Sustainability Practices | Lumarethion Quinth Architecture

Our Impact By The Numbers

Real data from our projects over the past three years. We track this stuff obsessively because you can't improve what you don't measure, right?

64%

Average Energy Reduction vs. Baseline Code

2.8M

Gallons of Water Saved Annually

1,240

Tons CO2 Offset This Year

89%

Construction Waste Diverted from Landfills

Certifications We Actually Care About

There's a lot of greenwashing in our industry, and it drives us nuts. We've put in the work to get certified by programs that actually mean something and hold us accountable.

LEED Accredited Professionals

Our lead designers have been through the LEED AP training, and we've delivered 18 LEED-certified projects to date—mostly Gold and Platinum level.

Passive House Institute

We're certified Passive House designers. If you haven't experienced a Passive House building, you're missing out—the indoor air quality and comfort level is something else entirely.

Living Building Challenge

This one's tough—it's basically the Olympics of green building. We've got two projects currently pursuing certification, and it's pushing us in ways we didn't expect.

WELL Building Standard

Because sustainability isn't just about the environment—it's about people too. WELL focuses on human health and wellbeing, and we think that's pretty important.

How We Actually Do This Stuff

Our process isn't some secret sauce—it's just good design thinking applied consistently from day one.

01

Site Analysis & Climate Response

Before we sketch a single line, we spend time understanding the site. Where's the sun? What about prevailing winds? Water flow patterns? Each project site basically tells us what it needs if we're willing to listen. We use computational modeling to test different orientations and massing options—sometimes the best solution isn't the most obvious one.

02

Material Selection & Life Cycle Analysis

Here's where things get interesting. We run full life cycle assessments on major materials—not just embodied carbon, but extraction impacts, transportation, installation, maintenance, and eventual recycling or disposal. Sometimes the "greenest" choice on paper isn't actually the best option when you factor in longevity and local availability. We've learned to think in decades, not just construction phase.

03

Energy Modeling & System Integration

We model energy performance throughout design development, not just at the end. This lets us make adjustments before commitments get too expensive to change. Solar orientation, thermal mass, window ratios, shading strategies—all of this gets tested and refined. Then we layer in mechanical systems, prioritizing passive strategies first and active systems second.

04

Construction Phase Oversight

This is where a lot of green design falls apart, honestly. We stay involved during construction because details matter. Thermal bridging, air sealing, proper installation of systems—it all needs eyes on it. We've caught issues that would've completely undermined a building's performance if they'd made it past rough-in.

05

Post-Occupancy Monitoring

We check back in after occupancy to see how buildings are actually performing. Theory meets reality, and sometimes reality wins. This feedback loop makes us better designers—we've learned more from monitoring real buildings than from any textbook or conference presentation.

Materials We're Excited About Right Now

The materials landscape is changing fast, and we're constantly testing new options. Here's what's working for us lately:

Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT)

Mass timber is having its moment, and for good reason. We've used CLT on four projects now, and the carbon sequestration numbers are legit. Plus, the construction speed is pretty wild compared to traditional methods.

Recycled Steel & Aluminum

We're specifying minimum 80% recycled content on structural steel now. The embodied energy difference vs. virgin steel is substantial, and the structural properties are identical.

Low-Carbon Concrete Alternatives

We're experimenting with supplementary cementitious materials—fly ash, slag cement, even hempcrete for non-structural applications. Concrete's a tough nut to crack sustainability-wise, but there's progress happening.

Salvaged & Reclaimed Materials

When it makes sense, we source from deconstruction projects. Old-growth timber that would otherwise hit a landfill? Yes please. The character it adds is just a bonus.

Bio-Based Insulation

Cellulose, wood fiber, cork—natural insulation materials have come a long way. Performance is comparable to synthetic options, but the environmental profile is way better.

The Honest Truth About Sustainable Design

It's not always easy, and it's not always cheaper upfront. Sometimes clients push back on first costs, and yeah, some sustainable strategies do require bigger initial investments. But here's what we've learned after years of doing this: the lifetime value proposition is undeniable.

Energy savings alone typically pay back green premiums within 5-8 years. Then there's increased property values, better occupant health and productivity, reduced maintenance costs, and oh right—a building that's not actively making climate change worse.

We're not perfect, and we're still learning. But every project gets better than the last, and that's the whole point. If you're considering a project and want to talk through what's actually possible vs. what's marketing fluff, give us a call. We'll shoot straight with you.

Want to Dive Deeper?

We regularly publish case studies and performance data from our projects. If you're interested in the nitty-gritty details of how sustainable design actually works in practice, we'd be happy to share more.

Let's Talk Sustainability