Designing buildings to make them as sustainable as possible will result in long term benefits. These structures will do the least amount of damage to the environment over their lifetime. If every building, including commercial architecture, was built to the highest sustainable standards it would help with things like pollution and climate change. The issue is some people don’t really think about longevity.

Energy saving

One of the key things with sustainable design is it should reduce the amount of energy a building consumes. There are many ways to do this including green construction and systems like solar panels and natural ventilation.

The actual construction of a building can require as much energy 30% of the energy it would take to power it for 50 years. This is a huge amount to invest and would take many years to recoup based on energy savings. Luckily this is not an issue if the building is to stand and provide service for decades. All the savings and good work will disappear if demolition is necessary sooner though. This is because it could take an extra 30% of the energy consumption to complete the task.

Re-purposing

Instead of demolishing a building, it is better to re-purpose it. This is true no matter what the sustainability standards are. This would save on the huge amount of energy it would take to demolish and clear the site. Cutting edge technologies and a new layout could give new life to an old property.

Adaptable

The most sustainable buildings will always be those ones that are built so they can adapt to any change in need. This means they can last for longer and end up saving more energy than the construction cost.

Coffey Architects has a passion for design, especially if it is sustainable commercial architecture. We have a lot of experience and have had the honour to refit several buildings for clients. If you need a change and want it to be a sustainable one, rely on us.