We hear from the founder and principal of Clever Design, which recently won five awards, including Building of the Year, at the Building Designers Association of Victoria (BDAV) 2012 Awards.

The buzz for the 21st century is certainly climate change. In simple terms - how we can be kind to our planet and how we can reduce greenhouse gas emissions? Worldwide ‘emissions reductions’ initiatives are being urgently established and residential sustainability has finally reached the populous in an effort to save our planet. Sustainability is by no means a modern evolution. The sustainable design movement found its way into the heart and soul of my philosophical design principles during the late 1980s, when ironically I was cited as a skeptic for my environmentally savvy designs.

Embedded in every new client discussion is the achievability of an environmentally conscious design within the economic capacity of the client. Extreme size homes are generally not the contexts in which I design given they are not consistent with the principles of environmental sustainability.

It is critical to consider wide-ranging sustainable elements such as efficient hot water systems, indoor air quality, embodied energy, recyclable materials, rainwater harvesting and water efficiency - all at the initial design phase of the project. Being a responsible design practitioner is the fundamental premise upon which the Clever Design philosophy is based. To summarise, my design philosophy encapsulates the following:

  • Prioritising the ‘place’, site context and contours of the land as well as analysing the site specific micro-climatic conditions.
  • Utilising passive solar principles and incorporating elements of environmental sustainability to the fullest extent possible and not an ‘add on’ to a generic design.
  • Designing to optimise the external form aesthetic, and at the same time, incorporating functional internal designs that maximise space, light and client comfort.
  • Adopting a responsible pragmatic approach so that the design intent is not compromised and can be fully realised by those engaged in the build process.

I know that many people will categorise my designs into a ‘style era’; however I view my work as ‘no fixed style’. Rather, each project is viewed as an opportunity to transform the way in which I approach each new design, in order to provide a solution well beyond the clients’ expectations and imagination – and critically, contributing to our built environment in a sustainable and responsible manner.

 

BIMx for ArchiCAD

Clever Design practice has been an avid user of ArchiCAD since 1995 using BIM 3D modelling and BIMx tools that provide an incomparable medium in which to communicate with clients and all consultants involved in the build process. Featuring real time 3D navigation the BIMx model can be used by anyone without holding an ArchiCAD license. 

5 Favourites

Our Professional in Profile describes some of the products they currently love working with.

Apricus

Our preferred supplier of evacuated tube solar hot water systems. 

AWS ThermalHeart windows and doors

Thermally broken systems delivering exceptional energy efficiency to the building envelope.

Hafele Internal Sliding Glass Door Systems

Häfele is a world-renowned brand and their internal glass sliding door systems allow for flexible design solutions to be utilised.

Polished Concrete Floors

Our practice continually experiments with aggregates, glass and mixtures as the base palette providing thermal storage for temperate and cool temperate climate zones.