Our philosophy embraces design as a personal and human process which unites people, purpose and place with beauty, nature and each other. We work with a deep respect for the environment and with an informed awareness of the impact our choices make every day.
The following values guide our design process…
Humanity… making places which shelter as well as inspire and nurture people to realise their personal potential.
Environmental sustainability… making a stand for sustainable structures, looking at energy used in construction as well as throughout the life of the building… creating healthy structures that have a low energy footprint, reduced maintenance and superior comfort.
Creativity… developing new ways of thinking and incorporating art, emotion and 'sense of place' into design.
Practicality…designing buildings which can be efficiently and cost effectively constructed by the available builders and tradespeople.
Reverence… designing with consciousness and respect for the natural world, and for the needs of the human spirit.
About us
Since its inception in 1999, Soft Loud House Architects has established itself as an architectural practice committed to innovative and sustainable design. Through our extensive work with housing, farms, Rudolf Steiner schools and more recently eco villages, we have become recognised for our grounded, healthy and lively form of organic architecture and our ability to interweave buildings, gardens and landscape to create an enticing and poetic sense of place.
Many years of research and experience has enabled us to develop a solid resource base of sustainable materials, information, consultants, contacts and suppliers. We offer our clients sustainable and practical choices for design, materials and energy efficiency in their buildings and landscapes. Soft Loud House Architects are a certified carbon neutral company.
For Alvyn Williams, the principal architect of Soft Loud House Architects, the consideration of food growing, climate, humanity, and environment are more than just features of his work; they are at the heart of the design process. Alvyn seeks to work with each client in defining their emotional and experiential guidelines for each project, leading them to a deeper level of fulfilment upon completion.
People
Alvyn Williams B. Architecture RAIA
Director and Principal Architect - Soft Loud House Architects
Alvyn Williams founded Soft Loud House Architects in 1999, with the aim of living, developing and promoting humanness, connectedness, delight and environmentally sustainable practices in the architectural design of buildings and landscapes.
Combining university studies with an extended apprenticeship at the renowned Gregory Burgess Architects (Melbourne), these formative years in Alvyn’s development as an architect were inspired by a diverse range of people, places and values, Greg Burgess and his staff, Samuel Mockbee (Rural Studio) and John Hocking being of particular note. These early years served to solidify his beliefs in sustainable and sensitive design and as his career flourished, so too did his commitment to ‘organic architecture’.
Based in the Yarra Valley region of Victoria, Alvyn’s diverse range of projects include individual houses, schools, farms, eco villages, affordable housing projects and community spaces throughout Victoria and beyond. He is well regarded as an Architect of choice for Steiner Schools, and is at the forefront of new initiatives in eco village and cohousing design and development, an arena which unites his passion, philosophies and design instincts.
Alvyn has a unique sensitivity to the energetic qualities and aliveness the landscape brings to the design process, and has an abiding empathy with his clients’ need and desires, bringing an experiential richness to the design process that is evident in the completed project.
Soft Loud People
In addition to Alvyn and the dedicated administration and support staff, Soft Loud House Architects is assisted by an established network of artists, planners, designers, engineers and tradespeople, as well as the support of a community of inspired sustainability pioneers, who are consulted as appropriate to each unique project.
