sustainable services

u.s. co2 emissions by sectorm

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(electricity use by sector)

Many businesses are shifting to “green” or “sustainable” measures whether to reduce energy or to a part of a surging market. What does it mean to be “green”? It starts with setting up a clear set of goals. The goals are always better when you can measure them. We can help set those goals.

As designers we see that buildings use 76% of the electricity so we know that we can have an impact here. But we also see an opportunity to work with our clients to find increased productivity and streamlined processes while having a positive impact on energy resources and the financial bottom line. It is a partnership. We believe that good design requires us to think holistically.

Ask yourself, what are we sustaining when asked...

are you sustainable?

u.s. co2 emissions by sector2020

map-lab has worked with the USGBC LEED rating system since the program was founded. map-lab President, David Silverman, led the LEED process for a $300 million project at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Stephen Moore, map-lab’s Director of Design + Sustainable Initiatives, has experience on a full-range of LEED buildings and was also involved in one of the first Zero-Net Energy Buildings in Massachusetts. Stephen also completed a sustainable master plan for an independent school in Dedham MA. map-lab has completed master planning work for cities, corporations, and institutions of higher learning. map-lab recently completed a master plan of Boston’s Innovation District that incorporated net-zero energy, water, and waste strategies for Boston by 2035 using the Living Building

...who we are

people. planet.....prosperity.

...what we think

people. planet.....prosperity.

SUSTAINABILITY :: We are a committed sustainable practice. We adhere to the “triple bottom line” principle of people-planet-prosperity.

Global climate change IS happening and we believe that human activity is a major contributor to this.

We feel it is our charge to integrate solutions in our daily operations, professional practice, and personal behavior.

our Carbon footprint(source: carbonfund.org & “Planting Burned Areas for Carbon Seques-tration” study - Colorado State University 2007)

electricity (energy use) - 6190 kWh/yr = 3.59 tonnes of CO2

d a i l y c o m m u t e(1 driver/ 3 public transit) = 4.84 tonnes of CO2

paper product use (100% recycled) = .05 tonnes of CO2 TOTAL CO2 PRODUCED = 8.48 tonnes of CO2

to offset 8.48 tonnes of CO2 we would have to plant 117 saplings

our Carbon footprint(source: carbonfund.org & “Planting Burned Areas for Carbon Seques-tration” study - Colorado State University 2007)

electricity (energy use) - 6190 kWh/yr = 3.59 tonnes of CO2

d a i l y c o m m u t e(1 driver/ 3 public transit) = 4.84 tonnes of CO2

paper product use (100% recycled) = .05 tonnes of CO2 TOTAL CO2 PRODUCED = 8.48 tonnes of CO2

to offset 8.48 tonnes of CO2 we would have to plant 117 saplings

TRANSPARENCY :: At map-lab we are committed to documenting our efforts for all to see on our website as well as through our actions such as AIA 2030 Commitment and Architecture 2030. They have significant metrics and initiatives that the firm must commit to in order to report that it is operating as “carbon neutral” by 2030. These are metrics we can assist a client perform on themselves and integrate solutions to meet them.

What if every single act of design and construction made the world....................................a better place?

Site Water Energy Health Materials

Weighing the contri-butions to design may seem limited. If the client is a leasee of a building, they may have no control over. the “green” impact. But assessing the site from daylighting op-tions in existing space to assisting clients locating a proper site can contribute signifi-cantly to measures of sustianability and op-erations cost.

Water can be as-sessed not only in our overall consumption, but also in what we restore. Capturing rainwater may be a solution to irrigation or non-potable water use, but looking be-yond use to weighing building impact or even contribution to a watershed can be of equal importance. It can build resiliency into the design.

Photovoltaics and solar thermal water heating get the bulk of the press for as-pect of onsite energy generation, but things should always start with assessing needs then taking measures to reduce the ener-gyload. This assess-ment and implemen-tation strategy gives a blueprint for site ap-propriate generators & cost factors.

From water-based paints & adhesives to access to daylight & fresh air, occupant health has become every bit the design criteria as color pal-lettes. Countless studies show that the choices made early on or through exist-ing assesment can reduce health issues, making for environ-ments people thrive in.

Life-cycle cost analy-sis and materials that are cradle-to-cradle are tools that can de-termine the choices made in the compo-nents of a building. Where these compo-nents are harvested, assembled, & deliv-ered - can have a sig-nificant impact. But it starts with under-standing the needs, if something can be reused - we do it.

What if every single act of design and construction made the world....................................a better place?

Equity Beauty

BASIS CRITERIA :: As mem-bers of the Living Future In-sitiute, we look to integrate the most advanced thinking on sustainability into our de-sign practice. By weighing the criteria of the Living Building Challenge (LBC), we ensure our clients will see the best and healthiest options we can deploy, ever mindful of the bot-tom line.

Buildings have tre-mendous impacts on not only the lives of people who inhabit them but also those outside of them. From neighbors to distant workers making ma-terials for the build-ing to issues of acces-sibility & interaction with nature, helping clients make socially-equitable choices is a responsibility we take very seriously.

To paraphrase the LB criteria, mandating beauty is, by defini-tion, an impossible task and we do not begin to assume we can judge beauty and project our own aes-thetic values on oth-ers. We design with intention for positive impact and are open to educating the pub-lic about the environ-mental qualities of the building.

integrated team meeting with museum at the mill

After we understand the needs of the client we being the process of understanding how those needs fit in with ecological, economical, and physical constraints that a well-thought design must work within.These are not obstacles, but rather part of the challenges we at map-lab thoroughly enjoy tackling.

Provding a vision for a particular space, building, street, or city is an ability we deploy with great confidence. These visioning exercises allows the client to see how the ideas are coming together and gives an ability to communiate it to their stakeholders, be they investors, community members, municipalities, or students.

Using tools such as BIM and energy-modeling, the process becomes a significant asset for not only the client, to better understand the intended performance and aesthetic of their space or building, it helps the design team make prudent decisions along the way to save time in the process and keep all members of the integrated design team engaged in the solutions.

...how we do it

design for a residence near a seaside saltmarsh

We say quite a bit that the “greenest” building is one already there. Yes, we can design a new building. But do we need to? These are questions we ask first. A building is part of the eco-system. The more in balance with the eco-system - and its effects on it - the better.

Sometimes its as easy as asking whether just opening up a view can provide the solution to lighting or enhancing the understanding of place. Maybe that makes it a better place to work or learn or live. In thinking this way, simply, it is the most sustainable approach we know. Its important to know what NOT to design to satisify what a client needs.

Our versatility is displayed in our portfolio as well as overall experience of work that includes research facilities, classrooms, cleantech facitlites, libraries, business incubators, adapative resuse, healthcare, and laboratories.

architectureengineering classroom at MIT

library design for an independent school in Dedham MA

congress street - south boston vision

urban design + community planning

Scaling design to the city level takes a certain set of skill that blends the ability to convey large data-sets and needs assesments to a much wider and diverse community. Be it helping a community meet its goals as a “green community” or finding best uses for abandoned land, we start with asset mapping the community to integrate the collective efforts of a given community into the planning. So many of the best ideas for planning are efforts that are already underway.

downtown crossing study

the green-est building is the one al-ready there. but can your existing build-ing operate .........smarter?

let us audit you and see.

existing building services

:what can I do?

Outside the box:

Revolving Door/Energy Generator

Light Shelves

Vegetated Facades

Related to Chapter V, Section D, the door gen-erates around 4600 kwh of energy each year, which may not sound like much - but every little bit helps. To enhance the designers decided to include a transparent ceiling to show how the system works, and LEDs display the amount of energy that it is generated each time someone walks in the door.

Also from ECM #8, - The use of a light shelf along the win-dows of the south side may allow for increased daylighting while also allowing the users to use the shades for glare control, as seen in this photo.

From Chapter V, Section F, Despite the notion that this is a “new technology”, vegetated facades have been around for hundreds of years. The reputation that ivy is an invasive plant (getting into brick mortar) is a misnomer, fueled by poor choices in plant spieces. Virginia Creeper, for example, is a non-invasive and beautiful vine (turning deep red in the au-tumn). Vegetation keeps the building shaded in the summer months and creates micro-climates reducing cooling needs. When trained properly around winindows it can also create shading for south facing of ce windows to reduce glare.

Credit:Generator Door designed by Fluxxlab. Fluxxlab’s work to date has been focused on sustainable energy harvesting, speci cally in the form of converting small amounts of hu-man energy into electricity.

A Sustainability Audit can provide a client with a list of achievable measures for implemetation and will consist of analysis and metrics in a variety of areas including:

• Air Quality

• Building systems

• Building Envelope

• Daylighting Opportunities

• Employee Engagement

• Environmental Graphics

• Equipment Use/Needs

• Materials Re-purposing

• Passive Energy Strategies

• Plug-loading

• Purchasing

• Space Planning

• Waste Streams

• Water Use/Needs

• Workflow Efficencies

Fro clients such as AthenaHealth in Watertown MA, reviewed areas for workflow efficiencies, equipment selections, daylighting opportunites, plug loads, and more can be analyzed and submitted in our audit to be understood and implemented by the client in whatever ways is most effeictive.

For clients with campus-wide initiatives, for instance, we weigh opportunities for the integration of lower cost, energy saving options - espeically ones that can save in muliple areas. These light shelves bounce outside sunlight into the room while shading the exterior from heat gain.

As a lab we explore avenues of

enriching our

practice with

progressive ideas and how they are to be

applied...practically.

The energy modeling software we use is eQUEST developed by the US Department of Energy and Lawrence Berkeley Labs.. It performs 8760 iterations of calculations to simulate the performance of all energy flows in a building. So whether for a LEED submission or just routine due dilegence - we offer this service to meet those needs as well as assist our own process of design

energy modeling services

building loads:

hvac systems:

plant:

economics:

• Solar gains• Transfer through walls & roof• Infiltration• Heat from people• Heat from lights and internal equipment• Interaction of the building with its climate

• Simulates interaction of equipment with loads

• Primary equipment (chillers, boilers, heat exchangers)

• Utility rate structures• Life-cycle analysis

...what we analyze

WHY “GREEN”?

• Reduce energy consumption

• Reduce water consumption

• Lower operations costs

• Lower CO2 emmissions

• Maintain a healthy environment

• Retain and attract staff

• Increase productivity

• Market leadership

• Community partnership

WHY CERTIFY?

Yes, there should not be a “certified” effort to build a green building. But having certification ensures accountability for performance.

LEED® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Green Building Council

With qualified LEED® accredited professionals, we can advise and process the registration, calculation, and submission towards LEED® certification. map lab staff has overseen and participated in the certification of over a dozen LEED® certified buildings (NC), neighborhoods (ND), and commercial interiors (CI) including buildings for NREL, MIT, Emerson College, Mount Holyoke College, and developments in Massachusetts such as Boston, Holyoke, Westwood as well as Miami and Washington DC.

Whether its training other architects and building professionals to become LEED® accredited professionals or helping clients and municpalities better understand the impact of implementing green building criteria - be it LEED® or Living Building Challenge™ requirements, we at map lab are not only trained sustainable prefessionals but also seasoned educators who can help bridge the information gap through constructing and hosting seminars, training sessions, and even “town hall” civic engagement meetings.

The U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Rating System (LEED®) requires energy modeling to assess the energy use of a building - up to 10 points available under Energy & Atmosphere Credit 1, as well as optimizing energy performance, and to quantify the savings attributable to the proposed design. But whether used as a LEED® requirement or as an integral part of meeting the goals of the design team, our energy modeling skills can be applied at a range of needs.

living building & LEED® consultation

map-lab, inc.21 drydock avenue7th floorboston ma 02210

617.426.5401www.map-lab.com