Sustainable Design Services for Green Economic Ecosystems
A visionary designer and delivery partner. From a single off-grid home to a sustainable city concept, I design, plan and deliver technologically advanced ecosystems, remotely and on-site, until your project succeeds. Your success is my success.
Start With a Consultation →Design engagements start at USD 7,500. All fees are in USD. Running a startup or solo practice instead? See the Startup Business Packages, the Practitioner Launch Packages, or the Business Turnaround Program.
Designs that show the whole system, not just the buildings.
Each concept integrates architecture, energy, food, water and enterprise on one masterplan. Explore the thinking behind ECAHLI, including the Kisumu Node in Kenya.




Six project types. One integrated approach.
Whatever the purpose of the place, it is designed to power itself, feed its people, protect its environment and, where it makes sense, earn its own income.
Off-Grid Residential Design
Homes, estates and retreats that generate their own power, secure their own water and cost less to run.
- Renewable power and storage
- Water harvesting and treatment
- Climate-responsive architecture
Rehabilitation Centres & Clinics
Healing environments supported by on-site food, energy and purposeful income programmes.
- Therapeutic gardens and farm programmes
- Reliable off-grid clinical power
- Sustainable operating model
Schools with Student Dormitories
Boarding campuses where learning, housing and daily needs are designed as one resilient system.
- Dormitories, classrooms and shared facilities
- Student-run food and enterprise systems
- Low running costs for long-term viability
Humanitarian Crisis Centres
Resilient centres for people in need, with shelter, power, water and food planned to scale in phases.
- Phased, expandable layouts
- Independent water and power
- Designed for NGO and government partners
Retirement Communities
Accessible, comfortable communities with low energy costs, on-site healthcare space and a sense of belonging.
- Accessible, age-friendly layouts
- Healthcare and wellness integration
- Predictable, low running costs
Green Economic Ecosystems & City Concepts
Complete communities like the ECAHLI Kisumu Node, where living, farming, industry and income work as one economy.
- Integrated masterplans
- Industry and manufacturing planning
- Replicable across multiple sites
Every system your project needs, planned together.
Most designers stop at the building. Here the infrastructure and the economy behind it are designed with it, so nothing is bolted on later.
Sustainable Energy Systems
Renewable generation, storage and distribution sized to your real demand.
Food & Agricultural Systems
Farms, food production and water management designed into the layout.
Industry & Manufacturing Design
Industry planning for every concept, from workshops to production facilities.
Income Stream Systems
Revenue models that help your project fund itself and keep growing.
I take your idea further than you imagined.
Clients arrive with a vision. Working alongside leading technology providers and innovators, I translate it into a technologically advanced design system, then plan for what comes next, including the things they have not yet thought to ask for.
Your concept, elevated
Rough ideas become complete, buildable, technology-ready systems.Built to expand
Infrastructure sized and routed so you can add buildings, capacity and enterprise later without redesign.Technology-ready
Smart energy, water and monitoring infrastructure planned from day one, ready for tomorrow's upgrades.Resilient by design
Backup power, water security and food security built in rather than added after a crisis.Circular resource loops
Waste, water and energy reused across the community, cutting cost and impact.New ideas, brought to life
Fresh concepts introduced where they create real value, then taken from sketch to detailed design.Your success is my success.
I stay with your project from first sketch to a working community, wherever in the world it is. Design does not end at the drawing; it ends when your ecosystem is operating and thriving.
Remote Design & Advisory
Full design development and strategic guidance delivered remotely, in step with your team and local partners.
- Regular design reviews and milestones
- Coordination with your engineers, contractors and funders
- Clear reporting at every stage
On-Site Implementation & Development
I work on-site to see the design built as intended and to solve what only the real site reveals.
- Site surveys and stakeholder engagement
- Implementation and contractor oversight
- Design adjustments as conditions demand
Advanced Systems & Innovator Network
I work with leading technology providers and innovators to select and integrate the right systems for your site and budget.
- Independent technology selection
- Energy, water, agriculture and smart infrastructure
- Upgrade paths built in for the future
The same quality at every scale.
Choose the tier that matches your land and stage. Price depends on size, number of people served, terrain and the number of systems in scope.
Concept Design
- Site analysis and land-use zoning
- Integrated layout of buildings and systems
- Indicative budget and phasing
- Concept visuals for partners and funders
Integrated Master Plan
- Full architecture, energy, water, food and waste design
- Industry and income stream planning
- Investor- and funder-ready documentation
- Ready for permitting and contractor tender
Ecosystem & City Programme
- Phased roll-out and replication model
- Blended finance and governance structuring
- Multi-site coordination
- Optional oversight through delivery
Project management and oversight (from $6,500/mo) and brand and investor materials (from $3,500) are available alongside any package.
Begin with a Strategic Consultation.
A focused two-hour session on your site, goals and constraints. You leave with a clear recommendation on scope and next steps.
Strategic Consultation
- Review of your site, programme and goals
- Recommended tier, scope and phasing
- Early view of systems and opportunities you may have missed
Strategic Advisory
- Sustainability roadmaps
- Financing model review and blended finance input
- Institutional briefings
Award-winning work, proven on a live community model.
Independent recognition for the integrated approach behind every service on this page.
Self-Sustainable Community Winner
Awarded for ECAHLI's integrated community development model.
Innovative Community Project of the Year
Awarded for the scale and design discipline of ECAHLI's flagship developments.
Non-Profit Organisation Award
Awarded for ECAHLI's governance architecture and mission alignment.
The designer you work with directly.
Petrus designs sustainable green economic ecosystems, from off-grid homes to city concepts, and is the designer behind the ECAHLI model recognised by Acquisition International, CorporateLiveWire Global Awards and the Global Recognition Awards. Every project is designed and led by him personally.
Experience & background
- [Add years of experience]
- [Add professional background, qualifications or registrations]
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Reach Petrus directly
Email: petrus@petrusvdmerwe.com[Add phone or WhatsApp]
[Add location and time zone]
Frequently asked questions.
Clear answers on cost, deliverables, payment and working with a designer remotely.
How much do sustainable design services cost?
Design engagements start at USD 7,500. A Concept Design is $7,500 to $18,000, an Integrated Master Plan is $25,000 to $85,000, and ecosystem or city programmes start at $85,000. Your written proposal sets a fixed fee for a defined scope.
Can you work with clients outside your country?
Yes. I deliver design and advisory remotely to clients anywhere in the world, and I work on-site to support implementation and development where a project needs it.
What types of projects do you design?
Off-grid residential projects, rehabilitation centres and clinics, schools with student dormitories, humanitarian crisis centres, retirement communities, and green economic ecosystems and city concepts such as the ECAHLI Kisumu Node.
What do I receive for my fee?
A Concept Design includes site analysis, an integrated layout, an indicative budget and phasing, and concept visuals. An Integrated Master Plan adds full architecture, energy, water, food and waste design, industry and income stream planning, and funder-ready documentation. Exact deliverables are listed in your written proposal.
How do payments work?
Every engagement starts with a Strategic Consultation (USD 850), credited toward your Concept Design if you proceed within 60 days. Projects then run on a written, fixed-fee proposal with a 50% deposit and the balance paid at agreed milestones.
Do you help with implementation?
Yes. I support implementation remotely or on-site alongside your contractors and partners, so the design is built as intended.
How can I be sure a message is really from you?
Official communication comes only from @petrusvdmerwe.com and @ecahli.com email addresses. Fees are requested only against a written invoice or signed proposal. If in doubt, contact me directly through this page.
A clear path from conversation to delivery.
Fixed-fee scopes, so you know what you are buying before work begins.
Discovery
Strategic Consultation to understand your site, people and goals.
Scope & Proposal
Written scope, deliverables and fixed fee.
Deposit
50% to begin, with the balance at agreed milestones.
Design & Delivery
Concept and masterplan, then implementation support remotely or on-site through to a working project.
Tell me what you want to build. I will show you what it can become, and stay with you until it succeeds.
Official communication comes only from @petrusvdmerwe.com and @ecahli.com addresses. Fees are requested only against a written invoice or signed proposal.
