Sustainability
Our world is at a critical point in its evolution. With global population climbing towards seven billion and with rapidly increasing development, carbon emissions, and degradation of ecosystems, our planet is being stressed beyond its capacity. The great test of our lifetime is to develop a new model for living and building within the earth’s capacity, while also creating a better life for all people. This is the grand challenge of our time, an exciting one, and rich with possibilities. We see this challenge as our inspiration for design: for creating innovative, healthy, and pleasant environments that people enjoy living and working in, and to do so with the least impact on our ecosystems.
Our team is committed to producing work that maximizes human potential, productivity and health. Every project is dedicated to minimizing the consumption of resources, reducing waste and pollution and restoring natural systems. We believe that neighborhood development, no matter its size, should embrace its cultural, community, urban, and natural contexts, so that the final outcome creates beauty and cultural meaning.
Green design and construction strategies
What is good for the planet is good for all of us. A building constructed to be healthy for humans will also be healthier for the entire planet. With this in mind, LUCíA is designed with sustainability as its foremost motto. Its buildings, gardens, greenscapes, and plazas incorporate the best in environmentally friendly materials -locally produced, recycled, and non-toxic. LUCíA’s buildings are designed to exceed even the highest government and code standards of energy-efficiency, using half as much energy, on average, as Oregon’s strict energy code.
The design team of LUCíA-Community incorporated the urban design principles of walkability, mixed-use, connectivity, compactness, sustainability and community to create a development that strives toward harmony with our planet. Toward this goal, the design team kept in mind the ten principles set forth in the recently developed One Planet Communities.
Sustainability Action Plan:
- zero carbon
- zero waste
- sustainable transport
- local and sustainable materials
- local and sustainable food
- sustainable water
- natural habitats and wildlife
- culture and heritage
- equity and fair trade
- health and happiness
LUCíA’s Green strategies include:
- A Restaurant that will harvest solar energy to produce much of its own electricity and fill much of its hot water needs, including 1500 gallons of solar-heated water.
- Elimination of building materials containing compounds that are toxic during their production or after installation.
- Natural ventilation and daylighting through high-efficiency glazing and operable windows
- Energy-efficient framing, resulting in a high-performance building envelope that includes more insulation and less framing lumber.
- Use of local and durable materials, including locally produced concrete pavers, recycled steel, formaldehyde-free plywood and particleboard, rapidly renewable wood products, recycled cellulose, and sustainably harvested framing lumber.
- Careful balancing of natural daylight with solar heat gain, integrated natural ventilation, and combination of beneficial shading with high-performance glazing.