Sustainability / What is Sustainability

Sustainability has become a buzzword within the construction industry and beyond in recent years. We are bombarded by advertisements on a daily basis for “green” products, and low-carbon living solutions. The USGBC’s LEED rating has established a firm foothold in North America as the primary green standard. We know these products are produced with X percentage recycled materials, and that a building may be awarded LEED Silver, but is there more to sustainability than these numbers and ratings. What is “true” sustainability?

At Tulou Studio we believe that the current excitement over “green” living is an epic opportunity to really examine what it means to design sustainably. Now that LEED and other rating systems have provided a solid base by which to track the quantifiable benefits of green design, we feel we can expand the focus to include sustainable strategies that address the “quality” of communities, and “quality of life” for our clients. Beyond continuously striving to reduce its required energy, a truly sustainable building should enrich the aesthetic, cultural, and economic qualities of the surrounding region, while offering owners a unique and comfortable live/work/play environment.

Tulou Studio has made it its mission to produce buildings that not only meet the most stringent green standards, but also produce a contemporary aesthetic that is based on the regional traditions of a project’s location. The use of local materials, tradesmen, and techniques, not only strengthen a city’s sense of “place”, but ensure that a building will provide economic opportunities for workers and manufacturers in the region. Additionally, we believe that truly sustainable buildings should make an effort to engage and enhance existing ecosystems, providing new links for local flora and fauna to thrive near communities.

The ultimate goal at Tulou Studio, is to design projects that are not only self-sufficient, but that can return quantifiable and qualitative benefits to its owner, neighbors, and nature.

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