THE PROBLEM

Man and Nature

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Building, heating and cooling spaces consumes an enormous amount of energy. Much of that energy is produced by fossil fuels, which causes buildings to generate 38% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

 

To put it in perspective: Global transportation generates 16%. Less than half as much as the building sector.

 

In real estate we have the potential to positively impact the climate more than any other industry. How you build defines how much CO2 your building generates in its manufacture, during its use and at the end of its useful life. 

 

When you build or renovate a house, residential building, office building, hotel or industrial building, you can positively or negatively affect the climate and the ecosystem. The choice is yours. 

 

 

THE SOLUTION

Concentric Project

 

Your project doesn't just impact your life or your bottom line. It impacts the community in which it is built, the natural environment it nurtures, and the climate of the planet. Today you can develop a strategy to positively impact the natural environment and climate, while raising the standards of comfort and functionality in your building. In this way your project concentrically serves users, investors, the community, the natural environment and the planet. 

 

 

THE STRATEGY

Matter. Energy. Data Management

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How can you reduce your building costs, gain in comfort and functionality and take care of the planet at the same time?

 

Your strategy to achieve this is made up of three parts: 

 

1. Matter: Choosing sustainable building materials.

2. Energy: Optimization and control of energy production and consumption.

3. Data Management: Use of Building Information Modeling (BIM) technology.

 

 

1. Matter: Timber. 

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For every kilogram of wood that a tree creates as it grows, it removes more than one and a half kilograms of CO2 from the atmosphere. So wood, and therefore forests, are CO2 stores.

 

By building with wood, we turn our buildings into gigantic stores of CO2 that we remove from the atmosphere. For every tree we cut down, we plant another, creating a sustainable cycle.

 

Electricity is changing transportation. Wood is already changing construction. By building your home, your offices or your industry with wood, you contribute to combating climate change and use resources in a sustainable way. You also get more comfort, because wood naturally regulates air humidity and is healthy.

 

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2. Energy: Production and Consumption.

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Buildings are not only matter. They are also energy flows. Natural light, artificial light, heat, cold, electricity... Energy has a decisive influence on the way we experience a building. 

 

Saving energy is not only an environmentally responsible gesture, but also has a direct influence on our costs. Good design can reduce energy requirements in a home by 70% to 90%. In a hotel these costs average $2200 per year per room in the USA. The potential savings in this case, as in industrial buildings, are very high. What is good for the environment is good for your pocket.

 

The orientation of the building, the choice of construction elements and the correct calculation of the installations are fundamental during the planning phase to achieve maximum energy efficiency.

 

The production of electricity and hot water is not limited today to solar panels on the roof. Heat pumps, solar panels on the facade and modern wood-burning fireplaces are some of the ecological options available. These solutions can be seamlessly integrated into the architectural design. 

 

After the building is commissioned, a digital energy control system must be implemented. Through the cell phone we can automatically program the lowering and raising of blinds to gain sunlight in winter or protect the interior from heat in summer. Preheat the house after a long absence, or ventilate with outside air to modulate the indoor temperature without energy expenditure, are other options.

 

 

3. Data Management: Building Information Modeling (BIM) 

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Having your building in a virtual 3D BIM environment allows you to make decisions and changes while minimizing financial, legal and time risks. At xacob architecture, for example, we build a virtual twin of your building in the computer before starting your construction. This way you enjoy the following advantages:

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• You can see images of interiors, exteriors, materials, design and integration with the environment of your building. You can study different design options at the click of a button.

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• Each element of your virtual building is assigned a cost, so you gain control and accuracy over your budget.

 

• Each element is assigned physical characteristics such as weight and thermal resistance. So you can calculate, for example, the required load capacity of the crane on site or energy loss through walls and windows.

 

• Once in operation, building fixtures and furnishings can receive a BIM label for inventory, maintenance and replacement checks. To find out who installed a particular defective part of a facility, for example, there is no need to search through hundreds of files. Simply open the BIM model and click on the virtual part. This type of control is essential in a hotel or industry. 

 

• With BIM, different technicians can coordinate their work before starting a project and anticipate conflicts between different disciplines. On the 3D architectural model, the engineer's structure, sanitary, electrical, heating and air conditioning installations are inserted to check for collisions. 

 

YOUR IMPACT

Sustainable Design and Technology

 

We are looking for clients who share with us the vision of a new way of building: sustainable architecture that reduces your carbon footprint to zero and positively impacts users, investors, the community and the ecosystem.