WHO IS PAUL DOWNTON?

PAUL DOWNTON: I'm the Director and Principal Architect of Ecopolis Architects Pty Ltd, and I've been designing buildings and pursuing the goal of ecological architecture and city-making for as long as I can remember; I was designing houses that followed the sun's path before I left school and it was there in the library of the Wells Blue Grammar in Somerset, England, that I discovered Frank Lloyd Wright and fell in love with the ideals of an organic architecture that is responsive to both people and place.I loved art, geography, woodwork and technical drawing (for which I won a school prize!), I joined my first environment group before I left school, and I've always enjoyed writing, so it's not too hard to see a fairly continuous line of development that leads, later in life, two awards that include one for environmental journalism and a design for portable shelters for Welsh sheep farmers as well as an international Ecocity Prize and an international environmental award for the Christie Walk project.Working with my partner Chérie and colleague Emilis Prelgauskas, in 1991 we formed Urban Ecology Australia (UEA), the national non-profit urban environmental community group which has been actively promoting ecological developments ever since and into which I have invested thousands of hours of voluntary work.Through UEA and Ecopolis Architects I have continued to disseminate and promote ecological city ideas in Australia and overseas, giving countless public talks, radio, TV and newspaper interviews on the subject of ecological architecture, urban ecology and ecopolis. I have had the honor of being an invited speaker to many international events concerning cities and sustainability as a result of my work on ecological architecture and ecocity development.All this informs my approach to architecture and urban design and has reinforced my conviction that good, appropriate design is vital to making healthy human environments, and that defining the brief, understanding the site and listening to clients is the most important step in any design process

ECOPOLIS ARCHITECTS:

Ecopolis Architects Pty Ltd ABN 83 008 090 391Specialists in ecological architecture, biourbanism & urban ESDEcopolis Architects Pty Ltd provide architectural, urban design and interior design services with strong commitment to the highest

standards of ecological responsibility .We consult at the level of strategic planning and technical studies to detailed architectural design that consistently exceeds minimum

building code and ‘Star rating’ requirements .ServicesEcopolis Architects Pty Ltd are Corporate Members of the RAIA and offer a full range of architectural servicesarchitecture interior design urban design

PUBLICATION:

"A magnificent study. In an age where eco- has become the necessary prefix in urban design and building, Downton is a breath of fresh air. He speaks to the best within us and offers not only hope, but a blue -print for achieving sustainable communities that are in touch with people and place. Downton's Ecopolis represents both a vast theoretical knowledge and the wizened experience of an architect who seeks to implement the ideas he advocates. Included in this volume are accounts of three projects Downton has personally been involved in. Written in the lineage of Christopher Alexander & Richard Register, Downton's Ecopolis is set to become a modern classic."Peter Burdon

Ecopolis is a book about cities, ecology and climate change written by one of Australia's leading advocates and pioneers of sustainable architecture. Challenging conventional definitions and limitations of architecture and planning, it proposes a strong trans-disciplinary approach that links built environment professionals, life scientists and the wider community in the design of human settlements as living components of the biosphere.

PUBLICATION :

Steering Sustainability:Policy, Practice and Performance

Anitra Nelson, editorPublished by Ashgate, 2007

This book contains a chapter by Paul Downton - "Ecopolis: Concepts, Initiatives and the Purpose of Cities", as well as other authors including Peter Newman, Alan Pears and Jan Sheurer.

"a comprehensive tour of contemporary sustainability practice across Australia, with

an emphasis on grass-roots action".

Your Home Technical Manual(4th Edition) Paul Downton is the editor and a major

contributor to this best-selling publication from the federal government. It is available on-line and as a book which can be ordered from the Alternative Technology Association who describe it as "a step-by-step guide for matching building designs to your local

climate".-Building with sustainable materials

-Passive solar design -Designing and building for your climate

-How to collect and save water -Insulation products and installation

-Shading and ventilation -Energy saving appliances

-Solar hot water -Energy efficient lighting

-Renewable energy for homes

PUBLICATION :

Theories: The Aesthetics of Ecological ArchitectureAs part of a coherent and intelligent approach to ecological development it is necessary to incorporate appropriate aesthetic and design guidelines to ensure that a rethink of the development process does not provide a new carte

blanche for aesthetic chaos .

Specific Aspects of Ecological DevelopmentEcological development should always proceed from the basis of an ecological analysis of the potential site. Potential

land use patterns should be considered from an ecological perspective .

Charter of CalcuttaProposed by Paul F. Downton, and adopted in the Concluding Session of the International Conference and Exhibition

on Architecture of Cities held in Calcutta on the 20th November 1990 .

A House Is Not A MachineNature abhors straight lines, goes the old saying; nowadays we might say she does things in fractals instead. Nature also abhors exact repetition. Nothing is ever the same twice. Symmetry abounds in nature, but even in symmetry

things are not identical.

The Ecopolis Development PrinciplesInitially drafted in association with Chérie Hoyle and Emilis Prelgauskas, the Ecopolis Development Principles (EDP) were intended to provide a clear set of precepts for developing human settlement that restored, rather than

destroyed, ecological health. In its first incarnation there were 12 principles .

Urban Ecology & the Architecture of EcopolisCities are at the centre of the storm of ecological destruction. Everything in the biosphere is connected and cities are part of the global ecosystem. They embody the values of the civilization that produced them

PROJECTS:

List of complete PROJECTS:1: Rawnsley Park EcoVillas 2: Ramsay Rebuild 3: Private Homes 4: Hall of Conciliation 5:EnviroDome 6: Christie Walk Ecocity

7: Whyalla Ecocity Information8: Buddhist Meditation Centre

PROJECTS:

Rawnsley Park is located 430km north of Adelaide in the spectacular outback landscape of the Flinders Ranges. The client, whose brief included a requirement for a high level of environmentally responsible design, are award-winning tourism operators with a reputation for service and innovation.

The three villas are steel frame and rendered straw bale with double glazed windows. They have a natural ventilation system, concrete floors to maximize thermal mass, and recycled timber with 0 VOC level stains. The villas feature extensive balconies for panoramic views and a bedroom skylight.

The accommodation has achieved Advanced Ecotourism Accreditation, the highest level possible in the Ecotourism Australia certification program. Winner of the Eco Sponsor Prize in the IDEA awards 2006, the project was listed as a great example in the "Design Guidelines for Sustainable Tourism Development" in South Australia.

Rawnsley Park EcoVillas

Rawnsley Park EcoVillas

PROJECTS:

Ecopolis Architects, in association with Emilis Prelgauskas architect and in collaboration with Taylor Cullity Lethlean, won a design competition held through a partnership between Paraquad SA and Archicentre Ltd to build three wheelchair accessible, 2 bedroom homes on a standard suburban block in Hillcrest, Adelaide. The brief included a desire to achieve four key aspects; accessible design, sustainability, affordable innovation, and creating a healing and nurturing environment

Ramsay Rebuild

Ramsay Rebuild

PROJECTS:

Christie Walk is named for the long-time social and environmental activist, Scott Christie, partner of Joan Carlin, part of the community of people who have initiated and sustained this unique development. This community has contributed to the design, development and construction of Christie Walk in a commitment to the human values of urban living and ecological responsibility.

The project, located in Adelaide City's south west quarter, was designed to test and demonstrate the processes, plans and principles contained in the ecological city vision of Urban Ecology Australia (UEA), a non-profit association for environmental education. It is part of the Whitmore Square EcoCity Project - a conceptual strategic framework adopted by UEA for mapping the southwest quarter of the city as a future piece of ecocity. The design brief was based on energy efficiency, the use of renewable and a high overall ecological performance allied to user-participation in the design and development process. It was intended to set the parameters for a project able to demonstrate both the physical and organizational aspects of community and ecological development.

Christie Walk Project won the Silver Prize in the 2006 Ryutaro Hashimoto APFED Awards for Good Practice (an international environment and development award), and was a 2005 finalist in the international BSHF World Habitat Awards.

Christie Walk Ecocity

Christie Walk Ecocity

PROJECTS: Christie Walk Ecocity

Christie Walk Ecocity

PROJECTS: Christie Walk Ecocity

Christie Walk Ecocity: Facades

PROJECTS: Christie Walk Ecocity

Christie Walk Ecocity: Roof garden

PROJECTS: Christie Walk Ecocity

Christie Walk Ecocity Interior:

PROJECTS:

The Buddhist Meditation Centre is destined to take shape over many years. The first of the five buildings planned for the Whyalla Ecocity site has been built thanks to the spirit, dedication and hard work of Bruce Muhlan and his cohorts. Steel framed, strawbale construction makes this an unusual project, with the scale being larger than the usual domestic scale associated with strawbale. Particular colors are used for each compass orientation, in line with Buddhist philosophy. The project has been designed in close consultation with the Sakya Yigah Choeling group, and scrutinised and approved by HH Sakya Trizin.

Buddhist Meditation Centre

Buddhist Meditation Centre