Sustainable Design Services | Off-Grid Eco-Community Design
Sustainable Design Services

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.

The Work

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.

What We Design

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.

Residential

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
Health & Recovery

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
Education

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

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
Care

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
Beyond the Building

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.

Thinking Ahead

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.
Partnership & Delivery

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.

Anywhere in the world

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
Technology & innovation

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
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Design Packages

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.

Homes & single facilities, up to 25 acres

Concept Design

$7,500 – $18,000
Best for founders, landowners and families at idea stage.
  • Site analysis and land-use zoning
  • Integrated layout of buildings and systems
  • Indicative budget and phasing
  • Concept visuals for partners and funders
100+ acres, multiple sites, city concepts

Ecosystem & City Programme

From $85,000
Best for governments, NGOs and developers building at scale. Custom proposal.
  • 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.

Start Here

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.

Monthly

Strategic Advisory

$3,500 – $12,000
For governments, NGOs, developers and investors.
  • Sustainability roadmaps
  • Financing model review and blended finance input
  • Institutional briefings
Recognised for the ECAHLI Model

Award-winning work, proven on a live community model.

Independent recognition for the integrated approach behind every service on this page.

Acquisition International · 2025/26

Self-Sustainable Community Winner

Awarded for ECAHLI's integrated community development model.

CorporateLiveWire Global Awards · 2025

Innovative Community Project of the Year

Awarded for the scale and design discipline of ECAHLI's flagship developments.

Global Recognition Awards · [year]

Non-Profit Organisation Award

Awarded for ECAHLI's governance architecture and mission alignment.

About Petrus Van Der Merwe

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.

Credentials

Experience & background

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Contact

Reach Petrus directly

Email: petrus@petrusvdmerwe.com
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Questions

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.

How an Engagement Works

A clear path from conversation to delivery.

Fixed-fee scopes, so you know what you are buying before work begins.

01

Discovery

Strategic Consultation to understand your site, people and goals.

02

Scope & Proposal

Written scope, deliverables and fixed fee.

03

Deposit

50% to begin, with the balance at agreed milestones.

04

Design & Delivery

Concept and masterplan, then implementation support remotely or on-site through to a working project.

Let's Talk
"This is not transactional work. This is strategic long-term impact design."

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.

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