Small footprint
For obvious reasons a small footprint is a necessary aspect of building green houses (in fact, ‘LEED for Homes’ applies a base credit solely considering a house’s square footage). For such reasons, our designs make the most of open spaces and the direct communication between interiors and exteriors.
Water conservation is energy conservation
Casa-i has an integrated water harvesting system that collects rainwater for consumption. Likewise, it has a grey-water system that recycles lightly used water for non-potable uses (toilets and irrigation). The house is also equipped with dual flush toilets, low flow showerheads and on-demand water heaters.
As an additional service, we offer design services for grey-water site irrigation and/or ‘xeriscaping’ (landscapes that requires minimal water maintenance).
Design for the Tropics
Designing green needs to go hand in hand with the understanding of the environment. We think that the first step to assure an energy efficient house is through its layout, filling every space with natural light and cross-ventilation. By doing this, the relationship between interiors and exteriors is direct and uninterrupted.
Likewise, our houses are hurricane and termite proof. As an add-on (or as part of the ‘Premium package’, we offer a custom plasma-cut ironwork that offers security, allows ventilation, and acts as a movable sun-breaker (‘brise-soleil’) whiles it doubles as a hurricane shutter.
