As a special addition to our member promotion services, the Chamber is now offering a free Featured Member Profile, which will be printed in the Chamber View and posted on the website for a month, then moved into a prominently-placed online archive for the remainder of the year.  To win this free publicity, just drop your business card into the Featured Member Fishbowl at each monthly Networking Mixer and be present for the drawing.  For more information, call the Chamber, 410-719-9609.

Featured Member

April 2010

Rob Brennan and Carri A. Harlan, an associate architect and LEED accredited professional at Brennan+Company

Brennan+Company Architects:
Offering Sustainable Design with Energy and Cost Savings, Holistically

Popular wisdom says that you call in an architect when you’re planning to construct a new building, an addition, or a renovation. And for most people, these services rarely rank as a cost-saving factor.

Rob Brennan and his team at Brennan + Company Architects (www.brennanarch.com) are out to change all that.

“We’re here to help you save money on your property, “says Rob, “and when you do spend, to spend wisely and cost-effectively, making an investment toward long-term savings.”

Brennan+Company has helped clients cut energy costs and improve indoor living conditions with sustainable design since 2000. Arriving in Catonsville in 1996, the firm moved to its current location in the historic bank building at 640 Frederick Road in 2001. They opened their retail showroom, alter-ego, (www.alter-e.com) in 2003, to offer beautiful and earth-friendly materials. More recently, they introduced on-site consultations to help prospective property buyers avoid the long-term expense of ill-advised investments.

In March, 2010, they launched their cutting-edge Passive House program to help homes, businesses and institutions achieve a 60-90% reduction in energy use.  While Passive House techniques have been popular in Europe for nearly 20 years, only 237 U.S. homes now employ them; Brennan + Company are one of only a few firms offering this initiative in the Mid-Atlantic region.

With their core design focus supplemented with services ranging from property evaluations with general recommendations, all the way to full-scale analysis and project management, the team shares a “holistically sustainable” perspective.  

Intern Michael Hindle, newly certified in Passive House techniques, explains:  The goal is a building that benefits both the occupants and the environment:  for example, achieving energy savings through the use of healthy, sustainable materials.

”We evaluate a home in the context of its environment – the site, the home’s energy and water consumption and impact on the local watershed, its indoor air quality, and the materials and resources used in its construction,” he says. “Our goal is to improve the comfort and well-being of the occupants.”

Hearing “Passive House” you might expect solar technology to be primary…but actually no, says Michael. The design and analysis involve:

1.     Eliminating energy and air leaks through super-insulation and high-efficiency windows

2.     Installing a small, mechanical heat/cooling exchange for steady, comfortable ventilation

3.     Designing spaces and structures to recognize the building’s orientation

In addition to maximized energy savings, the Passive House system also eliminates condensation and the potential for mold and mildew, thus considerably improving the property’s indoor air.

“Overall, the premise of the Passive House is cost effectiveness,” says Rob. “If you finance the improvements, you could save more money on energy than the cost of the financing. In fact, if you combine renovations with Passive House improvements, your energy savings could cover the payments on your home equity line.”

Passive House technology shifts the entire renewable-vs.-fossil fuel debate onto new ground, Michael adds. “We need geothermal, solar, wind and biomass energy, but it’s meaningless if we don’t remove the demand. Efficiency comes first.” With this in mind, Brennan + Company team members are advocating new options to both Baltimore County and Maryland State government.

 Past Featured Members