Architecture
The firm’s overriding aim is to contribute towards a future heritage which points towards a more sustainable future. A contemporary yet timeless architecture which our grand-children may look back on with the same affection and pride provided today by our historical heritage.
We strive for an architecture of
good fit :
- a good fit with the environment and sustainable processes.
- a good fit with people’s and communities’ needs.
- a good fit with the setting, whether urban, suburban, rural or natural.
We have demonstrated time and again that good design, environmental responsibility and the creation of livable environments are not expensive luxuries.
The firm is proud to have received numerous design awards and international recognition for its pioneering work in the environmental field. Charles Simon has been called “the grandfather of passive solar in Canada"* and receives numerous invitations to speak in Canada, the USA and Europe.
* Wayne Grady, The Waterloo Greenhome
THE MILL IN EDEN MILLS
HOME & OFFICE OF CHARLES SIMON
BUILT IN 1842, THE BURNT-OUT SHELL HAS BEEN RECYCLED AS A GREEN MIXED-USE BUILDING.
"RIGHT, I'VE CLEANED OUT THE MILLRACE, FILLED THE WOOD PELLET BIN, WASHED THE SOLAR COLLECTORS, OPENED UP THE COOL AIR VENTS, WATERED THE ROOF GARDEN, ADJUSTED THE GREENHOUSE SHADES, CHECKED THE GRID-CONNECTED PVs...........
NOW I'M READY TO GET ON WITH THE DAY'S WORK!"
WITH ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND APOLOGIES TO LOUIS HELLMAN.
