Welcome to the Furbish Company :: Sustainable Building

Current building practices are simply not sustainable. We believe buildings can be constructed and operated sustainably. It is our moral responsibility to do this. We seek not only lower impact approaches to building, but regenerative approaches to building

Buildings that contain their impacts on site rather than discharge them.
Buildings that mimic their original site conditions and biohabitat.
Buildings that create cleaner air than their surroundings.
Buildings that produce more energy than they consume.
Buildings that foster health of occupants and neighboring communities.
Buildings that respect local communities and social equity.
Buildings that enhance well-being for society and environment.

Appropriate Technology

We respect the principles espoused by the Development Center for Appropriate Technology. That is, "modern" technology should be the simplest level of technology that can do the job well. David Eisenberg, founder of DCAT, advocates for technology that doesn't make people or their communities dependent on systems over which they have no control. That is - technologies that enhance the local capacity to meet local needs - the real foundation for security and regenerative communities. This is the foundation of sustainability. We are finding in our work that natural systems often demonstrate elegant demonstrations of these technologies and our work has evolved into leveraging these systems into the built environment.

Economic Value

We believe these approaches lead to higher value buildings. The demand for real green innovation is upon us. The market place is drawn to substantive green building solutions (not greenwashing). Buildings are valued based upon cash flow, property appreciation, and risk.

Cash flow is higher when buildings rent faster, tenants roll over less and operating expenses are lower. Utilizing our sustainable building systems delivers these. Living roofs have substantial impact on stormwater and increase PR boost - they help leasing and sales pitch thus faster lease up. Biofilters provide dramatic beauty and real health benefits (lower absenteeism easily pays for the biofilter). Vegetated retaining walls create vertical greenspace and reduce hardscape. This creates curb appeal and increases market appeal.
Property appreciation is a function of the building and its surrounding community. The more viable the neighborhood, the greater the property appreciation. Fostering healthy communities creates underlying value. So, creating buildings that support the local community - reducing negative impacts on neighbors, fostering self-reliance of the local community - ultimately drives asset value.
Risk in buildings has historically been associated with fire, earthquake, hurricanes, floods with regard to building occupants. Increasingly, risk is being more broadly defined to include impact on communities from which natural resources were extracted, products were manufactured, waste is disposed, as well as safety to occupants within the building. Large, centralized systems (the grid) are increasingly being viewed as higher risk than small, decentralized, local systems. Thus, the perception of risk is shifting to smaller scale, lower impact, simpler systems - sustainable buildings.

what we think

Ecological Footprint

Appropriate Technology

Economic Value