Beautiful, Sustainable Building Design

Dick Clarke

Dick Clarke, is passionate about beautiful design.

“The way things look is very important to me. Ugly things just don’t last, so by definition they are not sustainable.”

Dick is principal of Envirotecture, is an Accredited Building Designer with over 35 years experience, focusing exclusively on ecologically sustainable and culturally appropriate buildings, as well as sustainable design in vehicles and vessels, and has received many Design Awards.

He holds a Master of Sustainable Futures degree (by research at the Institute for Sustainable Futures, UTS), on the topic of the effect of state and local planning instruments on the sustainability of the built environment.

Dick holds Building Designer Accreditation (No. 6029) under the Building Designer Accreditation (NSW) scheme.

He is Director of Sustainability, and Past President of the NSW Chapter, of Building Designers Australia (BDA). He is a Past President and Board Member of the Association of Building Sustainability Assessors (ABSA).

He is also an Al Gore trained volunteer presenter of the Australian Conservation Foundation’s Climate REALITY Project.

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Talina Edwards

Talina is passionate about creating healthy, beautiful, functional, comfortable and sustainable architecture which combines building-science and biophilic-design. Biophilia is about our intuitive connection to nature, where the health and wellbeing of people and planet are inextricably linked. This ethos extends to our purpose to ‘care for country’ and cultivate a living future for all.

“When you’re passionate about your purpose, it feels good to do good things with good people for the greater good!”

Talina has gained recognition as an industry leader, known for her sustainable architecture and as a passionate advocate for building a better future. Talina has received many awards recognising her meaningful contributions to sustainability with her architectural projects, and for her advocacy roles as Board Director at Australian Passive House Association, Coordinator of Australian Architects Declare, and for the ArchiTeam Advocacy committee.

Talina has over 25 years experience in Architectural practice, and is a registered Architect in Victoria, a Certified Passive House Designer and is currently undertaking the Living Future Accreditation course to pursue her regenerative-design ethos for a society that is socially just, culturally rich and ecologically restorative.

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Andy Marlow

Andy believes all people should live, work and play in buildings that make them happy and healthy. His focus is ensuring people with reasonable budgets get into the best homes possible through a focus on health, comfort and efficiency in all its meanings.

Andy is a Director at Envirotecture and Passivhaus Design & Construct, holds both Bachelors and Masters degrees in Architecture, is a certified Passive House Designer and has extensive experience in sustainable design at a variety of scales.

He speaks regularly at conferences and events on sustainability issues; design principles, materials specification, community engagement and the future of our cities including the national conferences of both the Planning Institute of Australia and the Green Building Council of Australia.

He has led master planning projects, been involved in several successful competitions including the Bathurst Sustainable Lifestyle House, and led the materials research for Australia’s first (almost) certified Living Building under the arduous Living Building Challenge – the Sustainable Buildings Research Centre at the University of Wollongong.

Andy has previously been a Board Member of the Australian Passive House Association, Co-Chair of the Australian Institute of Architects NSW Sustainability Committee and sat on the Property Council of Australia NSW Sustainability Committee and the Green Building Council of Australia NSW Industry Group.

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Ruth Butler

Ruth is an architect with over 30 years of experience in Australia, New Zealand and the UK.

Ruth’s commitment to low-carbon design is exemplified by the design of her own Passivhaus home, which won the Private Housing Award in the 2017 Wood Awards, the UK’s premier competition for design in wood.

Her specialist expertise in retrofitting and heritage architecture supports her strong belief that repurposing older buildings is essential to designing a sustainable future.  Ruth was architect of Seven Sisters Country Park projects which won the Architects Journal retrofit Awards for Listed Buildings in 2022.

Over the course of Ruth’s career, she has worked within large and small architectural studios and for several years ran her own practice.  She has extensive practical experience across every stage of the design process from consultant and client side, having led many major projects as architect and client adviser.

Ruth has previously been an awards judge (sustainability specialist) for the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and Co-Chair of the RIBA’s Client Adviser Committee.  She has also been a non-executive director for various organisations.

When not engaged in sustainable design Ruth can be found spending time with her family, roaming around an art gallery or walking in nature.

Judd Barton

Judd is a building designer with a passion for sustainable & environmentally friendly design solutions.

Judd was the recipient of a Certificate of Excellence award in his studies towards a Diploma in Building Design, is a certified passive house designer (CPHD) and is  studying towards a Degree in Architectural Science.

With experience working on residential building sites, Judd attained first hand knowledge of the Industry and this led him to wanting to find better design outcomes.

He not only enjoys the technical side of design & documentation but also the relationships created working closely with clients.

Judd is passionate about the ocean which has lead him across the world to different countries & cultures. Understanding the way different lifestyles & cultures play apart on the way we live, is key in creating a space which not only works, but is also beautiful.

While he not only enjoys the natural environment, he also has a strong passion & appreciation for technology.

Always eager to learn he enthusiastically takes on new challenges & experiences.

Mia Carmen Radic

Mia graduated from her Masters of Architecture at Deakin University, Geelong in 2017 with a focus on sustainability. She became a Certified Passivhaus Designer in 2018 and has four years of experience working on residential projects as a Certified Passivhaus Designer. She was recently recognised as a finalist at the Sustainability Awards for Emerging Sustainable Architect/Designer.

Mia grew up in a rammed earth home in a small rural country town in East Gippsland, Victoria, where the importance of environmental, social and economic sustainability were basic elements of the community fabric. Her time spent living, studying and working in Sweden and Ireland further enriched her architectural education and understanding of the building standards required in a range of climates.

As part of the collaborative design team, Mia works throughout every stage of a project. From preliminary feasibility and design to construction documentation, Mia delivers highly detailed Passivhaus standard homes and is the main point of contact for clients, consultants and contractors. She has experience with designing for everything from the cold regional Victorian climate, to off-grid buildings in bushfire prone areas, to working with Heritage overlays in suburban areas.

In her spare time Mia enjoys reading, hiking and renovating – her three favourite ways of following her sense of curiosity.

Michael Sandel

Michael has been an Accredited Building Designer since 2003, and has 17 years experience as a structural draftsperson prior. Perhaps don’t do the maths on that… In that time, he gained experience in a range of project types, including residential, commercial, hospitality and even some large scale renewable energy installations.

Michael is concerned about our impact on the planet, but equally optimistic about our capacity to make things right, if we get our skates on. He is encouraged by the growth of residential scale renewable energy production and storage that many of us can do in our own backyard.

“It’s empowering to be able to fit out your own home to be a mini power plant, producing enough energy to supply your home, charge your EV and have some left over for your neighbour. And a well designed energy efficient home just multiplies that impact.”

Outside of work, Michael has been a Bushcare volunteer, and is a regular blood donor. On the scale of mild to wild, he leans towards the former, very happy to be cooking, gardening or out for dinner and a movie.

Courtney Herbert

Courtney is an interior designer who completed her Advanced Diploma of Interior Design (Residential and Commercial).
Courtney has been working with residential builders as an in house designer for the last seven years as well as completing some of her own commercial work.
“Great design begins with an even better story”
Interior Design can be very personal to each and every individual and that is what Courtney is very passionate about. Finding materials and design elements that feel connected to the homeowner is an important aspect of Courtneys design experience.
Colours and various textures are design elements that Courtney loves to focus on in order to add personality and various levels of design throughout a space.
Growing up in a rural community Coutney loves to support small and local businesses, this is especially important when nominating materials, finishes and fixtures for projects and making sure that any project can have the ability to use products close to home.
Courtney loves to go and experience new spaces, always looking for new trends on her travels and will always be looking around at a space before the menu.

Shaily Shah

Shaily graduated from her Master of Architecture at Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria in 2019.
Shaily took keen interest in spaces designed in harmony with nature, so it was a natural progression for her to go on to study a Masters and then successfully complete the Certified Passivhaus Designer Course.

Shaily remains connected with Deakin as an Alumni and guest presenter and reviewer for their sustainability focused design studios. She believes a good design creates spatial experiences incorporating strong connections with People, Place, Culture, Landscape, the built and natural environments.

Shaily also loves the aesthetics of the more traditional village dwellings found in India. These homes are built by residents using the locally available materials and incorporating traditional construction methods. Eg. For flooring a combination of mud and dung is used (have great antiseptic and cooling properties), local wood in the structure, clay, earth, giving an unique identity to the spaces, unique character to the dwellings and conveying a story of that space.

When away from the computer, Shaily enjoys taking care of her indoor plants, cooking, reading and spending time with her family.

David McCallum

David holds a Bachelor and Masters Degree in Architecture from the University of New South Wales, David’s professional experience ranges in scale from minor alterations & additions to significant multi-residential mixed-use developments, and work in the public sphere on the design of civic buildings.

Particular professional experience has been in accessibility requirements and the design and documentation of group homes for groups of residents with very specific individual health needs.

David’s architectural interests are in the ‘simple but not simplistic’; clean and clear design and documentation for a better quality of life, social experience and environment.

Outside of architecture, David has a keen interest in technological innovations, yet may be most content exploring back-roads on a winding road-trip.

 

 

Noah Soderlund

Noah is a designer with a keen interest in environmentally sensitive projects. He is a graduate of Architecture from the University of Sydney and currently working towards a Masters Degree with a focus on Sustainable Architecture. His professional experience ranges from small to truly massive projects, having spent time working on the Bankstown Airport, although he is most passionate about residential projects.

In every project, Noah tries to find the unique benefits of every site, whether it’s an expansive view, or simply a beautiful old gum tree, hoping to create homes that are not only great to live in, but that feel like they are uniquely suited to their location and the families that live there.

He has a fascination with remote projects, always looking for new and better solutions to the diverse challenges and opportunities that each of these unique locations brings. He often spends his holidays building or fixing up off-grid or bus-homes with friends and family, so he’s keenly aware of the challenges associated with building something hours from the nearest power outlet or hardware store.

In his free time, Noah has a keen interest in junk projects, fixing and tinkering with electronics, furniture and tools in resistance to ever having anything that looks too shiny and new. You’ll also often find him clambering up cliff faces (where luckily he doesn’t tinker with his own safety equipment too much).

Saira Jacob

Saira Jacob is a graduate of architecture, hailing from India, who embarked on a new chapter in her career by moving to Australia in 2020 to complete her Masters in Architecture after completing her Bachelor’s Degree in Architecture from India.

Passionate about her profession, Saira is dedicated to creating beautiful buildings that seamlessly blend aesthetics with functionality and sustainability. She firmly believes in the importance of environmentally responsive design and strives to construct structures that minimise their environmental impact while meeting the needs of their clients.

Saira is deeply committed to the idea that architects bear a social responsibility. She recognises the reality of climate change and the urgent need for action. Through her work, Saira aims to contribute to a greener future by designing buildings with low-energy consumption and sustainable practices.
With a background in architecture from both India and Australia, Saira brings a unique perspective to her work. Her experiences in these diverse environments have allowed her to adapt to the changing needs of different sites and cultures.

In addition to her professional pursuits, Saira has a range of hobbies that enrich her life. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking and indulging in the art of photography. These creative outlets allow her to explore different facets of her personality and bring a fresh perspective to her architectural work.

Bronwyn Clarke

Bronwyn Clarke, is the accounts manager at Envirotecture, looking after our book keeping and financial matters.

Bronwyn is also our resident gardener nurturing the native bees and their environment while regularly supplying the office with a visual feast of native flowers.

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