Architecture Awards 2020

92 2020 Architecture Awards BUILD Jun20255 Passive House Designer of the Year (Australia): Simone Schenkel he PassivHaus movement gained traction in Germany in the 1990s, as a new standard of energy efficiency within buildings that reduces ecological footprint. When Simone Schenkel arrived in Australia from Germany in 2007, she was shocked at the lack of energy efficient design in the Australian architectural industry, and decided she had to do something about it. Utilising the fundamentals of passive house design that had been so central to her architectural studies, she created Gruen Eco Design with a mission to make affordable and energy efficient homes a staple in the Australian landscape. While a home should have sustainable practices integrated throughout the whole process, Simone believes it is never too late to improve the energy efficiency of a building. Offering renovations, retro fits and town house developments alongside full passive house design, Gruen Eco is committed to designing eco-friendly and cost-effective houses that are also beautiful and comfortable. Gruen Eco also wants to remove the stress factor from building or renovating a home. Principally, the fear of excess spending on projects prevents families and homeowners from getting started on major projects, leaving them in a state of dissatisfied limbo. The Gruen Eco design process eliminates this risk. A Feasibility Design Review involves working closely with clients, preparing concept sketches that incorporate client needs and requirements followed by cost estimates from builders and contractors to create an inclusive projection of the design process and costs. Thus, the fear of the unknown is removed, and clients are able to confidently embark on the journey to their sustainable dream home. From here, the process continues to involve the client at every level, ensuring the client has complete control over their project. With their signature flexibility, Gruen Eco is able to answer their clients’ every wish, and transform it into a sustainable and affordable element of their future home. Simone and her team are passionate about delivering dream homes, and so they adore engaging with clients, either in meetings or via Zoom during interactive design meetings. Working from the floorplan up, Gruen Eco’s interactive 3D designs easily facilitate tweaks and adjustments based on the clients’ needs, whether it be looking at where school bags are kept, changing the size of the windows or considering different materials. This ground-breaking system is convenient, enabling T meetings to take place at times that suit clients wherever they are in the world, as well as hugely inclusive, allowing clients to have total control of every intricacy of the layout and design of their future homes. Gruen Eco is unique in their ability to deliver the trifecta of residential design; sustainability, affordability and uniqueness in each design. This triad is not always easily achievable, and Simone puts it down to problems within the Australian building industry. Principally, the current 6-star energy requirement ratings only work theoretically, but do not deliver sustainable homes in reality, and the lack of proper regulation to enforce energy efficiency leads to large numbers of underperforming houses that are costly to heat and cool. While Simone and her team are working to combat this by educating consumers, it will ultimately be up to the Australian building industry to make the drastic changes required. With exciting projects such as a passive house built in hempcrete currently in the works, Gruen Eco is excited about the future. While Covid-19 is causing some uncertainty that could lead to a dip in the market, it is also making homeowners think about changing the way they live and work, and this is where Simone and her expert team come in, designing houses that facilitate happy lifestyles and comfortable working environments. Gruen Eco is far from slowing their efforts in making positive changes to the industry, and Simone is currently working on a standard affordable passive home that can be replicated across Australia and even further afield. With the fervent belief that everyone has the right to live in an affordable and sustainable home, especially vulnerable people who do not have the means to change their own homes, Simone is trying to raise awareness and promote resources on the subject. For more details about her journey, you can read about the 20/20 House on the Gruen Eco website. Company: Gruen Eco Design Contact: Simone Schenkel Web Address: www.gruenecodesign.com.au Gruen Eco Design is on a mission to create homes that don’t cost the earth, both literally and metaphorically. Passionate about sustainable design, Certified Passive House Designer, Simone Schenkel is committed to making energy efficient and sustainable homes a staple in the Australian landscape, by promoting passive house designs as the future of residential architecture. We spoke to Simone to find out more about her plan to change the world with affordable and sustainable homes.