Since our architecture practice has been focused on green design since its inception, we feel our business should operate in a sustainable manner too. Our company’s current environmental efforts include:
Conservation – Our open-plan office is an adaptive re-use of a 1970s dentist’s office near Balboa Park. Throughout most of the year, our architecture studio is lit with natural daylight; a solar tube provides light to the one desk without a window nearby. We have a mechanical heating and air-conditioning system, but rarely use it in order to save energy. Instead we take advantage of our mild Southern California climate, and simply wear more layers in the winter and use fans in the summer. Conference room walls are finished with lime plaster, which sequesters carbon during its curing. Our work surfaces are made of wheat board, a resource that can grows considerably faster than trees, and bookshelves were fabricated in-house of bamboo flooring. Our bathroom includes flooring made of reused eco-linoleum tile samples and a dual flush toilet.
Purchasing – We strongly consider lifecycle environmental impacts of our purchasing decisions. When obtaining quotes for goods and services we inform vendors that environmentally-friendly options are preferred, and that greenness is as important as price. For example, a few years ago we switched out plan printing to a startup vendor who offered recycled paper, eco-inks, and a fleet of hybrids used for delivery.
Recycling & Reuse– We strive to reuse or seek out recycled and environmentally-friendly options for all of our supplies. Our blueprints are printed on recycled paper with soy-based ink. Much of our work is shared electronically, and we use recycled paper when prints are required. We reuse paper whenever possible—drafts and internal paperwork is printed on the back of unusable prints. Plastic 3-ring binders are reused at the end of the project. When items need to be discarded, we donate used goods and recycle 100% of paper, glass, cans, and plastics. Our materials library is stored electronically when possible, and physical binders and samples are limited to green materials and those we use frequently reducing printing, shipping, and recycling of outdated catalogs.
Outreach – Our principal, Drew Hubbell leads hands-on workshops and gives public lectures on sustainable design. Our website offers articles about green building, as well as links to other sources for environmentally-friendly purchasing sources and practices, such as rainwater harvesting.
Transportation – Our office is centrally located in the Banker’s Hill neighborhood of San Diego, reducing gas used commuting, visits to the building departments, and client and consultant meetings. Public transportation is very accessible in our neighborhood and the neighborhood is bike-friendly as well. 25% of our staff telecommutes or bikes to work.
The firm’s Environmental Policy can be viewed here:
Hubbell & Hubbell Architects Environmental Policy.