The Intrepid Designer

Four Cheers: Fourth Green Star SA Certification issued in South Africa

The Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA) is thrilled to announce that there are now three buildings in South Africa which have been certified under the GBCSA’s Green Star SA rating system, one of these achieving both a Design and an As Built Certification.

These innovative buildings are starting to set the standards in terms of commercial green buildings and are the first to achieve independent certification in SA, with many more in the pipeline. “We are excited that we are covering both office and retail centre buildings with our current ratings tools, and very pleased with the take up of these tools in the South African market.” says Bruce Kerswill, GBCSA Executive Chairperson.

The GBCSA, after launching the first and second tools in the Green Star SA green building rating system toolset – these being Green Star SA Office v1 and Green Star SA Retail Centre v1 – have awarded four certifications to date and received applications from 15 other projects.

“While a number of projects are working towards the Green Star SA standards and benchmarks and even more using the tool as a guideline, four certifications have already been awarded,” explains Manfred Braune, Technical Executive of the GBCSA.

The first projects certified are:

 

1. Nedbank Phase II in Sandton, is the first project in SA to achieve a 4 Star Green Star SA Office Design v1 rating in October of 2009 as well as a 4 Star Green Star SA Office As Built v1 rating in September 2010;

This 45 000m2 extension of Nedbank’s existing head offices in Sandton Johannesburg, scored highest under the Indoor Environment Quality (IEQ), Management and Transport categories of the Green Star SA tool. The building is designed to capture and recycle rainwater, which will save significant volumes of water daily by reusing it in the building. The project has submitted an Environmental Impact Assessment for an onsite blackwater treatment plant (sewage treatment) that is pending approval from the authorities.

Nedbank Phase II has provided increased fresh air rates to the building (as compared to national building code), a CO2 monitoring system and maximised external views – these are all initiatives that improve the indoor environment quality, and impact on the occupants’ health, comfort and productivity. To save energy the project has also included an efficient central air-conditioning plant, variable speed drives for air-conditioning and an individually addressable digital lighting control system. The water savings will largely be achieved through the use of water efficient fixtures and fittings, as well as the rainwater treatment plant. The development is in close proximity to the Gautrain, and to regular taxi and bus routes, as well as to amenities that are in walking distance, which are all aspects that contributed towards the high scores achieved under the transport category.

 

 

2. Nedbank Ridgeside in Durban North received a 4 Star Green Star SA Office Design v1 rating;

Nedbank Ridgeside, the first project in KZN to achieve a Green Star SA rating, is a 9 300m2 new office building in the Ridgeside office park development on the Umhlanga Ridge. Developed by Zenprop, with Nedbank as the tenant, the architecture is “contemporary, but with a strong ecologically sustainable design influence” says David Talbot of dhk architects, the lead designers.

The project scored highest under the Indoor Environment Quality (IEQ), Energy and Water categories of the Green Star SA tool.

In the IEQ category, this was achieved largely through increased fresh air rates to the building, CO2 monitoring and control of the office space, as well as maximising the daylight into the building, maximising external views and using low VOC paints (Volatile Organic Compounds), low formaldehyde composite wood products. To save energy the Nedbank Ridgeside project has included an efficient central air-conditioning plant, highly efficient fluorescent office lighting design and a light switching zoning strategy. The water savings will largely be achieved through the use of water efficient fixtures and fittings, as well as through rainwater capture and recycling, as well as reduced potable water requirements for landscaping.

 

3. The Villa Mall in Pretoria received a 4 Star Green Star SA Retail Centre Design v1 rating in October of this year.

Villa Mall is the first project in South Africa to achieve a Green Star SA – Retail Centre Design v1 rating. This new, 130 000m2 shopping centre in Pretoria, which is being developed by Capicol, plans to have over 300 tenants, and scored highest under the Management, Energy, Transport and Water categories of the Green Star SA tool, says Braune.

In the Management category, this was achieved largely through committing to extensive commissioning of equipment, quarterly monitoring for the year after practical completion, as well as the development of a ‘green lease’ that tenants are signing. The main aims of the green lease are to ensure that quantities of energy, water and waste are monitored, tracked and improvements targeted annually, with related responsibilities between the landlord and tenant recorded in the green lease. To save energy the project design has included energy efficient Variable Refrigerant Volume systems for air-conditioning of tenancies, a highly efficient lighting design as well as a large photovoltaic (PV) array on the roof of the parking deck. According to the design, the PV array will be the largest in the country to be located on a building – approximately 2MW peak power.

The water savings will largely be achieved through the use of water efficient fixtures and fittings, as well as through grey water (shower and basin water) and rainwater capture and recycling, and reduced potable water requirements for landscaping due to selection of plants that will not require irrigation - these are all aspects included in the project design.

Green Star SA is a voluntary green building rating system under which developers may apply to have their projects rated and certified by the GBCSA.

The Green Star SA tools are designed for use by owners, developers and consultants (architects, engineers, quantity surveyors, project managers, building contractors etc.) to independently rate and certify property developments via a common green building ‘language’ . The tool encourages these stakeholders to minimise the environmental impacts of their developments, and to receive recognition for their design initiatives.

Braune advises that the key objectives of the Green Star SA rating tools are as follows:

• to provide an objective independent framework and standard for the measurement of green building
• to establish a common language and act as a guide to building green
• to recognise environmental leadership
• to promote green buildings and environmental sustainability in the built environment
• promote integrated, whole-building design,
• raise awareness of green building benefits,
• reduce the negative environmental impact of developments

Nicola Milne, CEO of the GBCSA says that the GBCSA is currently working on its third tool, Green Star SA for Multi Unit Residential buildings, which it aims to launch in PILOT form in December 2010.

“We are very excited to have awarded our first 4 Green Star SA certifications and with the number of applications coming in. It is a significant task for developers to put together a submission and the fact that we are seeing good uptake of the tools shows that the South African property industry is ready to adopt global best practises in green building,” concluded Milne.

For more information about Green Star SA, certification and professional accreditation and courses offered by the GBCSA, visit www.gbcsa.org.za or email [email protected].

Article from www.gbcsa.org.za

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Green innovation: Lumber Made from recycled Newspaper?

“A reversing of a traditional production process;
not from wood to paper, but the other way around.”

NewspaperWood (KrantHout)

Every day, piles of newspapers are discarded and recycled into new paper. Mieke Meijer has come up with a solution to use this surplus of paper into a renewed material. When a NewspaperWood log is cut, the layers of paper appear like lines of a wood grain or the rings of a tree and therefore resembles the aesthetic of real wood. The material can be cut, milled and sanded and generally treated like any other type of wood.

 

status | Mieke Meijer is currently working together with designlabel Vij5 to develop NewspaperWood and in a later stage products will be included into the product
collection of Vij5. This project is realised with the help of the Dutch newspaper ‘Eindhovens Dagblad’.

Inspiring Recycled Furniture For The Imagination

"I love creating functional art from discarded non functional junk"

Katie Thompson

      
Interior designer Katie Thompson began Recreate last year – a redecorating and renovating design label that transforms discarded junk in to unique and useful interior design pieces. Here are some of her more recent items…

In her latest collection she has made the suitcase chair, milk pail ottomans, tea cup and saucer lamp and coffee table tub. All these are really special statements and yet so functional and practical.

   


Katie blends South African craftsmanship with high end finishes and makes use of her own eclectic and perfectionist flair for design. Her original pieces are created with honesty and integrity and are always full of surprises.

Recreate’s philosophy is to continuously strive for the unconventional in every project. While her pieces may be unusual, they are timeless.

     


Graduating with a distinction from Design Time School of Interior Design in Cape Town, Katie has seven years experience in the design, furniture and fabric industry in London and Cape Town behind her name.

The inspiration behind Recreate was Katie’s passion for transforming the ordinary in to the extraordinary.

Katie never works within established stylistic boundaries. She creates an eclectic combination of styles, materials and finishes; this skill highlights her passion and her ability to find the intrinsic beauty and new, hidden purpose in the old, discarded items she chooses for her pieces.

She admits to being a hoarder of all things useless, impractical, broken, colourful and shiny. Many of us would cast away such things but her creative mind resurrects such items and gives them a new lease on life.

By nature an extremely energetic, bubbly and creative individual, Katie’s energy filters through to her work and into her pieces and the lives of her clients.

Recreate is a beautiful, modern and contemporary design line with plenty of possibilities.

Source: Recreate

Diamond in the rough, Hotazel bush lodge.

My latest project was a small private lodge purposely built for a mineral mining group. 

       

The lodge is situated just outside the aptly named town of Hotazel, and is as far off the beaten path without crossing any borders, as one can imagine, complete with rolling tumble-weed and mini dust tornadoes.

Set on a bush-covered, featureless plain, Hotazel is home to Samancor’s Mamatwan open-quarry manganese ore mine and sinter plant, and underground manganese ore mine and railway terminus. 

The décor and furnishings of KMR Lodge are Africa-inspired with an elegant contemporary edge, with beautiful jaw-dropping handmade twig chandeliers, stylishly coordinated upholstery and objet to compliment the aesthetic . The rooms are each equipped with air-conditioning and en-suite bathrooms.The lodge also features a disabled unit.

  

7 Thatched chalets are spread out in V-formation on either side of the lodge club house, offering panoramic views of the Northern Cape landscape and vast bird population. Each unit is uniquely decorated and sophisticatedly accessorised.

The lodge club house facilitates a dining area, lounge, and pub. The outside lapa offers a beautiful evening boma, a welcome swimming pool and covered area to take the sting out of its onomatopoeic name. 

 

Special thanks to Phambili Interiors for the opportunity to work on such a rewarding project; Eco Log Homes, Campos Transport, Highthorn and Craft steel, Blok Products, Amatuli, Sleepeezzi, Sorelle, Jungle furniture, Jungleboard, Pyramid Pictures, Mainstream Media, Paras rugs, Patio solutions, Bare essentials and Continental Linen.

The Greenest House in SA

Although the words ‘stylish’, ‘elegant’ and ‘tasteful’ are rarely used in conjunction with the term ‘eco-friendly’, with their green home, celebrities Michelle and Riaan Garforth-Venter have adequately proved that this can be the case. 

From the exterior, the house displays the rugged, earthy look you’d expect from a home considered to be green, but the architecturally skilful way in which raw brick, plaster, wood, stone and glass have been combined belies its eco-wise credentials.

Those familiar with their TV show, Love & Mortar (on DStv’s Home Channel), would have watched as the home, which the couple term ‘bio-climatic’, developed. The result, however, far exceeds Michelle and Riaan’s expectations.

Building an eco-home is complicated. Everything has to be taken into consideration, from the positioning of the home and the materials used to clever architecture to ensure light, heat and natural resources are used to their best advantage.

With this in mind, Anthony Papageorgiou Architects was selected to design the home. As a member of the Green Building Council SA, the company has long been involved with green building processes. They have ensured that most of the building materials used in the home are either recycled or reclaimed. Most of the walls are treated concrete and face brick, and VOC-free paint has been used throughout.

One of the first priorities in the design of the home was climate control, and to this end, rooms needing lots of sunlight are positioned on the outside of the home, while those needing less natural light, such as bathrooms, are positioned on the interior. 

To ensure adequate insulation, not just the ceiling, but also the floors and walls were insulated, with polystyrene built into cavities (this isn’t totally eco-friendly, but the long-term benefits and energy savings can balance this out). Ensuring further insulation, the timber-framed windows are all double-glazed.

The home is off the grid, the couple electing instead to install solar thermal panels, which absorb heat, and photovoltaic-cell panels, which convert sunlight to electricity. Flat roof space was specially allocated to the house and garage, under which veld grass has been planted, to ensure the panels work as efficiently as possible (on a hot surface, they are less effective).

Water usage, of course, was another huge consideration. The home has rainwater catchment systems as well as grey-water recycling apparatus, which ensures that water coming off showers and washbasins goes through a Biolytix system, which uses composting worms to recycle impurities in the water.

A walk through the home gives a sense of calm. It’s fairly minimalist and modern, but with warm African touches. Most of the lower level is open plan, with raw cement floors linking the rooms to create an effortless flow. The high ceilings of the dining room, which is walled in raw face brick, give a feeling of spaciousness, with floor-to-ceiling windows along one side. In the centre is a massive 14-seat dining room table, with space for two at each end.

Caroline De Freitas of Sublime Interiors was responsible for the interior design. She had worked with Riaan in the past on his TV show, so he was familiar with her style and knew it would work in the home. ‘I’ve always been aware of the importance of using sustainable materials, and with this house I wanted to be as green as possible,’ she says.

Although the overriding décor theme is French Provençal, Caroline explains she has taken this style and given it her own interpretation: ‘I haven’t exactly gone by the French Provençal book, but decided instead to go beyond those boundaries and make it more exciting and interesting, to show that thought has gone into it.’ She has achieved this by including clean, modern lines and a distinctly African feel. ‘I wanted it to be eclectic. Because of the natural surroundings, it just made sense to bring in an earthy, natural feel.’

Above the dining room table are two previously fitted chandeliers with tiny lampshades decorated with white and black flowers, which Caroline took as the cue for her colour palette. ‘Riaan and Michelle were not prescriptive in what colours I was to use, so I took these to set the tone. To this neutral and black palate, I progressed to include shades of gold and whites.’

When it comes to the furniture used in the home, she was determined to keep the style clean, slick and modern, but still comfortable. ‘The dining room chairs are so comfortable that apparently they had a big dinner party the other night and no one wanted to leave the table.’

There is also a playful element to be found throughout the home. The kitchen bar stools, for example, are covered in faux silver snakeskin, and there’s some definite bling in the mirrored side tables in the bedroom. ‘Michelle loves crystal and shiny things, so this was right up her street,’ says Caroline.

Bamboo was used for the kitchen cupboards, as it’s sustainable and doesn’t emit chemical odours. Carefully whitewashed, they tie in with the modern feel of the rest of the home. All the kitchen appliances have an energy rating of  ‘A’ or ‘A-plus’ – the most energy efficient on the market.

In the master bedroom, Caroline was once again inspired by the existing light fittings. ‘I wanted to create a really opulent feeling here,’ she says. She’s used leather on the headboard and brought in touches of blue in the cushions and throws on the bed. In an alcove to one side of the room is a larger-than-life painting of a leopard’s eye. Like the rest of the artwork, it brings a touch of African wilderness to the urban home, yet skirts the borders of cliché.

The main bathroom is en suite and features an egg-shaped bath and shower complete with energy-saving shower-head. All the toilets in the house are dual flush, allowing one some control over the amount of water used when flushing.

To save money and time – and to be more eco-friendly – Caroline’s used pre-lined fabric and a single track for most rooms in the home, though some rooms sport a double track for a layered effect. The ground-floor curtains are mostly a tobacco-linen-type fabric with a distinct texture and almost black hue to it. Upstairs, she has focused on grey. ‘I think grey is the new neutral,’ she says. ‘I didn’t want to go too over the top with the fabric, so this was perfect.’

Caroline says it was difficult to find eco-friendly décor items. ‘They are available, but we just do not have the wide variety available in Europe,’ she says – a feeling echoed by furniture designer Will van der Watt of ID8 Interiors, the interior design branch of CM Architects.

Will was responsible for much of the furniture design in the home. He says, ‘It was quite a challenge because most of the contemporary materials used in furniture are made of vinyl and plastics, so they aren’t exactly green. The best material would probably have been bamboo, but this is in short supply in this country.’ Instead, he has cleverly opted for meranti, a widely available fast-growing local hardwood that can be stained to any colour (using water-based stains, naturally).

Will has custom designed each furniture piece for its space, creating amazing oversized couches and using colour schemes that perfectly complement the rest of the home. For the bases of most pieces he’s used stainless steel, which is recyclable and readily available.

Other eco-friendly furniture items are the side tables in the living room, which High Thorn has created from bleached whitewashed wood.

Caroline’s favourite piece of furniture is the oversized couch in the living area. ‘I used three different fabrics to continue the French Provençal vibe, and I used soft suede on the seats for extra comfort,’ she explains.

Caroline believes the home will adapt and grow with its owners, and that its eclectic nature is what makes it so perfect for them. ‘The design is not so prescriptive as to prevent them from personalising it as time goes by. If they bring back keepsakes from their overseas travels, for example, they will be able to display them with comfort in the home.’ There is no doubt that this home will stand as a testament to the future of green South African homes, which is exactly what Riaan and Michelle intended.

Source: The property magazine

3D Deco and 3D Dome manifest geodesic fabric architecture

It is here and it's now - the real McCoy! 3D Dome, powered by Pacific Domes, has perfected the function and beauty of portable geodesic domes, bringing 3D Dome to the SA events market.

Combining the sacred geometry of R. Buckminster Fuller with 3D Dome's progressively designed covers gives birth to this futuristic and synergetic structure. It is a perfectly created environment which is pleasing and natural to the eye and the human body since these structures have the same structure as living molecule in our bodies.

3D Domes provide a unique environment for every use, offering a modular concept for any event or exhibition. All elements of a 3D Dome can be perfectly combined with each other, from connection tunnels between the structures to Deco and AV.

This offers maximum flexibility in the realisation of individual and innovative event ideas - Mobility and Versatility, Interior Freedom, Portability, Climate Control, Energy Efficiency - “the strongest, lightest and most efficient means of enclosing space, yet known to man" states Buckminster Fuller.

Domes are nature's perfect structure which provides a unique environment for any use, also creating state-of-the-art venues for events, expo stands launches etc. anywhere and everywhere. 

Mobility and Versatility

All membranes come with circular doorways offering more flexibility. Every doorway can be connected to another through the 3D Deco developed waterproof tunnel system which allows a combination of several domes to create a domescape. Window openings can take many varying applications such as PVC airing vents or a climate control tubes.

Interior Freedom

The entire dome interior is open to your creativity! Our geodesic dome frames are freestanding with no support poles to obstruct your valuable floor plan!

Structurally Sound

The steel tubing framework is extremely strong and can handle any wind or rain loads. Not only is the dome aerodynamic, but it has a dynamic center of gravity that stands strong against wind.

Anchoring the Frame

Your dome frame comes with the appropriate anchors to secure it to the ground.

Portability

3D Dome frames pack down into small bundles that are easy to ship and handle! The membrane consists of a double sided PVC coating with or without black out. 3D Deco can guarantee an outer skin that is 100% water tight in every tiny detail.?Lycra Branded cover can be stretched over any of 3D Deco's membranes. A wide variety of flooring can be provided upon request from our reliable partners.

Heating and Cooling

3D Domes can be heated or cooled in the same way as a conventional marquee. Our domes in summer are 10-15 C cooler that outside temperature due to a low pressure zone that happens inside the dome just by opening a few windows in the right places. Domes can also come with insulation for the really cold days.

Energy Efficiency

"Only an energy-efficient, resource-efficient design could work for everyone," - R. Buckminster Fuller. There are two reasons domes are energy efficient. The ambient airflow inside the dome is continuous, with no stagnant corners, requiring less energy to circulate air and maintain even temperatures. The energy required to heat and cool a dome is approximately 30% less than a conventional building. The second is the high volume-to-surface-area ratio, requiring less building materials to enclose more space.

Experienced partners in 3D Projections and Audio Technology, climate control and interior planning can be included in the entire planning process in order to realise any product, expo or event world.

Source: http://www.3ddeco.co.za/

Issued by: 3D Deco

Talking Garbage...

What does an interior designer with a passion for craft do to combine her need to help others and save the planet? For Winnie McHenry, the answer lay in junk.

Winnie’s journey began when she founded Crafty Corner, a web initiative to inspire and empower crafters. While this fulfilled part of her vision, she knew that many of those she wished to help, being unemployed and even destitute, had access to neither the internet nor even basic materials. It was in her efforts to recycle that she found her inspiration, and Upcycle was born. The effects of her vision are both far reaching and inspiring.

Besides allowing her home to be used as a workshop, showroom, shop, and as a receiving point for anything from the tiniest unwanted beads to the bulkiest electronic waste, Winnie freely shares her knowledge, expertise, creativity and stunning, unique designs, allowing what are now 47 entrepreneurs – two of whom run lucrative, full time mosaic businesses – to create and sell their own creations. It is also to these people that Winnie turns when she has orders of her own to fill, which further assists them and stimulates local economy.

Environmentally conscious companies like Cell C, Nedbank and ARUP have ordered Winnie’s upcycled creations – for use as corporate gifts or to commemorate fun events such as Valentine’s Day. Others assist with donations; the local Booysens’ Hotel provides glass bottles and Mirrordoor all its mirror offcuts, saving themselves the cost of having it removed and dumped at landfill sites (mirror is not recyclable), while SA Blood Services in Gauteng has launched a pilot project where members of the public can drop off small recyclables such us buttons, bows, ribbons and more. A fun initiative allows children to learn about and actively participate in recycling; take them along to drop off your junk and they receive a free Upcycle craft kit. These gorgeous kits also make fantastic gifts for children of all ages.

By its very nature, Upcycle is a local, largely community-based project, but Winnie would love to help others set up similar initiatives countrywide. Also planned is an upgrade to her websites, with each crafter having a dedicated page highlighting their creations. But her vision doesn’t stop there. She dreams of one day having a dedicated space incorporating a workshop, a shop and a gallery to help market the work of local entrepreneurs, proving junk talk can make a difference.

Find Winnie at the monthly Green Market in Pretoria, visit www.upcycle.co.za, or call 011 782 0351

From Barrydale to Washington

Earlier this year, US President Barack Obama and Mrs Obama acquired two chandeliers for their new home at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Apart from the fact that they paid for them personally rather than using the White House budget, two things set them apart; they come all the way from the tiny Overberg town of Barrydale, and they’re made almost entirely from ‘junk’.

Magpie Design Studio, essentially an art collective run from an old double storey building in the heart of town, started operations in 1998. Six years ago they moved to Barrydale where they promptly set up recycling bins on the veranda and invited the public to drop off recyclable materials. While they have historically used a lot of repurposed materials in their creations, it was in Barrydale that their materials base shifted to the PET bottles, glass, plastic, tins and paper dropped off by the community to make their artistic creations.

Their multi award-winning work represents their belief that their approach makes a difference to the environment and brings about a new aesthetic aligned to the ethics of the ever-increasing numbers of consumers concerned with their personal carbon footprints. As a result more and more of their clients are turning to energy efficient lighting and changing other lifestyle habits to have a lower impact on resources.

Magpie’s design team tries to use the best lighting solutions for creative designs that speak to the ethics and aesthetic desires of a growing, sophisticated clientele. They are best known for their chandeliers and lighting installations although they do produce other furniture items and accessories.

The two pieces bought by the Obamas – the La Riche Ella and the Princess (pictured) – are regency inspired and lean towards a classical interpretation of a chandelier, but they also create a number of unique designs for sale in their own gallery, as well as offering a bespoke service, creating installations for private homes, restaurants and offices worldwide.

Shane says, “Chandeliers are extrapolations of people’s ideals. A great deal is said about the person who owns a chandelier as it represents much of the best of what they idealise and see as representing an object of beauty in addition to it being a practical piece that lights a room.” He adds that the Obama’s purchase paves the way for a new aesthetic, where an appreciation for what is, is valued more than what it is made of; it’s more to do with what the object represents or symbolises.

The business includes a strong social responsibility aspect – the Rooi Doppies Project, www.rooidoppiesproject.moonfruit.com – that includes the development of a craft project to help locals generate income, rather than just being employed. They are trained to reproduce designs either marketed as stand alone pieces or as components of larger, more elaborate installations. Magpie also offers technical support to NGOs in the district that focus on health, human rights and social development.

They believe all businesses should behave ethically and that forming relationships with state service providers is essential to help develop the capacity and quality of life of others. Every December 16 sees a ceremonial tree lighting ceremony (the best LED technology is used) with dancing, singing and performing around their Christmas tree installation made of alien wattle and repurposed PET decorations, which are made by children from an NGO called NET VIR PRET.

Shane says it is their way of thanking the village for its support. Aside for the Christmas tree, they host annual exhibitions and parties and showcase new trends with different, fun themes. They are hoping the planned 2010 Masked Ball will draw visitors from near and far. Their creations are evocative and stunning testimonies to what is possible with innovation and inspiration.

Source: Life in Balance

Visit Magpie Design Studio at 27 van Riebeeck Street in Barrydale, call 028 572 1997 or visit Magpie

Graypants; they also like to use their hands, designing and building things like chairs and light fixtures.

2010 has been an incredible year thus far for graypants and it’s our second year exhibiting at ICFF in new york! if you’re in town, swing by the javits center to see us in action unveiling new designs! We’re ecstatic about the upcoming show and our new introductions into the graypants line of products!

they also like to use their hands, designing and building things like chairs and light fixtures.

seth and jonathan first crossed paths at kent state university in cleveland, honing abilities to endure long winters and earning degrees in architecture + design. now, eight years of collaboration and spirited adventure has landed them in seattle, where graypants, inc. was forged from a desire to make a difference through design. it’s also here that their great friend jon joined the team, bringing a fresh energetic spark and experience from north carolina and seattle.

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

we strive to come up with designs and ideas that are thoughtful and have an impact, whether it be furniture, lighting, architecture or graphics. each one of our projects has a unique story and we try to explore new ideas to redefine how design can have a greater impact. most importantly, we have fun doing it! we enjoy collaborating with all walks of life – that is where we find true inspiration. we want to let the beauty of what we love be what we do.

Source:Graypants

EARTH TEMPLE ARCHITECTS, Sustainable architecture and landscape

 

John Barrett is the founder and principal designer of Earth Temple Architects Member of the South African Institute of Architects (SAIA) Member of the Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA).

Earth Temple Architects provides a comprehensive architectural and sustainable design service for residential, commercial and institutional clients.

Earth Temple Architects was born out of a design ethos which embraces sustainable homes, green buildings and landscape design. The firm seeks to create spaces which are inspired by its landscape, its people, and its heritage. The result of this is a design philosophy which allows for, and encourages, an integrative process where knowledge is both shared and gained.

In seeking to optimize a building's energy usage and overall sustainability, Earth Temple Architects supports alternative energy systems, identifies local resources and skills, optimizes passive heating and cooling, supports methane production for cooking and heating from sewerage, and integrates permaculture food gardens and medicinal nurseries.

In showing the utmost sensitivity in all respects of our designs, I have collaborated with the Monuments Council of the Western Cape on 4 occasions regarding sites with heritage status. These include the Orange Building in Kalk Bay, The Coach House in Cape Town, and Mount Pleasant and The Old Stables, both in Simonstown. On more remote sites such as the Madikwe Game Reserve, on which I spent 5 years, I consulted and collaborated with the tribal elders of the area as a means to integrate previous architectural forms and materials, producing a design expression which is both relevant and holistic.

Besides the function of architect, I play the role of Project Manager on the majority (approximately 80%) of our sites. As a result, a very hands-on approach to the building process is emphasized.
Earth Temple designs are specified in consultation with engineers, who form an integral part in our design processes.

Earth Temple Architects provides a comprehensive architectural and sustainable design service for residential, commercial and institutional clients. We have earned an impeccable reputation for design, detailing and use of quality natural materials - and for the principals' hands-on involvement in every job. Projects vary in style and scale, but our first priority is always client satisfaction and sustainable design. We encourage client participation in the design process so that they can make informed decisions.

Our process is collaborative and dynamic: we listen carefully to clients' ideas and refine each design until it exceeds all expectations. Then we work hard to protect that vision through to completion of the project. Every phase is fully supported right from first sketch to final touch-ups. With a firm hand on the budget and schedule, we insist on the most appropriate materials and the best construction standards.

Our firm includes the best craftsman in timber, steel and stone from Southern Africa specializing in quality detail work, innovative techniques and design. Earth Temple has an excellent reputation with an array of projects throughout the country. In addition our technical team and artists make every project a complete realistic vision of our innovative design and the client's dream.

Source: Earth Temple Architects