Design for sustainability

In the 1990s Peter taught the course “Design for Sustainability” at the University of Auckland. His ideas on sustainability and environmental architecture have been internationally published. Over this period he won a number of design competitions for environmental architecture including:

• First Prize: The International Student Competition for Passive Low Energy Architecture (PLEA 1992)
• First Prize: Carter Holt Harvey National Environmental Design Award. (1994)
• Runner up: Wellington City Council Ecohouse Design Competition (1994).
• Winner of the Waitakere Ecohome Competition (with Paul Heather (1996)

In more recent times Peter worked as sustainability consultant on the Landcare Building on Tamaki Campus with Chow Hill Architects. This won the Ministry for the Environment’s Green Ribbon Award for urban environmental management, and at the Property  Council of New Zealand awards, it won the EECA Energy Wise  Commercial Building Award.

In 2008 Peter as part of Peter’s continuing professional development he undertook the Green Building Council of New Zealand’s Level 1 and 2 training for Green Office Design.

Peters own rural residence is designed using some of these principles being of simple form, well insulated, well oriented with plenty of thermal mass, with solar hot water (which has never required its electric boost to be switched on). Wastewater is disposed of on-site and rainwater is harvested for washing and drinking. The exterior is naturally weathered timber, with the interior structure being hand crafted lawson cypress.

If you require a home or building greener than the norm, or the consideration of thermal comfort as well as thermal delight for your new home - or even an off-the-grid solution - contact Peter.