About

We at Gruen Eco Design are passionate about sustainable design; because we believe sustainable design can and must be affordable for everyone and as a matter of course should be integrated naturally throughout the whole design process, rather than designing something and trying to make it sustainable later.

Our mission is to help others to live a more sustainable life!

We pride ourselves on providing a unique design service to design beautiful energy efficient and sustainable homes for future generations in cooperation with you.

My name is Simone Schenkel and I’m the designer and director at Gruen Eco Design.

Thanks to my architectural studies in Germany, an essential part of my education was based on sustainability as well as passive house design.

Simone Schenkel, Degreed Engineer (Architecture), Germany – Diplom Ingenieur Architektur

dipl ing (eng + arch) Germany

Certified Passive House Designer
Registered Building Designer with the Building Commission
Registered Building Designer with BDAV Victoria

Australian Passive House Association Member

APHA_member_logos_2017

Our Team

Simone Schenkel Director – Certified Passive House Designer

Deepanjali Wadkar Graduate Architect

Juan Santoria Cuartero Graduate Architect

Marian Wood Building Designer

Bevan Mc Kenzie Building Designer

Ben Elliston Certified Passive House Designer/Consultant

Gerard Turnbull Registered Architect

Our Gruen Eco Design team at the BDAV Awards night

Media

Designing the Future: Melbourne Weekly Cover Story

LEG Preis 2006: Architecture Competition

10 star Challenge: Sanctuary Magazine

Berkley College of Music (Valencia/Spain): e-architect

Our Gruen Renovation featured by The Fifth Estate: Sustainable House Day: Comfort doesn’t have to come at a big cost

Our 8.1 star Renovation/Extension featured by The Greens: Extending Horizons

Our 8.1 star Renovation/Extension featured by Sanctuary Magazine: Outside the Box: An energy efficient addition

BDAV 10 Star Winner Announced: 2018 BDAV 10-Star Sustainable Design Challenge Winner Announced

The Fifth Estate: :10 star design comp winners putting sustainability theory into practice

Our partners

Offering Australian householders and business, services and products to make your environment more energy efficient and sustainable.

Sustainable renovations, energy and thermal efficiency retrofitting: The Ecocraft team bring a wealth of experience in carpentry and building and a passion for ecologically responsible craftsmanship. We have sourced the best products and techniques so that you can improve the comfort and energy efficiency of your home or commercial building.

“Healthy Interiors” evolved as a consequence of a young Interior Designer mum renovating while simultaneously struggling with her childrens health issues. Pieces of a puzzle emerged over time to reveal that many of the materials and finishes used in the building industry and household practices have the potential to impact on the health of homes and the health of occupants.

reviews

Ecocraft
Simone and the team at Gruen Eco Design are highly knowledgeable where it counts in terms of good solar passive design and the ability to achieve the highest possible star rating of 10.

We have worked with Simone on several projects to date and she takes a very customer focused approach by engaging the client and their design brief and is happy to further develop client sketch ideas into a cohesive structure. This pared with expertise in the use of highly efficient building materials sets Gruen Eco Design apart as a unique architectural business. The use off 3D CAD modeling is highly effective and really helps each client to visualise their project above and beyond a standard 2D elevation.

I have also engaged Simone for a personal project being the development two dwellings on a highly challenging sloping block in Eltham. Having tackled the challenge of driveway cut, retaining walls and dwelling orientation to follow the fall of the land as well as take advantage of the solar passive benefits of a North facing rear yard, Simone rose to the challenge and we are currently working through the complexities of planning law.

It is without hesitation that I recommend Gruen Eco Design for your new home or renovation, especially is you seek the benefits of good solar passive design, energy and thermal efficiency.

EcoMad
If your after a sustainable house both in design and materials then Gruen Eco Design will help. Really passionate and knowledgeable about homes designed to be eco-friendly. As we are an eco business who assess and retrofit existing housing stock to become energy efficient, we needed someone who was as passionate about energy efficiency as we are to look after our clients who want to build new or add extensions to their homes.

K. Lau
I can’t say enough of the quality of service and work provided by Gruen Eco Design.

As per the name of the company, the key focus is on energy efficiency and self sustainability, without the compromising the design and your personal taste.

Gruen Eco Design is also very creative in providing solutions to the complex building designs in order to meet your requirements.

The director of the business is extremely professional and quick to answer all your questions and concerns.

I give a 5 star to this company and if we build again, without any doubt will not use any other company but Gruen Eco Design.

C. Sandford
At this stage through our project Gruen Eco Design have lived up to their high reputation. Their knowledge in thermal efficient design is what we were looking for, and we are very happy so far with their advice, design and planning. We look forward to our continued relationship as building gets underway.

Custom Home Designs
Simone and her team (at Gruen Eco Design) have been associated with and working with my company, (Custom Home Designs) for the past few years In Victoria, and in this time I have found her to be meticulous with detail, always returning emails and calls on time and assisting my clients with all facets of design and consultation work. She specializes in the best use of thermal and solar applications to help maximize the homes comfort and yet decrease the use for artificial energy into the home.
I have no hesitation in recommending Simone and her team and look forward to continuing our ongoing business association.