Photo by Landmark Photography
In the face of recent years’ global climate concerns, the conversation around sustainability has taken prominence. The design and architecture industries are no exception, as many homeowners have opted to introduce solar panels, low-flow faucets, triple-pane windows, and other eco-friendly solutions to their living spaces. Not only are these initiatives here to stay, but there are also new products, technologies, and design features pushing the envelope.
Known and respected for its savvy in this particular field, Sustainable 9 Design + Build is a Minneapolis-based firm building high-performance homes without compromising design. Paul Trieu, Sustainable 9’s director of architectural design and engineering, explains how buildings can have negative impacts on the environment (similar to those of industrial agriculture) if not designed with sustainability in mind. “It is starting to come into the collective consciousness that it’s not enough to drive a Prius and recycle,” Trieu says. “It’s really not up to just individual choices. With a house, it lasts 100-plus years if we’re lucky… so, everybody here feels a sense of urgency to make as many homes as high-performing as we can.”
Right now, the movement to “go green” includes high-performance home features like balanced ventilation, airtight construction, and more, Trieu explains. Products like smart indoor air quality sensors, electrical panels with built-in monitoring, and smart lighting and shades also are starting to take precedence. “These are things we’ve all done before but are not yet expected standards,” Trieu says. “I think there are definitely some capabilities there that could theoretically create less consumption.”
AI-generated image courtesy of Adobe Stock/Rudsaphon
From a builder’s standpoint, insulation is top of mind. He adds, “It’s recommended by the International Code Council that we should have what’s called exterior continuous insulation (ECI),” which reduces the amount of energy and heat lost by a building. While ECI is already required in much of Canada and is common in commercial buildings throughout the United States, residential is up to bat. Sustainable 9 is already working on it, Trieu says, and the firm has emerged as one of the region’s leaders in pioneering ECI techniques for residential homes.
Sustainable 9 has also seen a recent uptick in clients who want to build all-electric houses, despite them being a relatively new phenomenon. “We probably only had about one or two in the last five years, and then we had five in the last year or two,” Trieu says. Removing all fossil fuel-based appliances, with the addition of on-site solar power, helps in achieving a
truly net-zero home.
Whether building a brand-new home or shopping around for products with eco-friendly features, invest in things you will continue to use in the future. “Creating something people really love and enjoy is also highly sustainable,” Trieu says. “If you don’t like something, it ends up in the landfill or you don’t use it. It has to work, but it also has to be enjoyable.”
