Q1. What is environmental design? What is a ‘Green’ project? A1. A ‘Green’ or sustainable project, is a structure that is designed, built, renovated, operated, or reused in an ecological and resource-efficient manner. These projects are designed with local resources and utilize the regional climate to its advantage. It meets specific objectives pertaining to health; energy, water, and efficient use of natural resources while reducing the overall impact on the environment. Q2. What is different about the way B Environmental Studio approaches design? A2. We discuss your needs and desires in great detail. Our design solutions are derived from the whole-building system philosophy which uses natural patterns and energy conservation strategies to achieve simplicity, beauty and balance. We locate buildings to take advantage of the sun and local climate. We select materials and systems that promote good Indoor Air Quality and prefer building materials that preserve the earth. Q3. How is B Environmental Studio environmentally responsible? A3. We are an architecture design studio dedicated to preservation of the environment using state of the art eco-design strategies and healthy, resource efficient building materials. Our goal is to combine client needs with eco-friendly design principles to create building designs that are sensitive to the environment. Q4. What information do I need to have before I meet with B Environmental studio? A4. Some clients know all the spaces that they want in their home or business, this list of spaces is called a Program and this is often the basis of understanding between parties. However, it is quite common for clients to require our assistance to organize all of their needs into a list. It is also helpful to bring a plat, a complete survey if you have one; covenants or other restrictions of your future neighborhood. We also want clients to show us all of their ideas. They can be magazine articles, descriptions or even your own drawings. Each piece of information provides B Environmental Studio clues about your project. Q5. Do I need to tell BES the construction cost of my project? Why? A5. Ideally, you should have a construction budget in mind and should be prepared to discuss how you arrived at the amount. We must know the budgetary restrictions of your project in order to determine if your expectations are accurate. We want to work within your budget, but we can also tell you if your expectations are surpassing your budget allowances before it is too late.