While there are a number of companies looking to slow and, hopefully someday reverse, the impacts of climate change, Chicago architecture firm Farr Associates is a pioneer in incorporating sustainable design into its practice. We spoke to Douglas Farr, founding principal and president of Farr Associates, to learn about some of the firm’s projects and what it takes to build a sustainable future for the planet.
Established almost 30 years ago, Farr began by creating “environmental buildings” and, when the certification was launched in the late 90s, buildings with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. Many of the requirements built into LEED, ranging from water conservation and planting native landscape to the use of low volatile organic compound (VOC) paints, have become second nature at Farr Associates.
Using the Passive House Institute US (PHIUS) standard, Farr now initiates most products with the goal of achieving net zero energy use. PHIUS takes an aggressive approach to energy efficiency, determining a maximum energy use per person and relying on insulation and high-performance windows to ensure that no air leaves or enters a building.
“When an architect or their builder has designed an envelope that way, the task of heating and cooling it becomes less onerous altogether. It uses so little energy to maintain interior comfort,” Farr said.
While Farr Associates doesn’t achieve net-zero energy even a third of the…