U. S. Green Building Council states in its LEED^® Reference Guide: “The environmental impact of the building design, construction and operation industry is significant. Buildings annually consume more that 30% of the total energy and more than 60% of the electricity used in the U. S. Each day five billion gallons of potable water is used solely to flush toilets. A typical North American commercial construction project generates up to 2.5 pounds of solid waste per square foot of completed floor space. Development shifts land usage away from natural, biologically-diverse habitats to hardscape that is impervious and devoid of biodiversity. The far reaching influence of the built environment necessitates action to reduce its impact.”

Sustainability or green building is thankfully getting more popular today. Torchio Architects have been creating “green” buildings since our beginnings in the early 1980’s. We feel that sustainability should be common practice, no less important than a sound structure or a leak-free roof. Greg Torchio is a LEED Accredited Professional. His commitment to green building is manifested in the Torchio Building which houses the firm’s office. This project recieved LEED Silver certification under USGBC’s LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) program. This building is proof that Torchio Architects not only “talks the talk” but also “walks the walk” when it comes to green building.

We encourage all of our clients to build green. For those that chose to certify their efforts with the LEED Green Building Rating System, we are qualified and experienced to guide them through the process. The LEED Green Building Rating System is a voluntary, consensus-based national rating system for buildings designed, constructed and operated for improved environmental and human health performance. LEED addresses all building types and emphasizes state-of-the-art strategies in five areas: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials and resources selection, and indoor environmental quality.”

Green building requires an integrated approach during the design and construction process. Torchio Architects uses a collaborative team approach where the owner, architect, civil, structural, mechanical, and electrical engineers, landscape architects, interior designers, commissioning agents and contractors are brought into the design process as early as possible. This team approach assures a thorough analysis of potential green strategies and increases the likelihood that the green goals and objectives will be met.