“At Ecotect, there's much more to sustainable building than simply putting solar panels on your roof, it's all about living in the safest and healthiest home possible – not just for the occupant’s sake but also for the environment.”
Ecotect director Mark Fielding, of Nelson, has been interested in building energy efficient, ecologically sustainable homes since he started business in 1982. But back then, building “green homes” was an unheard of concept. Luckily for Mark, times have changed, with Ecotect now focusing exclusively on designing affordable eco homes.
Mark says there is a growing interest in building ‘eco’ homes, with increasing numbers of people recognising the huge benefits of living in safer, healthier environments. “People are now wanting something that is safer and less toxic, as well as a home that is energy efficient and also locally produced. Building sustainable homes makes very good sense, whichever way you look at it”.
Mark says his work isn’t about architecture, it’s about appropriate home design. He often feels that his is a lone voice trying to marry affordability with sustainability. Aware that all new construction is using some of the planet’s finite resources, he feels a responsibility to not be wasteful with those resources.
“We need to use local materials to keep our own people employed. It makes no sense to me to ship all our raw materials offshore for other countries to make into ‘stuff’ to ship back to us, using up fossil fuels and adding to pollution all along the way at the same time,” Mark says.
Ecotect has received many awards in recent years for its innovative sustainable designs from the: Architectural Designers New Zealand, the Master Builders’ Association and other organisations. See more here » |