Design + Approach

At RATIO, a ‘successful’ project is delivered on time, on budget, and meets our design excellence and project performance goals. Sustainability must be given equal weight as we evaluate our projects. This will require a cultural shift, moving beyond a basic level of performance-based design. Every RATIO project, whether pursuing certification or not, will be designed to meet basic sustainable design best practices.

Integrated Design Process

At the start of each project, the project team will engage the client and full consultant team in a Sustainability Kick-Off. The agenda is flexible and dependent on the scope of the project. In this KickOff, we aim to define measurable project goals focused on efficiency, performance and wellness and to develop strategies to achieve those goals. RATIO’s Performance+Wellness Guide guides this discussion, and this process is documented and tracked. Larger, more complex projects will typically hold a follow-up session at the start of each design phase to review project goals and strategies and make adjustments as needed. These incremental check-ins encourage an iterative and integrated design process, allowing the project team to track and refine projected performance and goals throughout the project timeline. We aim to compare goals to outcomes at the end of every project, and document and share those findings in a consistent format.

Establish Energy Baseline and Targets

All projects establish energy usage targets based on benchmarked data from sources such as CBECS, ASHRAE, Labs21 or other historical data. We use the Zero Tool to establish our baseline energy use intensity (EUI) for most projects. Based on this data, we are able to understand performance targets and have an educated discussion with the entire project team. While targets evolve with the design, identifying clear goals early in the design process establishes a consensus and ensures a clear path forward. As our process evolves, we aim to streamline informationgathering and develop a level of literacy throughout the organization.

Sustainable Design Specification

For projects that do not pursue LEED or other rating systems, we have created a baseline specification that outlines fundamental sustainable design requirements. This specification section references construction waste management and disposal practices and commissioning and outlines a course of action for construction indoor air quality management, material selection and material emissions and pollutant control.

Material Health Transparency

RATIO is in the process of implementing a review protocol for the materials specified on our projects. Our material and product library will give preference to transparent suppliers and manufacturers who demonstrate sustainable material management. We aim to use basic design principals that support toxicity reduction via simplicity in finish selection and avoidance of materials known to be harmful to human health. We aim to evaluate product lifecycle assessments and ingredient and material sourcing disclosures to best identify healthy materials.