Running head: IMPLEMENTING SUSTAINABILITY

How Designers Can Implement Sustainability

Kimberly Wright
Sullivan College of Technology of Design
Composition II
Instructor Deanna Summers
2/10/2015

IMPLEMENTING SUSTAINABILITY

How Designers Can Implement Sustainability

We have come to expect certain standards in which to live by. Understanding peoples
everyday needs, can allow change in sustainable behavior through Design. When considering
design for sustainability, it can include the materials themselves or the way we use them.
Awareness doesnt always encourage sustainable behavior. The harder it is to be sustainable, the
less likely we are going to do it. We need not blame, but figure out how we can make it work.
Most people arent lazy, they simply lack choices. Therefore, through design we have a massive
opportunity to fix these problems and come up with ways that work for the average consumer
(Lockton, 2013).
To research this theory a little farther, a study was conducted and the research collected
clearly shows that, if recycling were easier to do, people would be more apt to do it. When
people were asked if they recycled, only 30% said always. When asked if they would recycle if it
were easier to do, 83% said they always would and the remaining 17% said they would do it
some of the time. The research also shows that making it easier to do is as simple as having the
recycling picked up just like garbage, once a week at the curb. Although 40% of people said that
they would do it if they were charged for it. This type of thinking has got to change. The future
of our earth is everyones responsibility. Future generations our counting on us. Research also
shows that people are very interested in sustainability when it can save them money. 91% of
people polled said that they have taken steps to make their homes energy efficient.
The problem is that we cant have both sustainability and continued material growth (Earnest
Callenbach, 2011). Cordero said, [Greenhouse] gasses that include things such as carbon
dioxide and ozone are being created in overabundance by humans, particularly as we burn fossil

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fuel (Cordero, 2011). We are using our resources at an alarming rate, and if something doesnt
change, the future isnt going to be a bright one. Interior designers have been trained to think
outside the box and

to find sustainable alternatives. The specifications that interior designers

make can have large impacts on our environment. They are a wonderful resource of information
and they can assist in new construction or renovation specifications.
As a result, sustainable design is not a costly add-on or option that you add to a design
purchase. Sustainability should be a part of all design and in every aspect of it. Our design
should be able to meet our needs while sustaining our planet for generations that follow. Before
we start designing one must ask, how can I design it to make it smaller, use less waste, use less
energy such as fossil fuel etc.? In the words of Sophie Thomas of Thomas Matthews: "waste is a
design flaw". Lets take, for instance, packaging, is a product packaged in such a way that people
might find other ways to reuse the packaging? We all have stored leftovers in butter bowls.
Right? Reusing products or materials reduces waste. As designers, we can make some out of
nothing and people just love it. Ever been on Pinterest? (.creativebloq, 2014) Refinishing
furniture and floors instead of getting new is not only a more sustainable option, but it gives the
look of new without the cost of new. Designer have built things out of barn wood and used old
pallets for construction instead of new wood. Even using headboards and footboards of a bed to
make a bench has been done. There is no end to the possibilities.
As interior designers, we have the ability to make great strides in the way of
sustainability. This used to be a very difficult task in the past. Finding sustainable products, was
not only hard, but when they were located, the expense of such a product could kill the project.
Silverman states that,

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When Vanderbilt University, started its practice of greening the

mid-1990s, finding plywood without VOCs-or volatile organic compounds
that can be harmful to human health and the environment wasnt possible
in the local market, recalls University Architect Keith Loiseau. The project
team would have to go to Atlanta for materials, and overall, building green
was more expensive. Today, its a different story. We really do not find
any major issues with the availability of green materials, nor do we really
see much of a premium at all because most manufacturers have pretty
much come on board, he says. The whole paradigm has changed with
how theyre conducting business.
Wider availability and greater affordability of green
building materials are, of course, a result of greater demand. Since the
U.S. Green Building Councils development of the LEED certification
program in 1998, more than 52,000 projects comprising more than 9.9
billion square feet of construction space have been LEED certified, across
all industries and building types (Silverman, 2014).
For instance, some other products on the market that designers can specify, which have
sustainable impacts on the environment are low flow faucets, low flow showers, and low flush
toilets. Appliances are also items that make a big difference in efficiency and sustainability. Front
loader washers and water conserving dishwashers are also excellent options. These are just a few,
they dont even include building materials. As quoted in an article by YUSOF, Siti Halimah and
Othuman MYDIN, Design isnt an item. Design is a strategy (YUSOF, Siti Halimah; Othuman
MYDIN, Md. 2014, p115-122.). Flooring and wall coverings have lots of sustainable options.

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Cork, bamboo, travertine, concrete, rubber, terrazzo, stone, brick and wood all make great
sustainable options in flooring. As for wall coverings, paints are made with no VOCs and
wallpaper are made from sustainable materials. Designers are familiar with sustainable options to
make your home or project, green.
The sustainable options dont just stop with finishes and building materials. YUSOF, Siti
Halimah, and Othuman MYDIN explain that [There is also] Active Solar Energy vs. Passive
Solar Energy. Active Solar Energy use of mechanical devices in the collection, storage, and
distribution of solar energy for building.. [While] Passive Solar Energy refers to the
harnessing of the suns energy without the use of mechanical devices. Using south-facing
windows to provide natural lighting and heat for home are examples of passive solar energy
(YUSOF, Siti Halimah; Othuman MYDIN, Md. Azree. 2014 p115-122). Using the sun for light
and heat is the greenest form there is. The sun is a renewable source that needs to be maximized
with every design. (Natalia; MYDIN, Azree Othuman. 2014)
Another technique that impacts the environment are designing walkable cities. The
reason walkable cities work is, they have a low environmental impact, and they reduce
congestion. Also it has been found that they are physically and mentally healthy. People utilizing
these forms of transportation get the much needed exercise and therefore become mentally
refreshed as well. Walkable cities doesnt just happen. Planning, developing and a design plan
must be created. Walking communities have become more popular in American cities. Before
walking and bike riding were seen as forms of recreation. The needs of pedestrians and bicyclist
are considered no matter the size of the city. Walkability is the foundation of a city becoming
sustainable. Linking places of interest with sidewalks that are comfortable and pulchritudinous,

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to places such as parks, markets, and the transit station encourages walking which creates
sustainability (Michael South worth, 2005).
Another area where designers can impact sustainability in their field is a method called
BEAM Building Environment Assessment Method, which takes into account the climate and the
environment using the Total Building Performance Approach. Some of the benefits of using the
BEAM method is the occupants are more productive. When Sick Building Syndrome is
identified or rectified, the value of building increases because of their environmental
performances. Further research is being done by the Department of Agriculture and the housing
and development board to find the best practices for high-rise housing in high-density urban
neighborhoods. Making our environment cleaner and nicer to look at through recycling and
reusing, along with unnecessary consumption, isnt something the average novice person thinks
about in terms of environmentalism and economics.
Furthermore, the environment that we function in can be indoors or out. Sustainability
needs to be in every facet of our lives (Lee Siew Eang; Lim Guan Tiong; Wong Nyuk Hien; Ong
Boon Lay. 2002).Housing is one area where great impact for sustainability can be utilized. It is
also an area where we as a society have neglected. Consider location, construction, design,
management, maintenance, use, and demolition can have grave impacts on the environment that
is unnecessary with today resources and technology (Winston, Nessa. 2009). Taking into
consideration the words of Nessa Winston:
Poorer households have less choice of environment and may be
concentrated in areas of dereliction, air and noise pollution, with limited
access to high-quality green space. This concentration of lower income
groups may be linked to their increasing spatial segregation and the

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revisualization of social housing (Fahey, 1999). In addition, they are less

likely to be able to afford to undertake energy efficiency improvements to
their homes without financial support. These environmental factors may
detract from the quality of life of poorer households and have a negative
impact on their physical and mental health (Winston, 2009).
In conclusion, Cordero said, It is imperative that every human on Earth start to act quickly to
stop the pollution of our environment. By taking steps to go green, we can each have a hand in
helping our forests, rivers, oceans and earth as a whole to recover from damage we have done.
Of course, by saving our earth, water, and atmosphere, we also save our own future. (Marcos
Cordero, 2011). This is not just the responsibility of the design field, but for everyone. That
being said there are people out there who are ready, willing and able to help. The design field is
one that is here to help you achieve the goal of sustainability for our future and our childrens
future.

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8
References

(2014, January 13). Creative Bloq. How You Can Use Sustainable Design and Save the World |
Design | Creative Bloq. Retrieved February 17, 2015, from
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Callenbach, E. (2011, August). The Solutions Journal Solutions. Retrieved February 10, 2015,
from http://thesoulutionsjournal.com/search/node/sustainable%20shrinkage
Cordero, M. (2011, November). Green 101: Why Do We Need to Become Sustainable. Retrieved
February 10, 2015, from http://www.gbb.org/news/green-101-why-do-we-need-tobecome-more-sustainable/
Eang, L. S., Tiong, L. G., Hien, W. N., & Lay, O. B. (2002). Eco Friendly Town Design.
Innovation, 3(2), 20-21. Retrieved February 17, 2015, from
http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.suscorp.idm.oclc.org/ehost Southworth, M. (2005). Designing
a Walkable City. Journal of Urban Planning & Development, 131(4), 246-257. Retrieved
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Lockton, D. (2013, March). The Guardian. Retrieved February 16, 2015, from
http://www.thegaurdian.com/sustainable-business/design-sustainabilty-green behavior
Silverman, N. (2014, September). Green Technologies for Sustainable Building. Retrieved
February 16, 2015, from http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.suscorp.idm.oclc.org
(2014, January 13). Creative Bloq. How You Can Use Sustainable Design and Save the
World | Design | Creative Bloq. Retrieved February 17, 2015, from
http://www.creativebloq.com/design/sustainable-design-1131810
Southworth, M. (2005). Designing a Walkable City. Journal of Urban Planning & Development,
131(4), 246-257. Retrieved February 17, 2015, from

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http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.suscorp.idm.oclc.org
Winston, N. (2009). Urban Regeneration for Sustainable Development. European Planning
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