BUILDING - Steph Zannakis

Social Enterprise in Construction - local West End examples of an alternative approach to construction.

Healing self/societal and human/nature relationships is central to Steph’s journey and in particular his practice of architecture. Developing an ethical practice of being in the world relative to the context of climate change, peak oil, planetary resource consumption and a meaningful lifestyle is the path Steph is seeks.

In 1993 Steph started his studies in architecture, focussing on healing and restorative dwellings which also heal the local environment. Very quickly this search evolved to include the broader perspective of culture and lifestyle alongside art and architecture. In 1996/7 and 2000/01, Stephconnected design with construction, craft, resource management, people and community through working as a carpenter.

In 2001 Steph started his own design and construct enterprise recycling building materials into architecture often constructed offsite in a workshop. Since 2004 Steph has been an active member of SPIRAL Community Hub, a community development cooperative based in West End. Designing and running construction training projects with SPIRAL, Steph works with marginalised people added another layer of understanding to the role that architecture and building has in creating community.

It is in partnership with SPIRAL, Steph is developing GreenBlack, sustainable design and construct as a social enterprise, which utilises modular construction as both a design and a construction tool, tonight’s topic of conversation.