Designing Better Buildings: Maximizing Your ROI with Energy-Saving Solutions
Maximizing Your ROI with Energy-Saving Solutions
In Pitkin County, buildings account for over 55% of greenhouse gas emissions. As a property owner, your building design choices significantly impact both your bottom line and our shared environment. By partnering with the right architect and the Community Office for Resource Efficiency (CORE), you’ll create a powerful team that can transform your vision into a high-performance reality.
The Building Performance Formula
The most successful projects happen when owners, architects, and sustainability experts collaborate from day one. Look for a design team that aligns with your values and prioritizes sustainability alongside aesthetics and functionality.
Firms like CCY Architects in Basalt demonstrate this balance, designing spaces that "connect people to the natural environment and build community with an evocative design reflective of contemporary life."
CORE completes this partnership by providing expertise through each stage of construction, including helping you:
- Navigate increasingly stringent building codes
- Create customized design and project plans
- Connect with experienced contractors and energy modeling specialists
- Identify and stack financial incentives and financing options from multiple sources
Start with Design Fundamentals
A sustainability-focused architect will recommend strategies that deliver the highest return on investment before discussing expensive mechanical systems. Key foundational elements include:
- Building orientation: A properly positioned building can save 10-20% on heating and cooling energy usage, with some achieving up to 40% savings with no added construction costs.
- Building envelope: Well-designed insulation and air sealing deliver significant long-term energy savings with minimal upfront investment.
- Strategic fenestration: The thoughtful placement of windows, doors, skylights, and other openings creates natural ventilation and lighting while enhancing comfort.
Beyond the Basics
Once fundamental design choices are in place, examine how technology investments can further enhance the performance and overall value of your building.
- Smart building controls optimize energy use based on occupancy and conditions.
- On-site renewable energy with battery storage offers independence and resilience from the communal energy grid.
- Emerging and traditional approaches, like heat pumps, geothermal systems, and earth-based building materials, combine innovation with proven solutions.
The Design Difference
The most successful sustainable projects start with a clear vision and the right team. CORE can help you host a kick-off meeting with your architect to align expectations early. We define measurable energy goals, explore design options through energy modeling, and provide quality control during construction.
Thoughtful architectural design creates value beyond energy savings through increased property value, improved comfort, and lower operational costs. Look for architects who balance today's needs with tomorrow's possibilities in your building project.
CORE is your building performance hub, working hand-in-hand with you and your design team to ensure your projects prioritize environmental responsibility without compromising livability and affordability.
Contact our Energy Concierge today to begin building a more sustainable future.
CCY Architects transformed its Basalt office into a “living lab” to test sustainable design practices that could later be recommended to clients. This included installing an all-electric rooftop heat pump with CORE’s support. In the first month, gas use dropped from 52 therms to nearly zero, the equivalent of removing 700 miles of an average car’s driving emissions.
This content is proudly included in the Randy Udall Memorial Educational Program, advancing energy education and climate action.
