The aims of Gaïa ecotecture are grounded in professional service, enhancing the human condition, with functionality, economy, happiness and transcendent elegance as the goals.
The Gaïa (earth mother) ethos is a joyful, positive view that enhances design quality and greatly improves quality of life. Not limited to technical/energy issues alone, it encompasses space, natural light, passive solar, natural materials for air quality and health, colour theory and a general sense of vitality. Key guiding concepts are the tenets of ecological architecture, green design, and bioclimatic/sustainable building.
In a post-industrial and increasingly globalised environment, the insight that we cannot continue destroying our own habitat nor that of other species without very serious eventual consequences and short term affects (already all too evident ), is now more generally accepted, if not yet wholeheartedly acted upon. However, many construction people remain very unsure how to apply sustainable principles of NEARLY ZERO ENERGY BUILDING (NZEB) in a holistic, beautiful, way while still giving clients economic buildings: After more than 35 years in practice, we know how to achieve this.
Whereas we see merit in Passiv Haus/Passive House techniques and standards, we emphasise more naturally active house concepts, relying on natural trickle ventilation admitting fresh air at all times (in temperate latitudes) and less mechanistic solutions.
We believe indoor air quality is crucially important. As our buildings become ever more airtight, to comply with increasing Regulatory Standards, we must be ever more careful about off-gassing of toxic materials.
We believe that the Art element in eco design is hugely important - the intensive design process distils the content and brief, to arrive at a simple, essential design which has the quality of simplicity and restraint, but fulfilment, at many levels.
For enhanced health, happiness, quality of life, and minimal interference with nature, the Gaïa design ethos is one of integrating new built environment with natural systems. This is a very practical approach based on pioneering research and practical experience in the field of ‘eco minimalism’, grounded in common sense.
It's now common case that we are in trouble as a species, as we lose another species every ten minutes; it takes 50,000 years to evolve a species the Millennial Development Goals were revisited to formulate the Sustainable Development Goals 2015, for achievement by 2030, and these are by now very well integrated and resolved in 'joined up thinking'. They are being adopted by governance, from international and national levels, down to local councils and organisations, and informing action-plans of policy; we are very happy to work to these goals, as they pithily encapsulate what we strive toward.
2021's RIAI Simon Open Door campaign raised €161,050 to help tackle the housing and homeless crisis. This latest result brings the total raised, in the campaign’s 17-year history, to €1,330,135
