In this edition of Talking Architecture and Design, Branko Miletic speaks with Tone Wheeler, the principal and director of Environa Studio and a passionate advocate for environmental architecture.
He has taught at universities for over 40 years and designed every type of structure conceivable, his sustainability credentials extend way beyond the ordinary, and he is much more than just a designer of things; he’s a chronicler of the changing mood of Australian architecture and its many iterations over the years.
In this podcast, Tone Wheeler discusses the ‘Sydney School’ of architecture, about architecture needing purpose and place, localisation, sustainability and the growing population, robots, and the need to ‘slow it down’.
Tone Wheeler
Tone Wheeler is an architect, author, educator and consultant with an abiding interest in environmentally sustainable design (ESD). in the mid seventies at the university of Sydney he coordinated and assisted in the construction of the “autonomous house”, a working example of a low energy house constructed entirely from recycled materials. upon graduation tone worked for the Australian government in Canberra where he designed a range of low cost social housing that won the r.a.i.a residential design award (c s Daley medal) in 1980. for the last twenty five years he has worked in his own practice. tone is a past chair of the AIA national environment committee, is currently on the institute ‘Sustainabilty Committee’ and recently retired from the board of ABSA (association of building sustainability assessors) after a ten year association. he is a current board member of the building professionals board.
