Caroline Pidcock
Practice: Pidcock - Architecture + Sustainability
Established: 1992
City: Sydney
Country: Australia
www.pidcock.com.au
[email protected]
Caroline Pidcock is an architect with genuine interest and experience in sustainable built environments. This has been developed and enhanced through her involvement in a wide range of professional, academic and other commitments. This currently includes being sole director of her own architectural and sustainable consultancy practice of ten people, industry representative on the Australian Building Codes Board and ambassador for both the Al Gore Climate Change and 1 Million Women projects. Her previous roles as President of the Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council, President of the Royal Australian Institute of Architects in NSW, member of the NSW Architects Registration Board, member of Bicycle NSW Board and adjunct professor/lecturer at a range of universities in NSW, exposed her to many government, business, academic and community arenas. She is currently researching the architecture of zero-emissions housing, to further enrich the work of her practice and its future.
Pidcock - Architecture + Sustainability
Status vs Scale
This Status vs Scale competition entry explores a positive alternative to the growing size and impact of project homes in Australia. The house has been designed to accommodate a family of four as it starts, grows, changes and then contracts. To achieve this, the adaptable design can house either two unrelated groups or one larger family. It is based on strong principles of sustainable architecture that include good orientation, appropriate thermal mass, insulation, natural ventilation, photovoltaics, water tanks and food garden.
| How does diversity of people reveal itself at work? | Our architectural practice resides in Resource88 - Centre for Sustainable Practice, along with Good Environmental Choice Australia, Blue Green Engineering, Ecological Design and Transition. Of the 20 people working here, the five males and fifteen females come from Australia, Ireland, Germany, Venezuela, Spain, Bosnia, Greece, China, Vietnam, and East Timor. The diversity in the backgrounds, skills and knowledge of this group ensure we are constantly kept aware of worldwide concerns and issues, which greatly enriches our architecture and consulting. |
| Who are your role models who inspire you? | People who are passionate about a positive future for all to enjoy. Those who have influenced me in particular are environmentalist Tim Flannery, who has written so well and forcefully about our environment, and employed me to help him improve his sustainable home; and Al Gore, who has helped people around the world to understand the issues around climate change and the need to act urgently, as well as training people like me to take this message to our communities. |
| What do you find most rewarding in your area of work? | The ability to explore the possibilities of desirable sustainable architecture that will enable us to live in a more connected and positive way with the planet that hosts us. In achieving this, we aim to create with, empower, collaborate with and inspire the people and communities we work among. We choose to design homes, community buildings and schools, where our approach can directly effect the essential places that impact our clients' lives on a daily basis. |