Specialising in architecture for remote and difficult sites demands diverse skills that can ensure minimal environmental damage while also delivering comfort and joy.
Indeed it requires expertise in architecture that can give back to the landscape in a positive and restorative manner. It also requires a mindset that understand hyper-efficiency in product design, building design, manufacturing, construction and smart logistics.
The design, siting and construction of cabins and shacks in natural landscapes is an artform when executed successfully.
The architect and builder Stephen Sainsbury has refined and pioneered the design and repeated deployment of pods and pavilions in numerous locations in Australia and abroad, including Tasmania, Flinders Island and India.
Established and 2005, Stephen’s company – EcoShelta – has been at the forefront of architect- designed sustainable buildings that utilise the latest in ‘green’ materials, technology and assembly systems. Sainsbury notes that his practice aims ‘to achieve the highest possible aesthetic return for the lowest achievable ecological impact’.
The EcoShelta method has been developed and progressed over many years of real-world application. Multiple designs for different uses and locations demonstrates the responsiveness shown by EcoShelta and their various designs. Whether its coastal, hilltop or rural, the range of cabins and pods can accommodate the most demanding of environmental constraints and requirements.
Coherent thinking backed by practical experience also shines through the FAQs on the EcoShelta website where you will find information, guidance and direction, including clear justification for how the company uses ‘space-age’ aluminium to maximise durability, lightweight and termite-free performance.
Sainsbury and his EcoShelta pods talk to the importance of good design, measurable performance and minimal environmental impact. There is a certain wisdom reflected through his design thinking. He acknowledges the cultural significance and ecological imperative of tackling consumption through the making of buildings that are truly sustainable, as opposed to clichéd eco improvement.
In Sainsbury’s own words, his practice aims to achieve the highest possible aesthetic return for the lowest achievable ecological impact.
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