Strine Environments
Architecture in Canberra

In the 21st century, what are the issues we should be designing and building around? How to be sustainable? Living in Canberra’s drastic climate of extremes where we can now hover around 40 for days in summer, and drop down to 10 on a crisp and clear winter morning, a key inquire has to be how do you build a contemporary, affordable and comfortable building that suits our climate? And will it look any good? For Stine Environments, a leader in ultra low energy sustainable design and construction for over 30 years, the answer is a resounding yes to all these questions. Led by highly awarded architect Bic Butt, Stine Environments has a prosperous 30year track record of designing and building lovely contemporary homes for the Canberra climate that cost nothing to cool and virtually nothing to heat. Everything in a Stine home and on the site is there for a reason including an integrated lush garden that surrounds the home, becomes piece of the living space and if done correctly helps fine tune the homes climate. The result is a calm, airy and light occupied building that is a ecstasy to live in. Using the principles of compliant solar design, as well as a range of unique products and techniques Stine has developed such as insulated precast tangible panels, adjustable awnings, thermal mass walls, ventilated facades, solar chimneys and slab edge insulation Stine Environments, one of Australia’s foremost environmental design and construction practitioners, offers clients a seamless, environmental built solution. Yield buildings that create better built environments for our clients. We are dedicated to demonstrating practical, green, low energy solutions. She lived in an 1838 stone house in Bass and it was sometimes colder inside than outside. I remember in tall school trying to labor out what is the science that made that work? But unlike the car that loses all that heat overnight, because of the thermal mass we construct into our houses, they keep their heat overnight.’ Bic Butt. Even as a kid Bic Butt had an inquiring mind, a driving curiosity to understand how things worked. Coupled with his passion for Australia’s environment, it is no surprise he established Australia’s first firm dedicated to environmental design, and that he took the innovative step of improving environmental architecture to suit Australia’s extreme climates, and in particular, that of the Canberra region. He is committed to raising the public profile of vernacular Australian architecture and promoting environmentally sustainable practice in both design and construction. As long term Canberra residents we really enjoy our Stine home with the winter sun streaming into every room. We love the Aussie atmosphere with the corrugated iron roof and the gently curving roof line. So Stine worked with us as we negotiated with the Q.C.C. Everything that we thought plausible has eventuated, and we could not be happier with the final result. Stine is a unique combination of design and fabrication one that capable our solid block well. I first met Rick Butt in 1995 when I asked him to design my insignificant town house as a dual occupancy development in Curtis ACT and then with Amanda East in 2002, we undertook a very complex renovation of two impaired semis in Mosman MSW. I love living in my half of the dwelling.