Sustainable design can only be successful when all aspects of the design process are incorporated into a project initially. Most notable sustainable design projects are of the obscure or large budget projects of "distinction". Our design philosophy is for everyone's use, not just the big government projects or high profile projects people dream about someday accomplishing. The project's products are renewable and make good use of all available resources. Use of wood from well-managed forests for building framing is an example of renewable and sustainable product selection. Not only does the project need to be designed utilizing existing renewable resources but by definition, sustainability needs to last with minimal amount of future maintenance. Sustainability is a lifestyle and a commitment, while at the same time saving money and improving your environment. We treat sustainability as a design objective, not an obstacle.

Improved Sustainability

The product is renewable and makes good use of available resources. Use of wood from well-managed forests for building framing is an example of renewable and sustainable product selection. Building green means getting more performance from your building with less environmental impact compared to traditional construction. By utilizing green building techniques and informed material choices you can create a healthy and efficient environment you can be proud of.

Green Construction

Identifying green products is an exercise in subjectivity. There are those who define green as 100% recycled and recyclable. Others define it as using less energy in manufacture, while others as improving the building user's health through reduction in toxic materials. Still others define green as employing more energy-efficient methodologies for heating, cooling, and lighting.

Green is all of the above and more. By our definition, green products are those that maintain or improve the human environment while diminishing the impact of their use on the natural environment-in other words, sustainable.

Sustainable Criteria

Sustainable design can and should be seen as a real value-added proposition. In the strictest design sense, green sustainable design should now and will be the basis for all design decisions.

SDC and our Green Criteria is aligned with the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System.

The US Green Building Council, through LEED, strongly supports SDC's aggressive approach to helping families and small businesses achieve green successful sustainability.

In addition, our green criteria reflects the collaborative needs in meeting these goals and is compatible with all leading national, state and local green building programs.

Since there are many ways to "go green", a project should comply with some very basic sustainable design criteria. At the beginning and throughout the whole design process, all available green solutions should be looked at, recognized and used when appropriate. Current technology and methods gives us the ability to design green sustainable environments intelligently.

• Complete and comprehensive sustainable design
• Site, Location and demographic considerations
• Site improvements with minimal impact on surrounding physical environment
• Water conservation
• Energy Efficiency and usage
• Material and product selection
• Healthy living environment
• Sustainable systems operations and maintenance

Green Process

The product should be manufactured with consideration for exposure of workers to chemicals and bi-products, available source of materials, energy-efficient product production methods, use of recycled materials etc. reclaiming manufacturing waste, and prudent use of energy resources should be fundamental in the product manufacturing process.

SDC strives at all times to utilize local renewable resources whenever available.

Lifestyle

In design, regardless of the product, we are creating a lifestyle. This is a way we all look at our surroundings, our impact on the planet, the way we feel when look at our environment. The lifestyle we portray to the world. We send a clear message to everyone our goals and values. The pride we take in surroundings should reflect the passion we have for great design, value in our environment and respect for our planet. Living a clean sustainable lifestyle should be a goal pursue in everything we do.