Sustainable Design
Sustainable design isn’t an add-on at Aligned Architecture. It’s how we approach every project. Based in Eugene, Oregon, our team includes a LEED Accredited Professional and two certified Passive House Consultants who bring that expertise and mindset to every project, whether or not it pursues formal certification.
What is Sustainable Design?
Sustainable, eco-friendly design shapes a building to use less energy, use it efficiently, and rely on healthier, longer-lasting materials. It includes passive strategies like solar orientation, shading, natural ventilation, and daylighting; durable, eco-friendly materials; solar-ready and high-efficiency mechanical systems; and, for clients who want independent verification, third-party certification through programs like Passive House and Earth Advantage.
Our Approach to Sustainable Design
We build sustainability in from the start. Before selecting systems or materials, we look at how a site’s topography, sun path, and climate can do some of the work, using orientation, overhangs tuned to sun angles, natural ventilation, and daylighting to cut energy use. We choose durable materials and systems with a reduced environmental footprint, including reclaimed materials where possible, high-efficiency insulation, and solar-ready, heat-pump-based systems that lower utility costs and operational carbon over a building’s life. We explore opportunities for reusing existing buildings, to avoid the embodied carbon and material waste of new construction.
Services Included
- Passive design strategy: solar orientation, shading, natural ventilation, and daylighting
- Passive House and Earth Advantage certification guidance
- LEED-informed design guidance
- Solar-ready
- High-efficiency mechanical system design, including heat pumps
- Durable, low-maintenance, and eco-friendly material selection
- Adaptive reuse and embodied-carbon reduction strategy
- Energy modeling coordination for certified projects
- Renderings and design support for certification and incentive applications
- Interior design services
- Construction administration
Our Track Record
We bring sustainable design strategies to all of our projects. Visit our Project Portfolio to see examples.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Passive House certification?
Passive House is a rigorous, performance-based building standard focused on three measurable targets: very low heating and cooling energy demand, low total energy use across all building systems, and verified airtightness confirmed through blower door testing. Rather than following a design checklist, Passive House buildings are evaluated through detailed energy modeling, and certification is issued by one of two independent bodies, PHI or Phius. Our Bell Residence is certified to Passive House standards.
What is Earth Advantage certification, and what do the certification levels mean?
Earth Advantage is a Pacific Northwest green building certification program evaluated across five categories: energy efficiency, health, land stewardship, materials, and water management. Homes are certified at one of three tiers – Silver, Gold, or Platinum – with Platinum representing the highest level of performance and efficiency. Our Youth Housing Project on Polk Street is certified Earth Advantage Silver, and Rosa Village Cooperative is certified Earth Advantage Platinum.
Is it cheaper to build a sustainable home?
Sustainable strategies like passive design, right-sized floor plans, and efficient framing can be built for a comparable cost to conventional construction, though formal certification and higher-performance systems typically carry a modest upfront premium. That premium is generally recovered over time through lower utility and maintenance costs. Additionally, reusing an existing building rather than building new, is an inherently sustainable choice, and often the most economical option of all.
Does Aligned Architecture design LEED-certified buildings?
Our in-house LEED Accredited Professional guides LEED-informed design decisions across our project types. Reach out to discuss LEED certification specifically for your project.
Is sustainable design only available on certain project types?
No. Sustainable design principles are built into every project type we work on, from custom homes and ADUs to affordable housing, adaptive reuse, commercial, and public sector work. Formal third-party certification is an option we discuss with any client who wants independent verification.
Does Aligned Architecture only design new sustainable buildings, or also sustainable renovations?
Both. Reusing an existing building’s foundation, structure, and envelope is one of the most effective ways to reduce a project’s embodied carbon, and adaptive reuse and renovation make up a significant part of our practice.