works projects, and other development. Contact us to learn more about the services from one of the most trusted concrete contractors in Portland. Comments are closed.
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