Sofie Pelsmakers to join ECD Architects

April 25, 2016

 

 James Traynor: “ECD are delighted to announce that Sofie Pelsmakers has joined us as ‘Head of Research’. Sofie also leads an MSc in Sustainable Architecture Studies at the Sheffield University School of Architecture and this relationship builds upon our existing partnerships with academia such as LSE, UCL and others. We believe that collaboration is the key to future success and we recognize the increasing importance of R&D in architectural practice as noted by RIBA in their recent creation of a Research & Innovation Group.

For us this is a journey which has come full circle. Set up in 1980 assisted by European funding Research to consider the potential of passive solar design, ECD (Energy Conscious Design) Architects have always been a pioneer of sustainable design. From our first commission on Milton Keynes ‘future-home’ in 1981 to our current work for on the UK Case Study for the EuroPHit programme and High Rise Retrofit (Wilmcote House) for Portsmouth City Council we have raised the bar on building design and performance for our clients.”

Sofie Pelsmakers: “I am delighted to have joined ECD on a part-time basis alongside my academic role. Designing and building buildings is becoming ever more complex and ECD were one of the first architecture practices to realise and support the value of evidence based design from start to finish (and beyond) on projects. In my role as Head of Research I will be supporting ECD teams with evidence based design from the outset and to help teams to formalise, integrate and capture this process. To build a truly sustainable future we all need to share our knowledge and findings and contribute to the wider debate. Hence it is our aim not only to contribute to internal practice but to share our work with the outside world in industry and academia to help bridge the persistent information gap between academic research and industry practice and to open up the debate. Already prior to my arrival ECD were working with universities and had dipped their toes in KTP s (Knowledge Transfer Partnerships), which is unusual for a medium sized practice so I am delighted to be working with  an innovative, progressive and forward looking practice and support and enhance the work they already do. I also intend to build new links with the Sheffield School of Architecture such as creating paid student internships and identifying areas of mutual research opportunities, as well as building on links ECD already have with other academic institutions. So, watch this space!”