Clare Parry moves to HIP V. HYPE with eyes on growth.
Passive House super star Clare Parry has joined HIP V. HYPE to bolster the integrated sustainability company’s technical capability.
The job, as better buildings lead, is an opportunity to “dial up the pressure on sustainable buildings”, Ms Parry told The Fifth Estate on Tuesday.
The company has a strong track record on sustainability, including its carbon neutral apartment building in the works in South Melbourne.
“It looks amazing. If I could afford it, I’d buy one,” she said.
“It’s a similar aesthetic to Nightingale, all the stripped back features, but incredibly modern.”
Ms Parry said she’s hit the ground running with hotel and supermarket projects, and the carbon neutral apartment work.
“I’ve got a full week of meetings and I haven’t even started yet.”
Her former role was with Grun Consulting, where she’d been for five and half year years as director and principal consultant and before that with Umow Lai, for five years.
HIP V. HYPE director Liam Wallis said his company wanted to build a team around Ms Parry, as more work comes in.
Speaking to The Fifth Estate, Mr Wallis said it was a hard time to be taking risks and expanding but when it comes to the climate emergency, “we just can’t afford to stop”.
“It’s really hard to take on risk at a time like this but in the context of the broader climate challenge there’s no other option.”
Describing Ms Parry as a “guru”, Mr Wallis says she will boost the technical capabilities of the company, including Passive House, carbon neutral design and systems integration expertise.
“That’s a really exciting growth opportunity for us.”
Mr Parry has been a director of the Australian Passive House Association, and was founding chair. She holds a Bachelor of Engineering and Business from Swinburne University of Technology, has completed the Sustainability Leadership program at the University of Cambridge and is a Green Star, NABERS, WELL and Passive House accredited practitioner.
It also helped that Ms Parry was a good cultural fit and a “genuine leader” that young women interested in technical careers can look up to.
What’s HIP V. HYPE been up to?
Mr Wallis said his business is built around three streams: the project side, which is all about innovating how property is developed and driving sustainable outcomes; the sustainability business, which provides a range of consultancy services at the regional, city and building scale; and the workshare business, where the company owns and manages a few coworking spaces.
Before Covid, the company occupied the coworking spaces and filled the remaining desks with other sustainability-minded folk, such as carbon accountants and urban hydrology specialists.
Mr Wallis said that over the past 18 months the sustainability business had been heavily focused on the cities and regions space. The “better cities” team, headed by Gavin Ashley, has been working on a number of climate emergency plans, including for the Bayside City Council and the Mornington Peninsula Shire.
The team has also been working on a community-led climate action projects, including with a community and council partnership in Malmsbury.
“We’re excited to be doing more of that sort of work … there’s this idea that everyone wants to do something and has relevant skills, and we help them organise those ideas into actions.”
HIP V. HYPE is also working on the Arden Urban Renewal Precinct in North Melbourne, located around the Metro Tunnel’s new Arden Station, which will align with the City of Melbourne’s plans to become a net-zero carbon municipality by 2040.
All buildings in the precinct are required to be 100 per cent electric, connected to precinct sustainability infrastructure and achieve world-leading sustainability performance (such as 6 Star Green Star Design & As Built rating for larger buildings and 70 per cent Built Environment Sustainability Scorecard rating for smaller buildings).