Built Better: Sustainable Design
From materiality to processes, a lot is happening in the built environment. This is extremely important news because when we look at traditional procedures, workflows, and design, buildings are one of the biggest energy offenders on the planet. Thankfully, there are a lot of intelligent and motivated designers, builders, and innovators that are finding new ways to do the work and make buildings and interiors that prioritize the health of the planet and the living creatures that inhabit it.
At Design Storytellers, we care just as much about the people making things as the process and materials they are using to do it. To support those stories and share information we thing you will be interested in, we are launching a sustainable design editorial section to highlight sustainable and intentional design that is not only contributing to the aesthetic and function of the world, but also using methods and materials that contribute to the overall health of the planet.
We’ll explore big topics that seem aspirational, and smaller, incremental ones that you can consider and implement in your own design decisions. This content series is ongoing, so please, as usual, if you have any people, projects, or products to share - let us know!
What is sustainable architecture?
For starters, it’s many things in one. It considers some key points, such as: materials included, methods used, and the geography of where it exists. At its broadest definition, sustainable architecture also covers economic areas and social elements, thanks to the UN’s 2030 plans, but for the sake of this site, we will keep it more literal and focused on the climate sector of sustainability. While the most sustainable way to build is typically through adaptive reuse (depending on the state and scope of the structure), we have immense respect for designers making new things with responsible strategies and sourcing.
On our site, we will feature and share stories about people and companies who are building and designing with reduced, neutral, or negative carbon footprints. Not an easy feat when you consider the energy consumption used to build, but with low carbon materials, or materials that are adapted from natural fibers and materials, there are some impressive innovations happening.
There’s also the energy leeching habits of popular facade materials like glass. But with intentional architectural design that considers the environment and the elements, like maximizing natural light and airflow, its possible. And it’s happening.
Beyond the visible design, we will also look at some of the behind the scenes players that can make a big impact on overall energy consumption of a home, think insulation, smart thermometers, LED lighting, and energy efficient elements like solar, there are architectural design considerations you can take and apply to projects in your own life.
There’s also some fun exterior stuff to examine, like greenscaping and biophilia, rewilding, and gray water/rainwater harvesting and repurposing.
What is sustainable interior design?
We all know the icky feeling of entering a room or building that feels humid, old, and downright toxic. You aren’t imagining it — it’s a wide scale problem. For a long time, interior materials were not examined for their sustainable or health attributes. Aside from Chinese drywall or lead poisoning, the industry as a whole has historically been a bit mum. But, as you probably know, things are happening.
Sustainable interior design, like architecture, also covers a lot of areas. From responsibly made, non toxic, and ethically sourced materials to designing with reuse or longevity, there are interior design principles that designers from all over the world are passionate about in their projects. We are excited to share this talent with you and their insights on why these design principles are of increasing importance.
By working in tandem with sustainable architecture, interior design done mindfully can drastically improve the quality of life and the carbon offset of residential, commercial, and retail spaces.
What are sustainably made products?
Again, for the sake of this site and our areas of focus, we are talking design products such as furniture, textiles, and accessories. The products that are used to fulfill the interior design and architecture categories above.
We’ve discovered incredible product innovation across every day materials, even foods (like eggshells!), that can transform manufacturing and design product development at scale.
We will find and share ethically and sustainably made furniture, fixtures, equipment, and objects that are entering new design frontiers and finding new forms of versatility through adaptive reuse and recycling.
