The Inverness Condominium Development
Incorporates Green Design
Sustainable architecture is environmentally friendly design, which is something the architects at Joseph & Joseph strive to incorporate into their projects. At The Inverness they have taken several steps to protect the environment and make the homes energy efficient:
- A geothermal system has been installed to heat and cool both buildings. This geothermal system utilizes the earth for both a heat source and heat sink and doesn’t use the downtown aquifer. In addition to the environmental benefits – the elimination of fossil fuels, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide – the system is more cost effective, requires less maintenance and looks better than an exterior cooling tower.
- The drilling required for this geothermal system could have put several of the property’s many mature trees in jeopardy. So, Joseph & Joseph hired an arborist to provide advice on how to protect the trees.
- Creating a basement-parking garage was also a “green” design decision. Surface parking lots create a heat island effect because they require a lot of concrete and non-porous surfaces. By turning the basement into a garage, they were able to provide on-site parking for homeowners while preserving green space and freeing on-street parking in the neighborhood.
- The project has more landscaping than before the renovations.
- A rooftop patio on the new building is another measure that will help reduce the heat island effect caused by large areas of concrete surfaces and typical roofing materials. The patio will include plants and small trees.
