What got you started into the field of sustainable architecture?
“ I realized that the way that I was practicing architecture in my office wasn’t sustainable. The quality of the workmanship on site where I was working on building projects was not at all environmentally conscious. I couldn’t see any evidence of sustainable practice in my work place but at the same time I didn’t have the tools or knowledge on sustainable architecture or how to acquire it. I didn’t even know what it was really how you define it.
With this, I thought I really needed to learn about sustainable architecture. I couldn’t learn by myself with only books, I needed something structured, so I went back to university. I pursued a master’s in sustainable architecture and design at the University of East London under the guidance of Sofie Pelsmaker. She was fantastic. She opened the door to this entire new knowledge of bioclimatic design but also passive house design, low energy design. Ontop of that she introduced me to a series of softwares and tools to measure the energy outcome of our design and that for me, was transformational. That was really my hour of reckoning you know, realizing this is the right way to practice architecture.
From there on I looked at architecture with a sustainable angle, specifically focusing on retrofit….”
