What Does It Mean To Be a Sustainable Interior Designer?
Sustainable interior design places a strong focus on environmental sustainability while creating interior spaces that are functional, accessible, and aesthetically pleasing (Eco Canada, 2015). Sustainable design practices emphasize the importance of sourcing materials with low environmental impacts and attempt to reduce the overall energy consumption required for a space, while limiting the waste and pollution generated during construction of the project (Eco Canada, 2015). Sustainable interior designers create and incorporate environmentally conscious decisions into every design element to produce interior spaces that are as sustainable as they are functional and beautiful.
Sustainable interior designers work hard to design floor plans, which maximize energy efficiency and minimize the negative environmental impact of commercial, industrial and residential spaces. These designers study the ergonomics and anthropometrics involved in a given interior space and design the layout and finishes of the space to be as environmentally conscious as possible. It is estimated that the average human spends 80% of their time in an interior space, and residential and commercial buildings account for over 50% of a country’s typical energy usage (The Renewable Planet, 2015). Understanding the immensity of the impact constructing and utilizing interior spaces has on the environment, demonstrates the importance of sustainable interior design practices and the role of sustainable interior designers in today’s society.
Resources
Eco Canada. (2015). Sustainable interior designers. Retrieved from http://www.eco.ca/career-profiles/sustainable-interior-designer/
Founterior (Publsiher). (2015). Sustainabile office interior design- Cuningham Group [Online image]. Retrieved from https://founterior.com/sustainable-office-interior-design-cuningham-group/
The Renewable Planet. (2015). Green interior design, principles of eco-friendly interior design. Retrieved from http://www.therenewableplanet.com/environmentally-friendly-products/green-interior-design/
(Founterior, 2015)