Today being Earth Day, we are all made to think a bit more about our ‘carbon footprint’. I remember, in my younger years, for Earth Day if you could simply get someone to recycle one aluminum can it was cause for celebration. Well, it is something to think about how the movement has grown. All these terms, carbon footprint, sustainable design, green technology what does this really translate into?
As a design professional, I take this responsibility of implementing green design principles seriously. However, if you ask me what I think about green design, I will tell you it is a shining new term given to the founding principles of architectural design. Prior to the days of air conditioning and indoor plumbing, architects designed in ways which inherently responded to the site. It made no sense to make a building without operable windows prohibiting natural air circulation or designing a home without ever visiting the site. Of course with the advent of the internet you can see satellite imagery of the site, act as a local resident with street view, measure lot lines and determine sun angles. But with all these things the internet can offer, nothing can substitute hearing the sound of the birds in the backyard tree, smelling the flowers from the park across the street our seeing that the neighbor likes to take showers with the curtains open.
Isla Palenque is all about understanding your surroundings. Every design we do takes into consideration the environment as we have experienced it while walking the island trails or standing on the beach during high tide gazing at the stars. Green Design…green design…let’s simply say responsible design. This approach allows us, the designers, to engage all your senses making sure you are present…if only for a moment.
View from model home
