elemental

In today’s New York Times there is a telling article that talks about the ’soft underbelly’ of LEED. The article observes that many LEED-rated buildings perform well below their projected levels. The article goes on to say that this is largely because there is no incentive for owners and users to efficiently operate their buildings once the LEED certification has been achieved, generally at the end of or shortly after construction. This misses a basic point of sustainable design and also points to a serious weak spot in the otherwise-useful LEED rating system.

Truly sustainable architecture results primarily from obtaining the optimal services from the fewest resources. Rather than relying on superimposed equipment and technologies, the most effective measures for improving building performance come from basic planning and design strategies which recognize the programs to be served and the ways in which the building is to be operated.

Elemental has been selected as one of five finalist firms for the design of a new kayak pavilion and historic reconstruction of the Red Barn for The Scenic Hudson Land Trust Long Dock Beacon site.