Arkitrek is a social enterprise promoting the conservation of natural resources in the building industry through design and education. We balance design consulting and educational programs into a unique and holistic architectural practice. A snapshot of our company values can be found on The Arkitrek Manifesto
Consulting expertise is specialised on development projects in natural and rural areas. We are experts in tropical passive design and the integration of architecture with sustainable infrastructure and the natural environment. Enquiries about consulting services can be made on our contact page and a list of existing clients can be found on our consulting page.
Our Arkitrek Camps and Volunteer Program provide a hands-on learning experience, where participants gain skills, knowledge and confidence by building what they design. Camps are open to either organisations or individuals who have a passion for green building, community development and nature conservation.
The origin of Arkitrek was as a multi-day jungle trek in 2005 to survey sites for eco-tourism development in the Maliau Basin Conservation Area, Sabah, Malaysia. The trekking architects were Ian Hall and Andrew Lo. Our response to that job was: “if anything is to be built in this virgin rainforest it’s existence must first be critically justified and the design should then aim to tread as lightly as possible”. Those values persist in our business today.
In 2008 Arkitrek was formalised and incorporated into two private limited companies: Arkitrek Sdn. Bhd. (831925-W) and Arkitrek Ltd. (06599659) in Malaysia and the UK respectively. Although registered as a private limited company, the Arkitrek shareholders have an agreement to operate the business as a social enterprise and not for personal gain. Read more about our quest for the ideal social enterprise structure here.
This website and blog is intended as a platform to share and debate both the work of Arkitrek and the broader environmental and social issues which we encounter in the course of our projects.
Download the Arkitrek Brochure
The arkitrek logo is a seed from a rare tropical hardwood tree Dipterocarpus exalatus (local name Keruing rapak) photographed in Maliau Basin.