eco architect, definition of

• Minimize environmental impact, across the whole life cycle of the resultant building;
• Maximize the use of recycled or reclaimed materials;
• Minimize the operational costs of the buildings by employing energy efficiency techniques in the building design.

The end result should be a building which is good for the environment and cheap to live in.

Although, with the increased focus on being green in building, quite often regular architects either have direct 'eco' experience or have access to experts or resources to assist them - so do not select on the basis of an architect being eco alone.

• Green Home Building and Ecology in Australia
  Info and sites that help with building a sustainable and green home in Australia and useful government agencies to be aware of. Also advice on dealing with architects and builders.

• Architects held to be "Fit For Purpose"
  Trade Practices Amendment (Australian Consumer Law) Bill (No. 2) 2010 will seek to remove an exception requiring Architects and Engineers to comply to a 'Fit for Purpose' warranty. We think this is a good thing.

Related Tags: architecture, buildings

Eco Architecture refers to designing buildings with a strong green and environmental element to them; e.g sustainable and minimizing the environmental impact of the final design.

Note: This does not necessarily mean existing buildings cannot be made more 'eco' rather this is focused on taking a new building and designing it from the ground up to be more eco friendly. When building it pays to consider the benefits of reusing an existing structure over knocking down and replacing it.

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Related Tags: eco, green design, architecture