In our studio, sustainability is not just a buzzword, add-on or option – it is a core principle of what we do. We strongly believe in sustainability as a guiding principle in architecture, and we work at achieving it in the following ways:

PEOPLE – people are at the core of our architecture. We believe that to design sustainably means listening to a client’s needs rather than forcing our view of the world onto them. Listening leads to more appropriate outcomes, which in turn leads to more affordable, suitable, and appropriate buildings, all with an underpinning of simplicity, beauty and timelessness.

DESIGN – we believe that designing an environmentally sustainable building is no longer an ‘option’ - it should be the norm in good architecture. Features such as solar panels, water tanks, composting bins, low VOC and low-water native plant species in the garden are already becoming an accepted standard in our homes and businesses. We are interested in working alongside clients to explore new and innovative ways to improve the environmental quality of our homes, neighbourhoods and communities.

BUILDING – Unfortunately the construction process is rife with wasteful practices. We make a point of working with clients and builders who share our beliefs and who do their best to minimise waste. Saving waste going to landfill and investing in recycling not only helps our environment, it is a sure way to save our clients’ money. We also ensure that we specify low-maintenance materials to minimise ongoing building costs to clients.

COMMUNITIES – We believe strong communities are one of the key ingredients to personal health and sustainable living. Through our work we interact with local communities by designing small commercial and public buildings, and we stay involved in teaching to help positively influence the next generation of architects. Through the Social Agency studio Master of Architecture Course at UNSW we stay in touch with students who are going to become the future leaders of the field and hope to inspire the next generation of architects.