Designing for Sustainability: How to Design for Green Needs

“Architects are discovering new sustainable design processes to preserve our ecosystem while reducing our carbon footprint,” says the New School of Architecture & Design. The goal? “To protect the generations of tomorrow.” 

At Legacy Building Solutions, environmental stewardship drives our mission through innovative features like daylighting, passive ventilation, and recyclable materials.

Why Focus on Sustainable Building Design?

Sustainable design minimizes environmental impact by:

• Conserving natural resources by using materials efficiently during construction, minimizing waste and optimizing resource allocation. 
• Protecting ecosystems by carefully planning construction footprints, preserving existing vegetation, and incorporating green spaces and native landscaping that support local wildlife and maintain natural water drainage patterns.
• Improving air quality by using advanced filtration systems and creating spaces that promote natural airflow.
• Reducing waste by designing buildings with standardized dimensions to reduce material waste and implementing modular construction techniques that facilitate future modifications.
• Reducing carbon emissions by integrating on-site renewable energy systems, using materials with low embodied carbon, and designing building envelopes that minimize heat transfer and reduce HVAC loads.

If architects and building owners pursue these objectives, they can maximize efficiency, reduce energy consumption and costs, and reduce water used for non-potable purposes (such as irrigation and sanitation.)

Architectural Elements that Create Sustainable Structures

Architects and building designers consider all aspects and functions of a building. To boost sustainability, they may consider:

• Passive elements, such as natural lighting, ventilation, or solar-powered heating
• Energy efficient systems, emphasizing renewable energy sources
• Water conservation techniques, such as rainwater harvesting, xeriscaping to reduce irrigation, and runoff mitigation
• Sustainable building materials, particularly those that can be recycled or which have recyclable content

Fabric Buildings Promote Sustainability

Modern tension fabric structures offer an eco-friendly solution for sustainable commercial building design in various industries.

Airtight construction

An airtight building can improve both energy efficiency and indoor comfort. Both outdoor temperature and wind can cause air to leak in, making it harder to heat or cool the interior. This accounts for as much as 40% percent of heating costs in some buildings, according to the Rocky Mountain Institute.

Metal buildings are notoriously vulnerable to moisture and air leakage, because of the thousands of screw holes needed to attach the cladding. 

• An independent air infiltration test conducted on an athletic complex built by Legacy concluded that our building was 157% more efficient compared to a same-size steel framed and clad building. In an area where the local energy code requires 3.0 or less ACH (air changes per hour), our building scored just 0.92 ACH – that’s 69% more efficient than code.

Natural light

To stimulate more sustainable design, various jurisdictions have implemented stringent energy codes that address lighting, heating, and cooling.

Installing LED lighting can help reduce energy consumption and costs. But incorporating natural light can further reduce your building’s carbon footprint over time. Natural daylight also creates a more pleasant working environment.

• Legacy’s unique white ExxoTecTM fabric cladding is 12% translucent, admitting enough sunlight for comfortable daytime work without additional artificial lighting. In insulated buildings, our white fabric naturally brightens the interior, again helping reduce energy consumption.

Envelope conductivity

If exterior conditions (including heat, cold, wind, water, and noise) enter a building, they can create problems, waste energy, and drive up costs without mitigation and regular repairs. Steel magnifies outside conditions because it conducts heat and cold. Fabric keeps the elements out.

• Legacy’s fabric cladding is non-conductive. It’s far more efficient to maintain indoor comfort levels. Our fabric is inherently fire-resistant, too. To further promote sustainability, the fabric includes recycled content.

Water conservation

Reducing the amount of water used from municipal systems helps relieve pressure on those facilities and reduce water costs. Stormwater management reduces wasteful runoff that could impact soil and waterways, since it often carries toxins and other contaminants.

• All Legacy buildings have eaves, so it’s easy to add gutters to create a catchment system. In commercial building design, recaptured rainwater can be used for outdoor irrigation and, especially in larger facilities, for fixture flushing and other non-potable plumbing. Recycling rainwater also reduces runoff.

Durability

Sustainability is about durability, too. The longer things last, the less often they need to be replaced. This conserves natural resources and reduces the energy needed to harvest and manufacture new products. Architects should choose building materials that are made to last.

• Legacy buildings are designed and engineered to last decades. They feature solid steel frameworks strong enough to accommodate wide, clear spans and heavy loads–and tough enough to withstand the harshest weather.
• For buildings exposed to corrosive environments, Legacy’s superior corrosion resistant coatings protect structural steel and extend the life of the building.

Beyond environmental benefits, sustainable commercial building design delivers practical advantages. Energy efficiency reduces operational costs, while improved indoor air quality creates healthier spaces for occupants.

Whatever your green needs, and whatever your functional expectations, Legacy fabric buildings make it easier to design for sustainability.