Founder

During my architecture studies and 15 years of industry experience with medium- to large-sized architecture firms in Europe and Australia I specialised in holistic sustainable development. In 2015, I founded Net Zero Design, where I have worked with private clients, builders and organisations on residential, commercial, education and community projects.
With my expertise in healthy, high-performance construction and lifecycle design, I create comfortable, efficient buildings designed for the long term, with a strong connection to nature. I use materials in resourceful, innovative ways, sourced locally where possible. This also drives my current applied research into underutilised native Australian timbers in Modern Methods of Construction (MMC), such as prefabrication and modular building, aimed at improving building performance, housing affordability and long-term sustainable material use.
My work has won awards and has been published and presented internationally, most recently at the World Sustainable Built Environment Conference (WSBE26) in Melbourne. I hold a Master of Architecture and degree in Architecture and Urban Design/Planning, a Building Design Licence - Open (unrestricted) with the Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC), and am an Associate Member of the Australian Institute of Architects (RAIA).

My work in advanced sustainable design dates back to the early 2000s, after graduating in Architecture and Urban Design/Planning from the University of Applied Sciences Kiel, Germany, where my thesis design for a high-density, modular residential development received a Design & Technology Award. Internships in six different trades and working in an award-winning architecture firm during and after my studies gave me a strong foundation in practical and creative skills. My passion for sustainable design soon led me to work on energy-efficient homes and Passive Houses

Working on building sites, I began to question the nature and waste of materials used to create even ‘green buildings’. This led me to postgraduate studies at the Department of Design and Energy-Efficient Construction at Technische Universitaet Darmstadt (TUD) where I developed expertise in lifecycle design.

In 2006, I relocated to Australia and worked with medium- to large-sized architecture firms on a broad range of projects, including residential, commercial, education, health care, public, industrial, and master planning projects. I also worked as a tutor and research assistant at Queensland University of Technology (QUT) and completed my Master of Architecture (with advanced standing) in 2011. My thesis explored an organic modular design and its lifecycle carbon payback, later published and presented internationally with my supervisor and co-author Janis Birkeland, who originated the concept of net-positive development.

In 2015, I founded my own practice to work with clients on practical, holistic sustainable solutions. Over time, my focus has evolved towards healthy building and adaptable modular design, reflecting what I see as the greatest opportunities to improve how we live and build. My zero-carbon house concept received the Sustainable Housing for Life Design Award in the Northern Rivers region, and I have been developing it further into prefabricated timber options for Queensland and New South Wales.

My ongoing applied research was shaped by collaboration with the late director of a circular-economy prefab workshop, a passionate advocate for social housing and environmental stewardship of native cypress pine. Through this work, I learnt that vast amounts of high-quality native timbers are underutilised and undervalued. I now work with industry and academia to demonstrate to clients that healthy, affordable buildings can be made from local materials we already have, reducing import reliance and advancing Australia’s circular bioeconomy.

Christina Renger
Founder / Principal, Net Zero Design