Green Design and Planning - Sustainability Consultation
ARKÍS architects offer comprehensive consultation services of the green design of buildings, green planning and sustainability goal setting. ARKÍS’ employees have sought training in environmental assessment both at building and planning levels. In addition, ARKÍS architects have in recent years been at the forefront of the design and development of green building and green planning in Iceland.
With green design solutions and ecological thinking, we meet contemporary demands while working responsibly towards the wellbeing of future generations. Green design and green planning maximize functionality and improve the performance of buildings with respect to natural resources, such as land, energy, water and materials, while decreasing the negative effects that the man-made environment has on the natural environment and people’s health and wellbeing.
Responsible green design can ensure lower operational costs and improve the value of the investment with improved image and increased quality. Furthermore, research show that by implementing the right strategies during the planning and design phases, that can result in improved health and wellbeing of building users, decrease in the number of sick days, improved productivity of employees and higher test scores in schools. * In addition, green strategies implemented during the design phase minimize negative environmental impact, both from construction and the operation of buildings and communities. Assessment of buildings and planning with internationally recognized assessment systems provides reliable and measurable comparisons of the ecological impact of developments. Moreover, the assessment process is an effective project management tool for the client to set quality goals and follow those goals through until completion.
ARKÍS architects offer BREEAM consultation and assessment services and Miljöbyggnad services. BREEAM (BRE Environmental Assessment Method) is British by origin and internationally established as one of the world’s leading assessment systems. BREEAM is widely used in the United Kingdom. To illustrate, all new buildings in Britain, funded by government funds, in full or in part, must undergo BREEAM assessment and achieve certain minimum score. In 2009, over 116 thousand buildings had undergone BREEAM assessment. Miljöbyggnad is a Swedish assessement system buildings.
ARKÍS architects offer BREEAM International assessment and consultation services for buildings. Furthermore, ARKÍS offers BREEAM Communities planning assessment and general consultation in green design and green planning, independent of assessments, but a wide variety of possible options is available to those interested in green design, even if assessment may not be sought.
Among ARKÍS’ works where green design and green planning are in the foreground, are the Master Plan for Urridaholt in Gardabae, which has received numerous international awards and recognitions, Snaefellsstofa Visitor Center for Vatnajökull National Park which will soon become Iceland’s first BREEAM certified building, the Icelandic Institute of Natural History which is undergoing BREEAM assessment and the Visitor Center at Hellissandur that has been fully designed for BREEAM assessment.
ARKÍS architects are among the founding members of the Icelandic Green Building Council. In addition, partners of ARKÍS architects have edited the City of Reykjavik’s Goals for Sustainable Neighborhoods and Buildings and are authoring the chapter on green building materials for the Dawn of Sustainability course material package sponsored by the European Union’s Leonardo fund.
Furthermore, ARKÍS’ partners have provided green building consultation with committee workfor the Icelandic Ministry for the Environment and taught courses both at Reykjavik University and the Iceland Academy of the Arts.
ARKÍS architects are an awarded, progressive architecture firm that has been in operation since 1997. ARKÍS’ works span all fields of architecture, planning, design and consultation. ARKÍS architects have extensive experience from projects in planning and architecture, but from the firm’s founding ARKÍS have executed numerous large and complex projects both in Iceland and internationally.
ARKÍS architects are in the unique position to be able to offer comprehensive consultation for green building at all stages of design; that is preparation, planning, design and construction management. In addition, ARKÍS architects always aim for the intertwining of environmental consciousness and the improved quality of the built environment.
* Benefits of Green Building. BRE Global