STUDY MATERIAL

Sustainable
Interior Design
PART 2: MATERIALS

www.designopolis.co.in

A course by Ar. Amrutha Kishore

Contents
1) What makes a material sustainable?
Climate Responsiveness
Renewability, Reusability, & Recyclability
Sourcing & Production
Other factors

2) Analysing common interior materials

Wood
Stone & Wall Tiles
Paints
Furniture Materials
What makes a
material
sustainable?
Climate Responsiveness: Is the material the right choice given the
climate of the place? For example, materials that deform with
exposure to humidity will not be a sustainable choice for a humid
site.

Renewability: Can the material be re-generated in reasonable

amount of time & resources? Can it be recycled once its current
use is over?

Sourcing & Production: Is the material transported from far off?

How does longer transportation distances impact the environment.

Extraction

Recyclability Manufacturing
Sustainable
Material Parameters

Reusability Transportation
Renewability | Reusability | Recyclability

Renewability means that the material is not a finite resource and can be re-
generated in a reasonable amount of time.

Examples of some renewable materials are: wood, bamboo, cork, straw, linseed,
linoleum, cotton, soy, wool, etc.

Reusability means that the material can be put to a different use once it's
current use case is over. A reusable material may not necessarily be a
renewable material.

Examples of some reusable materials are: wood & engineered wood, stone etc.

Recyclability means that the material can be converted into a raw material
after it's current use is over within reasonable use of time & resources.

Examples of some recyclable materials are: steel, upvc aluminium, plastic, glass
etc.

Some other exciting new sustainable materials are: Ashcrete, Ferrock,

Hempcrete, Timbercrete, Newspaperwood, MDF/HDF, Honeycomb Paper etc.

Buying second hand materials, items, or objects is one of

the best ways to ensure a sustainable approach to design
Sourcing & Production
Is the material being produced, transported, and installed in a way that is
good for the people & the environment?

For example: Wood, although a renewable product, may be extracted in a

illegal fashion by the clearing of forests.

To better understand the role of sourcing, production, and transportation, the

term embodied energy has been introduced.

Embodied Energy
Embodied energy is the sum of all the energy required to produce any goods
or services, considered as if that energy was incorporated or 'embodied' in
the product itself.

It's generally more sustainable to use materials with lesser embodied energy
For example, aluminium windows tend to have more embodied energy than
u-PVC or timber windows.

Refer to the link in the last page to check out embodied energies of different
materials.

Extraction
+ Manufacturing
+ Transportation
+ Installation
a joules b joules c joules d joules

Embodied Energy
Common
interior
materials
Wood
Contrary to popular belief, wood is actually a sustainable material due to it's
ability to regenerate.

Most types of wood take a few years to regrow. Although, some species of
wood may renew more rapidly when compared to others:

Rapidly Renewing Wood: rubberwood, bamboo, jute, cotton or

eucalyptus

Engineered wood products are a great way to ensure a sustainable approach.

Some of these products are MDF, HDF, Particle board, or Plywood. Although
renewable, the manufacturing of these boards may use harmful chemicals
detrimental to human health. Check with your manufacturer to learn more
about the manufacturing process before making a purchase.

A good way to ensure that the wood you're using does not come from illegal
clearing of forests, check for the FSC certification/tag.
Stone
Stone is a non-renewable material. It's important that if stone is being used in
a project, it's a locally available material.

Tiles may also be considered. They are a slightly more sustainable option
when compared to stone.

Paints | Wallpapers
Paint is not a sustainable material. While using paint, it's important to ensure
that low VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) paints are being used to reduce
negative impact on the buildings occupants.

Wallpaper can be made of recycled paper, which makes it a more sustainable

option when compared to paint. Make sure that low VOC adhesives are
being used while installing wallpaers.

Fabrics

Naturally occuring fabrics are generally more sustainable than artificial ones.
Leather and wool are extracted from animals which may create some concern
for the users.

Due to the high amount of chemical released in its production, cotton is

generally not considered a sustainable fabric. Polyester, nylon, and other
synthetic fabrics fall under the same category.
Further Reading
Embodied Energy
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embodied_energy

Life Cycle Analysis

http://www.unep.fr/shared/publications/pdf/DTIx0594xPA-Road.pdf

Wood & its Derivatives

http://www.sanskritilifestyle.in/blog/the-best-hardwoods-inindia
https://www.makaan.com/iq/living/5-types-ofwood-popular-for-indian-
furniture
https://www.thehindu.com/features/homes-and-gardens/Wood-is-good-
ininteriors/article14014059.ece

https://fsccertificationindia.com/about-us-what-is-fsc-certification/
http://www.madehow.com/Volume-4/Plywood.html
https://www.esshelf.com/what-is-medium-density-fiberboard/

Stone
https://www.indiawest.com/blogs/info4u/4-types-of-natural-stone-that-
can-be-found-inindia-and-their-uses/article_42b5b770-8dad-11e9-abf1-
dbcb9c30ef47.html
https://worldofstonesusa.com/blog/types-natural-stone-found-india/

Other Alternates
https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/sustainable-construction-
materials.php

Introduction to
DESIGNOPOLIS SUSTAINABLE INTERIOR DESIGN
www.designopolis.co.in
A course by Ar. Amrutha Kishore