Earth Temple Design: Sustainable Architectural Solutions

1. COMPANY PROFILE John Barrett Earth Temple Design Centre cc COMPANY PROFILE

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8. Earth Temple Design provides a comprehensive architectural and sustainable design service for residential, commercial and institutional clients, as well as the dream get away holiday retreat space (even assmall as 50 sq/m is a meaningful project when “going green”). We have earned an impeccable reputation for design, detailing and use of quality natural materials with an array of projects throughout the country. Earth Temple Design was born out of a design ethos which embraces sustainable homes, green buildings and landscape design. The firm seeks to create spaces which are inspired by its landscape, its people, and its heritage. The result of this is a design philosophy which allows for, and encourages, an integrative process where knowledge is both shared and gained by all involved in the project. The process is collaborative and dynamic: the firm listens carefully to clients' ideas and refine each design until it exceeds all expectations. These changes need to start from within as a pebble is dropped in a pond with the ripple effect causing the desired results. Every phase is fully supported right from first sketch to the final touch-ups. With a firm hand on the budget and schedule, Earth Temple Design insist on the most appropriate materials to enhance the feel and bring alive the vision and dream with the best construction standards.

9. It places emphasis on the importance of the community and environment in their projects. By building sustainably, Earth Temple Architects enhance the awareness of more natural and low-impact living environments and their practical workability. Innovations include configuring buildings to be heated, cooled, ventilated and lighted more efficiently, specifying green and recycled construction materials, buying renewable energy sources while harnessing solar, wind, geothermal and biomass energy, and exploiting available emerging energy technologies. In seeking to optimise a building’s energy usage and overall sustainability, Earth Temple Design supports alternative energy systems, identifies local resources and skills, optimises passive heating and cooling, supports methane production for cooking and heating from sewerage, and integrates permaculture food gardens and medicinal nurseries for absolute sustainability. The firm includes the best craftsman in stone, timber and steel from Southern Africa specialising in quality detail work, innovative techniques and design. Full advantage is taken of all the elements, earth, fire, water and air with the use of local resources such as stone, straw, latte, bamboo, lime and natural ochre. Earth Temple Designs’ goal is to incorporate both modern and indigenous designs to help improve the standard of living and wellbeing of the dwellers, through creating an experience of the built environment by defining spaces that are healing, nurturing, uplifting and energising. www.earthtemple.co.za EARTH TEMPLE ARCHITECTS NATURAL ARCHITECTURE + LANDSCAPE Co. REG: 87/20139/23 VAT: 4480171455 P. O. Box 699, Humansdorp, Eastern Cape, South Africa Email: life@earthtemple.co.za Honeyville Farm: +27 (0)42 295 1417 cell: +27 (0)82 415 0265

10. At Earth Temple, we embrace various models and methods of building residential homes – particularly for those interested in living “off-grid”, sustainable lives. There exist numerous factors which could determine the design. The aforementioned factors would include: the availability of materials, the type of workmanship available, the local customs and traditions, the possibility of using materials from other regions, the climate would play an important role together with the site conditions, and finally, the financial situation of the proposed home. SUSTAINABLE DESIGN PROCESS: At Earth Temple Design we hold dear to the Hierarchy of Sustainable Practice. Starting with the architect adding skills to the professional team and orchestrating an integrated system approach. Bulk Services include off the shelf manufacturers products to mitigate bulk service requirements such services might include: solar water heaters, photovoltaic panels, rainwater tanks, efficient appliances/ low energy fittings, efficient plumbing fittings, permaculture food gardens, indigenous gardens, natural swimming pools, gas appliances, energy storage technologies, grey water recycling, and industrial ecologies of heating and cooling. RESIDENTIAL PORTFOLIO _ EARTH TEMPLE S

11. Our designs are adapted to optimise nature, the economy, comfort and health of the internal environment by being responsive to natural systems: passive energy design which includes: orientation of structures (sun/ wind/ rain), natural lighting, natural ventilation, insulation and, horizontal and vertical shading; advanced passive energy design including: evaporative cooling/cooling towers/ solar chimneys, plenums/diurnal cooling, ground heat exchange, roof gardens (insulation/ footprint), passive gardens and greening (shading and wind), advanced window design, advanced insulation (built-in) and thermal mass; Interactive Manual/Auto Demand site management including: low energy heating/ cooling, smart technologies (Domotics, home appliance networking) and water purification. RESIDENTIAL PORTFOLIO _ EARTH TEMPLE DESIGNS

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13. At Earth Temple, materials and technology available for each project is thoroughly researched, this enables the design to optimised, reducing the embodied energy and the amount of material required, we embrace toxin-free materials, recycled/patented materials, renewable resources (FSC timber/ bamboo/ hemp) and also low embodied energy materials (green bricks/ SA pine). Conventional methods are improved with many years of structural technologies experience: lean, light and efficient structures which form active space frames, multifunctional structures (services, insulation, shading and finishes) and finally the structure is - as far as possible - used as a structural/ raw finish. Alternative natural building systems are a speciality, using dry stone, rammed earth, adobe, straw bale and sand-bags. Alternative high tech prefabricated systems include the use of lightweight steel frames and cladding, timber frame and lightweight pre-cast concrete. RESIDENTIAL PORTFOLIO _ EARTH TEMPLE DESIGNS

14. The design process at Earth Temple includes the use and reuse of materials which lower the environmental impact and to increase the long term efficiency of changing the building. The life cycle of our designs include: durable and appropriate material use, functional detailing, appropriate technologies for climate, protective overhangs and the reuse of deconstructed materials. An integrated approach involving resource-searching prior to designing facilitates not only the appropriate use of materials but also alternative and local material sourcing, these materials would include excavated material (top soil, sand, clay, stone), the reuse of construction/ demolition/ industrial waste. RESIDENTIAL PORTFOLIO _ EARTH TEMPLE DESIGNS

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19. EARTH TEMPLE DESIGNS www.earthtemple.co.za EARTH TEMPLE DESIGN CENTRE SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURE + NATURAL BUILDING + PERMACULTURE Co. REG: 87/20139/23 VAT: 4480171455 HUMANSDORP (EASTERN CAPE) P.O.BOX 699, Humansdorp, 6300 ,Eastern Cape, South Africa Email: life@earthtemple.co.za Honeyville Nature Reserve +27 (0)42 295 1417 cell: +27 (0) 82 415 0265