We make buildings, then they shape how we live our lives — we take the time to understand the values, desires, business model and aspirations that underpin each project so we can create environments that help these to blossom to their fullest potential.
Closed Loop — all products have a lifecycle, starting with the raw material and ending (or hopefully having a new life) when the building gets demolished. We use natural products that are grown and can compost where possible. We love the way antique and vintage mid-century furniture looks in contemporary, clean and well proportioned spaces.
Zero Waste — intelligently designed structures use less resources and are faster to build, saving time and money. If there are offcuts or leftovers, they should be able to be composted, used for something else or recycled.
Short Supply Chains — in general, short supply chains mean lower environmental impact, but they also mean supporting local businesses and economies. Short supply chains can de-risk a project by removing chances for things to go wrong, whether that’s in the production line, due to global geopolitics or hold-ups at the wharf. Ideally, everything comes from within 10km of where it is used.
Toxin-free— between sleep, leisure, work and school, we spend around 2/3rds of our time in indoor environments. Why not build them in ways that makes us healthier rather than slowly poisons us? We build spaces that actually filter pollutants and toxins from the air.
Productive, Living Buildings— energy generation, battery storage, rainwater capture and storage and productive green roofs not only benefit the environment, reduce your utility bills and increase your family or organisation’s resilience, but they can produce surplus resources that can contribute to a virtuous cycle of uplift.
Procurement — much ink is spilled on this topic, but suffice it to say that finding the most suitable procurement method, contract and assembling the right team for the job is critical to regenerative outcomes. Each project deserves its own criteria for this, as each project and client is unique.
Beyond net-zero— building with organic fibres that are grown, like straw, industrial hemp and bamboo, can not only create toxin-free indoor environments that smell great but can also mitigate global warming by capturing and storing carbon dioxide in long term building products. As alternatives to timber, they can also help slow deforestation.
Design Science — this empirical approach to design, focussing more on how things perform than how they conform to an in-house style, allows us to be proactive about addressing the problems inherent in business-as-usual practice. We are constantly seeking new materials, processes and people to achieve the highest quality and regenerative impact.