A Trio of Design Professionals Create a Development of High-Performing Townhouses in Melbourne

It could have been the same old story: A city couple looking to start a family give up their one-bedroom apartment to buy a fixer-upper with the cash they have and renovate down the line. But architect Chris Gilbert, founding director of the studio Archier in Melbourne, Australia, and his partner, Miranda Louey, who handles the firm’s marketing and communications, weren’t interested in buying anything outdated. The cost of updates to a run-down home, not to mention making it energy efficient, would be expensive, they knew, and others close to them felt the same way.

Chris shares an office with Peter Steele, an environmental consultant and cofounder and former director at sustainable development firm Hip V. Hype, and Liam Wallis, the firm’s founding director. The three discovered they were all in the same boat—ready for a family home but one that reflected the values of their practices, especially sustainability (though Chris makes it clear he hates that word, acknowledging that building anything is inherently wasteful). So they formed a collaborative of sorts, pooling their resources to design and develop a row of three energy-efficient townhouses.