OUR STORY

Gruen Design Studio was founded by certified passive house designer Simone Schenkel. Growing up in Germany, Simone cherished watching nature documentaries with her mum. She couldn’t understand how people could be so careless with energy and water, or how they could harm our planet and its animals. This early exposure sparked her lifelong interest in sustainable architecture and environmental issues.

Over time, Simone’s passion for sustainable design evolved into a thriving career and business, driven by a mission to mainstream sustainable practices and make them accessible to everyone. For Simone, sustainability isn’t an afterthought—it’s an integral part of the entire design process.

When Simone moved to Australia in 2007, she was shocked by the inefficiency of her rental home. Despite being told that double-glazed windows weren’t necessary in Australia, she was unconvinced. Determined to educate people about the benefits of German design principles, she aimed to challenge and transform local construction practices.

Before founding her own studio in 2013, Simone worked at a design firm specialising in energy-efficient homes. However, she found it disheartening to inform prospective clients that homes could only be designed for budgets of $500,000 to $600,000 and above. This exclusion of smaller projects was common across the industry. Simone strongly believed that everyone, regardless of budget, deserved a beautiful and energy-efficient home.

This conviction became the cornerstone of Gruen: making energy-efficient homes a norm in Australia. Everyone should have the right to live comfortably without exorbitant energy costs.

MISSION & PURPOSE

Our purpose is to make energy efficient & sustainable SPACES a staple in the Australian landscape.

We design beautiful Energy Efficient, Sustainable & Healthy SPACES for future generations that won’t cost the earth.

OUR SERVICES