Neil Cownie Architect

24/10/2026

22/10/2026

You hear the term ‘tree canopy’ all the time but there are many varieties of tree canopy. In Rabat, Morocco I experienced some wonderful examples of urban centre tree canopy that was working hard as important infrastructure. Just look at these sculpted trees with their very broad canopy that importantly provides shade to pedestrians. Just imagine the relief this shade would bring to the pedestrian experience of hot weather. The canopies on these trees also covers a large area of the pedestrian crossing. Compare this to the relatively small area of shade from single palm trees. In the last photo you can see that grouping palm trees can together provide worthwhile shade.

09/10/2026

Feeling lucky to have been selected as one of the 15 people to attend a one week immersive workshop ‘Technology of the Desert’ in Goulmima oasis, Morocco. Just like the micro-climate corridors of constructed vegetated wetlands in my JUICE urban design proposal, I look forward to the analysis of the relationship of two ancient towns with the adjoining ribbons of oasis.

06/10/2026

Grateful for the support from Jordon Steele-John The push to build more housing gives us the opportunity to design new accessible and affordable homes that are resilient to extreme weather. Climate adaptation and resilience is the future 💚 Urban Design Forum WA WA Chapter of the Australian Institute of Architects PIA WA AILA WA Let’s do this!

03/10/2026

This looks worth exploring further. Repost from
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What if a village was designed around community and nature?
In Oosterwold, Almere, ‘t Eemgoed brings together 82 homes in eight gently curved longhouses across seven hectares.

Designed by cepezed, the village is car-free, energy-neutral and bio-based, with green roofs, shared gardens, orchards, waterways and 1,150 m² of food forest.
But the project goes beyond sustainable architecture: around 130 adults and 50 children now live in a community where residents share responsibility for the landscape and common spaces.

Here, the landscape leads and architecture follows.

📍 Oosterwold, Almere, Netherlands
🏗️ cepezed / cepezedprojects / cepezedbouwteam

Netherlands Almere EcoVillage ArchitectureForChange

02/10/2026

A very well written article by Katie Hampson of the Western Suburbs Weekly newspaper on my advocation for the urgent need to deliver on climatically responsible urban development.

27/09/2026

In the post 2026 Grand Final fallout, this spirit remains. Freo, Freo . . . . it’s com’in home 2027.
🫟🫟🫟🫟🫟🫟🫟🫟🫟🫟🫟🫟🫟🫟🫟⚓️⚓️⚓️⚓️⚓️⚓️⚓️⚓️⚓️⚓️⚓️⚓️⚓️⚓️⚓️💪💪💪💪💪💪💪💪💪💪💪💪💪🕺🕺 Fremantle Dockers

27/09/2026

Thank you to Post Newspapers for their generous support. Repost from POST Newspapers
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Neil’s visionary makeover of Irwin Barracks as a climate change-resilient residential community in 2099 won the jury’s top choice in the Future Climate Home Adapt Me competition earlier this year.

His award-winning design – called Juice, after Tim Winton’s book of the same name – won out against entries from more than 100 architects and de- signers in the international competition.

Story on page 6 of this week’s POST: postnewspapers.com.au

25/09/2026

Grand Final morning 2026, Fremantle v Brisbane. A monumental day ahead for Fremantle supporters on what is an otherwise dreary, cold and wet Melbourne morning. Reflecting on our family journey through the many Dockers games over the years where defeat was regularly clutched from the jaws of victory. But not this year, a year of incredible heart stopping comebacks, often from what seemed like the point of no return. Just one more win is all that we are wishing for. Car’n the mighty Dockers! Fremantle Dockers Fremantle Dockers 💜

06/09/2026

This UK television conversation on the subject of social housing sees the prominent social housing architect advocating not only for government investment to create more social housing, but importantly promoting ‘street based housing rather than apartment towers’. This is equally important in Australian cities where towers seem to be the current trend. It has been well proven that people need to live in low scale developments in order to feel a sense of connection to their streets and to their community. Street based housing of two to four stories high is the basis for my climatically responsible urban design scheme ‘JUICE’ in which a socially interactive community is encouraged. ‘JUICE ‘ achieves density without excessive height while balancing with vegetated open space to benefit community. With the Federal Department of Finance seeking community feedback on their consideration of divesting the Irwin Military Barracks from federal ownership to state government for housing, this is something that you can all lobby for directly.