Ecopolis Architects Pty Ltd ABN 83 008 090 391
Specialists in ecological architecture,
biourbanism & urban ESD
Ecopolis Architects Pty Ltd provide
architectural, urban design and interior design services with strong
commitment to the highest standards of ecological responsibility.
We consult at the level of
strategic planning and technical studies to detailed architectural
design that consistently exceeds minimum building code and
‘Star rating’ requirements.
Services
Ecopolis Architects Pty Ltd are Corporate Members of the RAIA and offer a full range of architectural services
• architecture
• interior design
• urban design
all on the basis of
ecologically sustainable design principles.
Contact us for an
initial consultation or more information.
Specialist services
We also provide the following specialist services:
•
Presentations for conferences, workshops and public events
•
Technical writing and editing on green design, eco-architecture,
planning, environment, urban ecology and sustainable development
•
Media commentary
•
Critical review of architectural and urban design projects for
compliance with ecological and sustainability goals
•
Design support for sustainability outcomes, including roof garden
design and the integration of ecological technologies with building
construction
•
Design for access
•
Straw bale or strawbale* design and construction techniques
•
Consultancy support for ecological community development projects and
programs
* Sometimes referred to as ‘hay
bale’ but hay contains seed heads, straw is just grass
stalks. As John Glassford of Huff’n’Puff
Constructions says: ‘Hay is for horses, straw is for
houses.’
Who we are
Everything we do is in the context of a
living environment – we are part of a biosphere alive with
possibilities and creative potential.
Over more than 3 decades, projects by
Ecopolis Architects and its Principal Architect Paul F Downton have
ranged
from the environmental design of individual dwellings and eco-houses to
comprehensive ecologically sustainable planning of urban centres.
Ecopolis Architects has international
outreach, national experience, and a proven capacity to work with
public and private sector clients.
Our client base includes individuals and
organisations committed to the evolution and practice of green design
and has embraced individuals, private companies, federal, state and
local governments and the CSIRO.
Information on a
number of Ecopolis Architects projects can be found on this site under
Projects.
We support Urban Ecology Australia
Inc in its advocacy for healthy buildings and ecological cities and are
the architects of the award-winning Christie Walk EcoCity Project.
Employing a radical analysis of the
physical, social and economic aspects of the urban ecosystem with the
touchstone of the Charter
of Calcutta, the ethos of the Ecopolis Development
Principles and the performance measures set out in the
Frogstick, our design process is informed by
Paul Downton’s decades of research into ecological
architecture and design.
An award-winning architect, researcher and
designer, Paul has many years of engagement with architecture,
planning and community affairs. His wide practice experience includes public
and private sector housing in Britain and Australia and his practical knowledge and experience
is also reflected in publications like the ‘Your Home Technical
Manual’ to which he has contributed as both an
author and editor.
A graduate from one of the UK’s
leading schools of architecture (his 1973 student project was for an
inner-city solar housing project) with a doctorate in environmental studies from the
University of Adelaide based on his theory of Ecopolis, Paul is internationally recognised as a leading theorist and
practitioner of eco-city planning.
Since 1989 he has promulgated his
concept of ‘ecopolis’ – fitting
human settlement into the living patterns of nature so that our cities
become places of ecological restoration as well as of economic
activity, taking the legacy of our present destructive practices
— our polluted cities and degraded lands — and
returning them to ecological health.
The highly skilled core team working with
Paul in Ecopolis Architects are committed to the social ethos and
environmental goals of the practice and the ideas it represents. Recent arrival Kanako Nakanishi brings a steady
passion for design and nature with a background in media, commerce and
interior design and degrees from Tokyo and Sydney, whilst Brian
Forte maintains our virtual presence and in-house production
capabilities with his ‘dangerous mind’ .
Over the years, the work of Ecopolis Architects has been enlivened by
the many students and interns who have contributed their time
and skills to the increasingly complex process of making green
buildings, healthy environments and sustainable cities. Interested
students or potential interns are invited to contact the office for
details.
A Song of the Rolling Earth
Say on, sayers! sing on, singers!
Delve! mould! pile the words of the earth!
Work on, age after age, nothing is to be lost,
It may have to wait long, but it will certainly come in use,
When the materials are all prepared and ready, the architects shall
appear.
Walt Whitman 1856
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