Architects Design Group has, since the inception of our design practice, understood the fact that responsible architecture requires respect for the relatively fragile nature of our environment. Architecturally, this has led us to commit to the intelligent utilization of materials and building systems that reduce the impact and demands on our ecology. Our projects, whenever possible, utilize materials that have been recycled or are capable of being recycled. Building components and systems are selected to reduce our need for energy and reduce the “carbon footprint”. Facilities incorporate both passive and active energy systems with a particular emphasis on the use of daylight harvesting, recognizing the positive impact upon the psychological well-being of humans as well as the ability to reduce energy consumption.

The Florida Solar Energy Center, as an example, has been reported to be one of “the most energy-efficient buildings in the world”. It’s design and functional characteristics were “co-authored” with the Center’s engineers and scientists and became an opportunity to demonstrate applications of design strategies that create viable and inspiring energy efficient environments.

The Florida Municipal Power Agency (FMPA) , a consortium of energy utility entities, incorporates and refines many of the strategies developed for the Solar Energy Center. The premise for FMPA is that the corporate environment must be a model for sustainable construction practices while assisting worker productivity ad communicating, as a metaphor, the ecological stewardship of an Agency that oversees the power - grid in the State of Florida.

The Orange County Landfill Facility is yet another example. It is located in an environmentally sensitive area that required wetland conservation within jurisdictional limits of a highly sensitive ecosystem. The facility is designed to provide the most minimal impact on the environment. Several aspects of ADG’s sustainable design in philosophy are evident: the desire to seek design excellence for a project - type, typically considered mundane; definition of project opportunities and constraints that clarify the design challenges; the use of color to support positive attributes of human response; and the utilization of material and systems, all of which are in keeping with the fundamental premise of sustainability.