Environmental responsibility is a principal consideration in our work. After the advent of central heating and air, traditional strategies for climate responsiveness seemed to have been temporarily forgotten. For too long, people were not concerned with how much energy these systems used to keep our interior environments comfortable. We now realize the detrimental effect these actions have had. Arcollab advocates a return to the simple passive systems of the past including daylighting, passive heating and cooling, and strategic natural ventilation. These systems cost little or nothing to incorporate into our designs but can have a dramatic effect in reducing our energy demands.

We are encouraged by the growing public awareness of the importance of sustainable design and the influx of new products and technologies spurred by this public demand. We have established relationships with suppliers for locally sourced materials in our region, and we continually work to educate ourselves about new products and creative approaches that can support our mission of responsible design. Lori and Gabe are LEED Accredited Professionals, and we have completed projects certified under LEED for Homes, the Southeast’s regional Earthcraft Program through Southface Energy Institute, and Energy Star.

Reflecting our commitment to integrate social and environmental responsibility into all aspects of our business operation, Arcollab is a certified B Corporation. As of January 2024, Arcollab became the only architecture firm in the State of Georgia to be certified as a B Corporation with an initial score of 105.9.

SUSTAINABLE PROJECTS

Pulaski Heights Modern Residence

At this Pulaski Heights Residence, we used our knowledge of the sun path at various times of the year to orient the most frequently occupied living spaces with their long sides facing north and south.  The east and west facing facades of this wing have strategic openings, views, and awnings to minimize the western exposure. The north-facing windows allow diffuse daylighting without much direct heat gain in the Georgia climate. Appropriately sized porch roof overhangs are utilized on the south side of the home to cut out the high summer sun angles which decreases unwanted heat gain in the house but allows the lower sun angles during the winter to provide passive solar heating.

We were also concerned about potential radiant heat gain from the steel siding, so we detailed a continuous air space behind the siding and below the metal roof finish with a vent at the ridge. This allows the continuous air flow to dissipate the heat absorbed by the steel finish. We also provided wall and roof insulation far beyond code. The walls have 8″ of blown-in recycled insulation (over twice the typical depth) and the roof boasts 14″. Secondary cladding materials are thermally modified, locally milled Poplar rainscreen and slat walls and painted fiber cement panels used to infill around window openings. The fiber cement panels (with recycled content) are sourced from Nichiha’s nearby plant in Macon, Georgia.

The two main wings of the home are simplified gable forms – a modern interpretation of the surrounding mill cottages with a 6/12 roof slope designed for optimal solar exposure of the 10kw photovoltaic array on the south-facing roofline. An entry hyphen clad in textured black brick with a projecting Flemish bond connects the two wings. The local brick is manufactured with 100% recycled content in North Carolina.

Wayfarer Music Hall

The owners of Wayfarer Music Hall chose our firm in part for our dedication to sustainability. They shared this philosophy, and together we created a building utilizing high efficiency VRF mechanical systems, LED lighting, and local, recycled, and/or renewable materials to the greatest extent possible. We also created a rooftop garden where the owners will grow herbs and other edible plants. Other rooftop areas will support arrays of solar panels, resulting in a building that operates at net-zero energy efficiency. The solar panels were funded in part by additional grant money sought by the owner. Like our client, we believe that preservation of our historic resources is the most sustainable design strategy possible.

Down's Creek Guest Cottage

The entire thermal envelope of the Down’s Creek Guest Cottage was designed to exceed current energy codes. All glazing is high performance, low-E, which minimizes infrared and UV light entering the house, and windows are shaded from the summer sun via orientation and the existing dense hardwood forest. Additionally, all paints, coatings, and adhesives are low to zero VOC. Heating and cooling air distribution is accomplished with mini splits rather than traditional forced air.

The carefully placed building footprint along steep topography minimized site disturbance within the area’s valuable watershed. The guest house was delicately nestled into an existing tree canopy to avoid impacting the beautiful mature hardwoods on the site. This precise building placement balanced the cut and fill so that the structure appears to have grown from the site. The bridge entrance does not block daylight or water flow from reaching the landscape below and allows the natural landscape unimpeded interaction with the building’s edges.

The small retreat is anything but basic—it leverages simple forms and natural materials pallets to emphasize the importance of its natural context and fully embrace the concept of biophilic design. The ecological context influenced the selection of a palette of materials and colors that best reflect the environment of the building site, providing cues for both interior and exterior finish selections. The dark stained cypress siding runs vertically to harmonize with the dense hardwood forest. The locally harvested poplar ceiling at the underside of the shed roof line runs continuously from the exterior into the interior, drawing the forest into the space through a large expanse of windows deliberately placed at the corner of a double height volume of space that maximizes the views of Down’s Creek.