Real sustainability requires not just one, but that multiple environmental factors are considered.   Narwhal has three core concepts that inform building design:  Energy Efficiency; Embodied Carbon, and Longevity.

Energy Efficiency:

Creating buildings with extremely low energy use not only reduces the impact of global warming, it costs less too!  And if that isn’t enough, there is the added benefit of resiliency.  Homes and other buildings that require less energy to operate are less reliant on market swings and interruptions. We are proponents of the Passive House energy modeling and certification system.  Passive House buildings provide extremely low energy consumption, provide excellent indoor air quality, maintain optimal temperature and comfort year-round, and are highly resilient. Our projects use 100% renewable, hydro generated electricity which allows us to be very near Net Zero operational carbon. (a small about of carbon emissions is produced with hydro-electric generation).

Embodied Carbon:

At Narwhal we feel a responsibility to do our part to limit global warming and to reduce our contribution of greenhouse gas emissions.  We achieve this by reducing the amount of carbon intensive construction materials and instead choose low carbon materials for our projects.  Our projects include a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA).  This tool allows us to make good construction material choices and also enables us to quantify our greenhouse gas emissions, typically measured in carbon emissions per square meter, (kgCO2e/m2).

Longevity:

Often overlooked, longevity is a fundamental component of sustainability.  Buildings that last a long time are inherently less carbon intensive than ones that need to be replaced earlier.   Construction techniques required for Passive House energy efficiency are extremely well detailed and require a high level of build quality.  This exceptional build quality, coupled with energy efficiency and timeless architectural design ensure our buildings will stand the test of time. Narwhal projects are beautiful today, tomorrow, and long into the future.  We hope you agree!