Sustainability Report
Embodied carbon
The studio calculated embodied and operational carbon using LCA software and emission factor databases, including all major building elements; minor finishes or furniture may be excluded.
Operational Emissions / Energy
The building's exterior is adorned with meticulously secured stone cladding, complemented by the warmth of wooden interiors. The U-shaped layout of the building has been designed with a keen awareness of harnessing natural light, facilitating gentle breezes, and embracing the surrounding green environment. All facades are deliberately oriented toward the east, ensuring an abundance of natural luminance within the rooms, while restrained westward openings effectively mitigate excessive solar exposure. The subterranean sections of the building have been ingeniously integrated, yielding optimal spatial utilization.
Service and maintenance emissions
Several design choices in the Black Ember Residence were made to reduce service and maintenance emissions over its lifetime. The orientation of the U-shaped layout maximizes natural light from the east while minimizing heat gain from the west, reducing reliance on artificial lighting and cooling. Interior patios and carefully placed openings enhance cross-ventilation, lowering energy demand for mechanical systems. The stone cladding and wood finishes were selected not only for their aesthetic qualities but also for durability and low maintenance, ensuring longer lifespans with fewer replacements. In addition, high-performance glazing, insulation, and thermal roof treatments significantly improve energy efficiency, reducing heating and cooling emissions year-round.
Afterlife
While the Black Ember Residence was conceived as a highly customized private home, its spatial organization and structural choices allow for adaptability in the future. The U-shaped layout, with its central patio and clear separation of service and living zones, provides a flexible framework that could accommodate alternative programs. Large, frameless openings and open-plan living areas can easily be reconfigured into different functional layouts, while the generous circulation spaces and external stairways already enable independent access to various floors.
Yes, several elements of the Black Ember Residence were designed and detailed in a way that allows for future disassembly and reuse. The stone cladding, for instance, is mechanically fixed rather than bonded, which means it can be removed and re-employed in new constructions. Similarly, the extensive glass panels and steel frames are modular components that can be detached and re-integrated into other building projects. Interior finishes, including wood cladding and furniture elements, are also designed as independent layers, which makes them easier to separate from the main structure.
This approach not only ensures the building’s longevity and adaptability, but also supports a more sustainable afterlife where its material resources can re-enter the circular economy instead of becoming construction waste.
Key products in low carbon design
