PHILOSOPHY
The term ‘modern’ is applied to a vast array of various facets in everyday life. We have modern design, modern clothing, modern cars, modern homes, etc. The term itself has become so diluted and ubiquitous that it could conceivably be applied to almost anything. Yet for all of its misuse and over-exposure, “modern” still conveys a sense of forward progression; something that belongs to the future, but somehow is here today in the present.

For us at Concourse E, ‘modern’ is more than just a term used to describe style or aesthetic, it is a way of thinking and living. To be truly modern one must not only embrace the forward thinking designs and aesthetics of the day, but he or she must also adopt the progressive and positive cultural, societal, ethical, and environmental ideals as well. This definition of modern along with a devot focus on sustainability, is at the core of everything we create and hold true here at Concourse E.

In 1928 legendary architect Le Corbusier said that “Modern life demands, and is waiting for, a new kind of plan, both for the house and the city”. This statement may hold even truer now than then. Given the current state and deterioration of our planet, modern life and modern thinking must take into consideration the environment and how our impact, or lack thereof, either harms or contributes to the greater good of the Earth. Human inhabited structures account for the majority of greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere; emissions that have been proven to be the main culprits of climate change. The main contributors of these emissions are the thousands of fossil fuel based (coal burning) power plants needed to supply homes, buildings, schools, etc. with the energy needed for their cooling, heating, lighting, and other electrical based needs. In the United States alone, buildings consume 76% of the energy produced by coal-fired power plants plants.

While there undoubtedly needs to be a paradigm shift in how we as humans produce and use power, the immediate response to the crisis looming before us is to make what we have now work better. A house, or any building for that matter, doesn’t have to stand in opposition to nature. We as humans are the only species on Earth who constantly and consistently pollute the habitat in which we live while at the same time consuming more resources than we return. While our relative intelligence and technology has allowed us to avoid some of the consequences associated with this behavior in the past, Mother Nature is finally surpassing our scope of control and is showing us what every other species on the planet instinctually already knows; how we interact and inhabit our surroundings determines how we survive in the future. The houses and buildings being built and operated today do not have to have such a negative impact on the environment. In fact, they can often times contribute many beneficial things back to the environment, and the economy, while still maintaining all of the modern amenities, needed functionalties, and visually pleasing aesthetics people have come to expect.

DESIGN | BUILD | CONSULT
Our goal at Concourse E is to balance form, beauty, intelligence, functionality, practicality, and sustainability all into one wholly formed vision. Through our acute, and at times obsessive, attention to detail, we aim to achieve the perfect balance between art and function; consumption and conservation. Whether it is through our design, construction, solar installation, or consulting work, it is extremely important for us to make holistic design and sustainability the driving force behind all of our work. These pursuits are our passions and the reason Concourse E exists today. Contact us and see what good design coupled with an expertise and passion towards sustainability can do for your next project.