AKRF’s Sustainability Services
Overview (pdf)
Climate Change (pdf)
Sustainable Planning and Development (pdf)
Sustainable Site Design (pdf)
Sustainable Water Resources (pdf)
Since its founding in 1981, AKRF has become one of the largest and most respected firms dedicated to environmental analysis and engineering in the Northeast. We are members of the U.S. Green Building Council, and our team includes LEED accredited professionals, professional engineers, scientists and planners who have developed sustainable design and policy throughout their years of environmental work. Building on our successful track record with both public and private clients, AKRF’s interdisciplinary staff offers a wide range of sustainability analysis and design services that focus on four major areas: Climate Change, Sustainable Site Design, Sustainable Water Resources, and Sustainable Planning and Development.
Climate Change
AKRF helps both private and government clients to analyze their greenhouse gas contributions (“carbon footprint”) and their adaptation needs. From developing state-wide policy to making your project cleaner, more efficient and ready for future climate conditions, AKRF will help you find the answers. When it comes to navigating a quickly evolving regulatory environment, we will make sure you are up-to-date.
Our experts have been consulted by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) to help define how climate change will be analyzed under the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA). We are also helping New York City define its approach for several projects under City Environmental Quality Review (CEQR). In addition, AKRF, as on-call consultant for the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) from 1999-2009 regarding climate-change-related issues, wrote the guidance for NYSDOT’s energy and greenhouse gas analyses. We are currently performing technical analysis and policy support for the New York State Climate Action Plan, as consultants to the New York State Climate Action Council under Governor Paterson, and similar work for the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority.
Analysis of climate change and its impacts requires coordinated interdisciplinary work. Our in-house air quality, engineering, natural resources, economics, and traffic specialists provide the knowledge and expertise needed for all aspects of climate change analyses—from carbon footprint calculations to cost-benefit evaluations, infrastructure adaptation, regulatory compliance, and more.
Sustainable Site Design
With in-depth knowledge and experience in environmental planning and engineering, AKRF can help you develop and identify the benefits of an integrated approach to sustainable site design. As a leader in the environmental consulting industry and a member of the United States Green Building Council (USGBC), AKRF understands the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification process and offers a coordinated and integrated technical approach, which is essential for any successful project.
AKRF has a multi-disciplinary staff that specializes in civil and environmental consulting and engineering. Our engineers have a thorough understanding of site/civil engineering and state-of-the-art environmental design technologies and regulatory requirements. They can help outline project goals with a design team to identify potential material, water, and energy-saving project elements, and can evaluate design alternatives based on life-cycle cost estimates.
Our team provides design development and construction-level design plans that are coordinated with the other building systems to achieve an optimized project performance. With a staff of LEED APs, we can also coordinate and prepare the documentation necessary for LEED certification.
Sustainable Water Resources
AKRF takes a holistic approach to water resources and always strives to address stormwater, wastewater, potable water, and other water planning challenges in an integrated fashion. We help clients implement conservation strategies that reduce total water consumption and save money through the efficient and environmentally conscious engineering of their water systems.
The firm also places water resources within the context of the larger sustainability picture, evaluating the implications of water resources decisions on energy consumption and other areas relevant to sustainability. AKRF’s interdisciplinary water resources group—which includes aquatic ecologists, engineers, planners, and economists—provides comprehensive services that help communities and organizations manage their water resources in an environmentally responsible manner.
Sustainable Planning and Development
For more than 25 years, AKRF has been on the forefront of identifying environmental impacts and understanding the environmental consequences of a wide range of projects and policies. We have worked with private developers, public agencies, and municipalities to develop sustainable strategies that are cost-effective, achievable and focus on the needs of the community.
With 200 employees specializing in environmental consulting, we can quickly draw from a deep pool of in-house experts including planners, economists, engineers, geologists, and other environmental specialists. We collaborate across disciplines to develop holistic and innovative solutions that are critical for sustainable planning and development. AKRF’s goal is to assist clients in building and planning responsibly today for the benefit of tomorrow.
