Zedfactory

Prior to setting up Zedfactory Bill worked at Michael Hopkins and Partners, for 15 years, on projects specialising in low energy and sustainable development, that included the following:

Nottingham University, New Jubilee Campus was the final project Bill completed as an associate for MHP from July 95 – July 1999. He took the scheme from the initial competition bid through to completion. Opened in December 1999 by HM the Queen, the campus has since been awarded the Stirling Prize, Sustainability Award 2001.

Before Nottingham, Bill developed the environmental strategy and detailed façade design for Portcullis House between Aug 92 –July 95. This work followed 4 years of research in the European Union funded Joule Research Project, collaborating with the leading environmental consultants in Europe, including Arup, CSTB Nantes, Christian Bartenbach and Conphoebus.

Bracken House, redevelopment, City of London. July 90 – Aug 93 Contract value £85 million. Senior architect.

Bill founded ‘the ZEDfactory’ in 1999–. The company aims to demonstrate that a step change reduction in carbon footprint is achievable at the same time as an increase in overall quality of life – with a zero carbon, zero waste lifestyle, and work style achieved by synchronising urban ZEDs with zero fossil energy farming and food distribution.

Zedfactory has developed its own building physics models tuneable to different climatic regions, has its own ‘ZEDfabric’ low cost bulk purchasing supply chain with specially developed energy efficient and building integrated renewable energy systems. The architectural practice specialises is evolving a contemporary zero carbon vernacular and has completed a range of mixed use building typologies responding to different density requirements. Since 1999 the practice has completed a number of award winning building projects.

The ZEDfactory is best known for the BedZED project in South London, a 100 home mixed use community with workspace and social facilities, Jubilee Wharf in Cornwall, the SkyZED high rise proposal in Wandsworth, and the Rural ZED zero carbon kit house . A similar approach using the retro fitting of low carbon construction techniques is being used to extend the useful life of existing 1970’s social housing in Hackney / London. ZEDfactory are currently working on a UK govtecotown masterplan, and a number of larger urban projects in China and France, with particular emphasis on the holistic integration of zero carbon thinking into the placemaking and transportation agenda.

Bill has co written the ‘ZEDbook’ with eco footprint expert Craig Simmons and building physicist Bobby Gilbert – a manual for achieving zero carbon development at different densities and scales - which won the RIBA Research Award in 2008. In 2008 ZEDfactory won an international competition to design a zero carbon zero waste mixed use exhibition pavilion in the Urban Best Practice Demonstration Area of the Shanghai Expo – which has been open between May and October 2010.

Bill has taught at the Architectural Association, Kingston University, Harvard and EPFL in Lausanne. He also gives lectures and conducts workshops aswell as speaking regularly at Conferences and seminars overseas and within the UK.

He received the OBE in last year’s Honours list for services to Sustainable Housing Design.