‘This is a wonderful book that should be on the desk of every architect and planner. It shows how

Design for eco-services [Chapter 6]
The traditional green design method is focused on the building envelope. It does not aim to improve 
the ecology and community beyond what was originally on the site and surrounds (ie to push the 
envelope). SmartMode aims to enhance environmental flows through the building, site and region.
Currently, design thinking has been colonized by input–output thinking, which tends to limit our view 
to boundary issues and building envelopes. Drawing boundaries in order to facilitate measurement 
means we may ignore cumulative, global distributional impacts. By looking at environmental 
flows

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Positive Development
through an existing site, building or region, we can reverse some past interventions that reduce 
environmental and ecosystem health. Some design pointers include:
•
Think in flows (not inputs and outputs) through the region, site or building. Natural
services are longer lasting, lower maintenance and often more easily modified in the event of
initial engineering mistakes.
• 
Enhance environmental flows through development so that air, water, soil and biota come out 
ecologically healthier than under original pre-construction conditions by, for example,
expanding the building envelope so that it becomes an ecosystem (eg the Green Space Wall).
• 
Allow the landscape to flow through structures where appropriate to avoid lifeless, single-use
spaces. Consider opening part of the ground level to increase urban open space, mitigate
flooding, revitalize soil and enable nature corridors below buildings.
• 
In elevated buildings, ensure the bottom floor plan and heights are varied to allow light to
reach all the ground during parts of the day to avoid dead spaces under the building and
generate eco-services (eg worm farms and mushrooms). Use adequate floor insulation.
• 
Where prefabricated structures and components are used, ensure they meet ecological and 
human health needs and reduce net regional material flows. For example, office fit-outs,
interiors and other products could be organic and compostable.
• 
Avoid or question the ‘one size fits all’ passive solar templates (eg designs involving ‘slab on 
ground’ or major earth moving), as these characteristically ignore the ecology. (And, again,
do not under-design for solar energy).