| |
|
|
EcoCentric Design offers complete architectural design services, specializing in 'Passive House', 'Living Building' and 'Living City' design.
'Passive House' is the most stringent energy efficiency building standard to date, aiming to drastically reduce the energy consumption of the built environment.
Read more about Passive house here.
A Living Building is 'designed and constructed to function as elegantly and efficiently as a flower:
a building informed by its bioregion’s characteristics, generating all of its own energy
with renewable resources, capturing and treating all of its water, and operating efficiently and for
maximum beauty.'
Read more about about living Building here.
Download the Living Building Challenge™ 2.0 here.
|
| |
Building program development
Before any design or planning work is started, a building program should be developed, to clarify and specify the requirements for the project. |
 |
Site Planning
Ecocentric Design believes a building should be an integrated part and a meaningful addition to the landscape.
Ecocentric Design draws from permaculture principles in an adaptive design process to organize the project site and it’s relation with the surrounding landscape.
Optimization of solar exposure, site access, approach, privacy, the integration of food production and recreational space, power access/generation, water collection and waste water treatment are taken account of.
|
 |
Conceptual design
After the building program is established and a building site is selected, a conceptual design is being developed, in conjunction with the site plan.
The conceptual design (also called schematic design) captures the idea of the project while the principal building configuration, look and intent is determined.
|
 |
Design development
After the conceptual design is completed, the design is developed to a defined, hard-lined plan. In this stage the building layout, sections and elevations are developed, together with the building materials, construction methods, principal details and environmental technologies.
PHPP, a sophisticated energy modeling tool is consulted during the design development to determine the influence of design decisions on the energy performance.
If you choose to apply for Passive House Certification, the design will be adjusted until the building’s heating demand is going to be below the Passive House maximum value (15 kWh per m2 per year).
|
 |
Construction drawings
When the design is fully developed, the construction drawings, or blueprints, are generated.
In this stage the construction details, dimensioned plans, sections, elevations, door and window schedules and specifications are generated and compiled in a set of drawings.
The construction drawings serve as the principal document for building permit application and construction guidance.
|
 |
Project Supervision
The proper execution of the project is imperative for the achievement of Passive House and Living Building Certification. Therefore it is necessary to supervise the construction to ensure that the work is done in accordance with the design.
|
| |
Project Management
Working with experienced tradespeople, Ecocentric Design can manage the construction of your Passive House or Living Building entirely, from foundation to finish, ensuring the integration Passive House and Living Building standards. |
 |
Green retrofitting
With the integration of Passive House and Living Building principles in the renovation or addition of your existing home the embodied energy will be preserved while reducing the lifecycle’s carbon footprint, adding value, comfort and functionality.
Convert your existing house into a Certified Passive House or Living Building! |
|
|
