We are Talking and Walking

We are Talking and Walking

by Sweiskloss Staff
April 11, 2024

We are proud to be a Santa Monica Certified Green Business since 2018. We worked hard for this accolade. We don’t just talk the talk, we walk the walk, and our office and our projects show it! This Earth Month we want to show off. Whether a new build or renovation, our designs incorporate thoughtful solutions in sustainability and resiliency. Our approach to renovations is to rehab the existing space as much as possible—keeping what makes sense to honor the original design and materials—while updating it for functional modernity and efficiency. Regardless of whether we’re helping our clients select tiles for a new build, updating a laundry room with a new and more efficient appliance, or opting for reusable “un-paper” towels in the office pantry, SweisKloss considers the environmental impact of all our choices.

1. We specify reclaimed materials and products that are sourced locally, made of renewable resources and of resilient material. Some of our favorites: Stone Source offers a range of materials made of recycled content, cradle to cradle manufacturers and even products made from recycled tiles; Hewn, Cali Bamboo, and other wood flooring and siding companies we specify, use sustainably sourced wood specifically planted with the intent of being harvested.
2. Our kitchen designs include places for compostable material both inside and outside of the house. Rev-a-shelf offers a variety of pullout organizers for waste, recyclables, and compost. And creating a pullout cabinet for a smart self-cleaning Lomi composter saves counter space.
3. In laundry rooms, our designs can include a detergent cubby with cut outs for spouts on bulk dispensers to make using plastic dispensers in bulk more convenient. Some washing machines now come with “smart” bulk detergent tanks in them as well.
4. Creating built-in soap dispensers in the kitchen, bathrooms and powder rooms make it more convenient than ever to go zero-waste. These dispensers can be refilled at a favorite local zero-waste store such as Re_grocery or Santa Monica’s Sun Moon Rain.
5. We install light and plumbing fixtures that exceed energy and water efficiency code requirements, and employ technology to assist our clients in managing them, such as Lutron’s scalable home automation systems.
6. Now-standard installs include electric heat pumps for home heating and air conditioning – eliminating gas, reducing emissions and lowering utility bills – electric tankless hot water heaters, and solar electric and solar thermal panels.
7. We also have projects installing HydraLoop graywater systems for treating and reusing water for non-potable needs such as flushing toilets and irrigation.

An advancement that we are looking forward to implementing when it comes to market here in Southern California, is carbon sequestering concrete – concrete that captures its own carbon dioxide rather than emitting it. And building with mass timber, what the World Economic Forum calls a “must use” for its environmental and humanitarian benefits, is next on our list!