Community Well-Being & Sustainability-Driven Designs.

Efficient & Sustainable Design Solutions

HMH’s vision is to bring sustainability to the environments we create through a responsible corporate culture. Through strong leadership, collaboration, training, and implementation we work to strengthen the communities we are part of.

Our professionals bring their experience, dedication and creativity to the solutions we provide. The workforce at HMH is qualified in sustainable design solutions and hold resource conservation, ecological management, and natural systems modeling as key guiding principles. HMH will provide a comprehensive approach that achieves the goals and objectives of our client’s and their projects. We provide sustainability through responsible design. At HMH we have your sustainable design solutions covered.

As part of our sustainable business practices we address the following categories for our design approach:

Support Local Ecosystems

Support Local Ecosystems

Native plants for food sources, or non-natives that native pollinators & birds will use 

Multiple canopy/shrub heights for birds & pollinators to shelter 

Water source for birds/pollinators 

Corridors for animal movement under/over roadways, fences, & infrastructure 

More trees, oaks in particular, benefit birds & pollinators 

Minimizing runoff into drainage pipes/stormwater systems = less erosion of streambeds and native stream flows which benefit native fish & invertebrate species 

Open spaces & planting near existing wildlife corridors/areas 

Pollinator pathways 

 

Project Example: Shoreline Athletic Fields

 

 

Conserve Energy

Conserve Energy

Green Roofs/Walls insulate buildings, facilitating a stable interior climate as well as reducing building energy consumption

Low impact materials, that are reflective or colored to reflect sunlight reduce air temperatures and energy costs by minimizing the use of air conditioning systems in buildings

LED Lighting uses less grid energy 

Shading of facades requires less AC in hot months 

Solar-powered lights/motors require less wiring materials & use less grid energy 

 

Recycle + Reuse Materials

Recycle and Reuse

New and non-recycled materials are often not designed for recycling and can consume large amounts of resources in their production, and through distribution, contribute to carbon emissions with distant out-sourced materials

Local materials support local economies

Reused, recycled, or local materials reduce waste and the generation of waste landscapes such as landfills, mass incinerator systems, and ocean pollution 

 

Use Resilient/Low-Impact Materials

low impact materials

Innovative low-impact materials that are permeable and reflective, increase environmental health 

Permeable materials allow water infiltration and resupply aquifers with groundwater, instead of overloading storm systems like sewers during heavy rain

Materials that are reflective, or white, reduce air temperatures that would otherwise contribute to the urban heat island effect  

Sustainable wood and concrete options have become increasingly popular in the market and minimize the consumption of new material 

 

Build Healthy Lifestyles 

Build Healthy Lifestyles

Creating maintenance plans & agreements with clients so they are connected to their property, improving accountability, interest & engagement with the natural world. Also increases likelihood that a space will be taken care of and thrive long-term 

Clinically proven to cognitively improve mental health and overall well-being

 

Encourage Active Transportation

Encourage Active Transportation

The transportation sector is responsible for as much as 30 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions

Sustainable transit practices, like green corridors, can facilitate multi-modal systems where residents can use means of walking or biking to meet their basic daily needs  

Traditional transportation networks can be easily interrupted by extreme weather events, whereas green corridors with multi-modal transportation systems are far more resilient to changing climate and habitat conditions

Promotes a safer transportation alternative than traditional highway and street systems

Keeping residents and development local helps deter from urban sprawl that harms sensitive native wildlife communities

Transportation systems, and their carbon emissions can harm native plant communities that allow for invasive to gain a better foothold in those communities

Examples: Bikes, E-bikes, scooters, skateboards, EVs, public transit, walking, bike racks, TODs, less parking spaces

 

Project Example: Gateway At Millbrae

 

 

Reduce Heat Island Effect 

Reduce Heat Island Effect

Green Roofs/Walls cool air temperatures through evapotranspiration

Low impact materials, that are reflective or colored to reflect sunlight reduce air temperatures and energy costs by minimizing the use of air conditioning systems in buildings

More trees 

Bigger planting areas 

Minimizing duplicated pathways 

Preserve existing trees 

 

Conserve Water 

Conserve Water Icon

Green Roofs/Walls absorb and utilize storm runoff  

Permeable paving materials allow for storm water infiltration to natural ground aquifers and the supply of groundwater, becoming less reliant on sewers and other stormwater infrastructure for management  

VL/L water plants, or natives with extensive/deep roots reduces irrigation needs 

Drip/bubbler irrigation vs spray 

 

Enhance Water Quality

Enhance Water Quality

Biotreatment areas, presence alone is designed to improve water quality through engineered soil & plant material 

Sloping pavement into planting areas to recharge groundwater sources & filter through soil/rock 

Minimizing materials that release toxic chemicals (asphalt, shingles, etc.) 

Larger planting areas 

 

Project Example: Harker School

Harker

 

 

San Francisco Estuary Institute's Integrating Planning with Nature report

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