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Module 6- Sustainable Interior Design 2

The document discusses sustainable interior design, emphasizing its importance in reducing negative environmental impacts and improving occupant health and comfort. It outlines five principles of sustainable design: energy efficiency, low environmental impact, waste reduction, longevity and flexibility, and healthy environments. The document highlights the role of interior designers in selecting materials and creating spaces that promote sustainability and well-being.

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Nandana VS
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13 views45 pages

Module 6- Sustainable Interior Design 2

The document discusses sustainable interior design, emphasizing its importance in reducing negative environmental impacts and improving occupant health and comfort. It outlines five principles of sustainable design: energy efficiency, low environmental impact, waste reduction, longevity and flexibility, and healthy environments. The document highlights the role of interior designers in selecting materials and creating spaces that promote sustainability and well-being.

Uploaded by

Nandana VS
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Interior design

MODULE 6 – PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE & SUSTAINABLE BEST


PRACTICES THROUGH CASE STUDIES
What is ‘Sustainability’
Sustainability –To exist and continue in an ideal state.
“Sustainable development is the development that meets the needs of the present
without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”-
Brundtland report, 1987
Three pillars of sustainability
1. Environmental sustainability
2. Economic sustainability
3. Social sustainability
• Environmental design
• Use of sustainable building materials
• Energy efficiency
• Water efficiency
• Waste reduction and management
• Green design, Eco friendly materials.
• Less pollution
• Less use of non renewable energy
• Natural lighting and ventilation.
• Cost effective materials & construction.
• Services with less payback period
• Less maintenance cost- long lasting furniture, material finishes etc.
• Less life cycle cost-
• Reduced electricity bills.

Economic sustainability
• Good Indoor environmental quality
• Occupant health and well being
• More productivity/ improved work efficiency
• Ergonomic design
• No sick building syndrome.

Social sustainability
What is sustainable interior design
Sustainable interior design seeks to reduce negative impacts on the
environment, and the health and comfort of building occupants, thereby
improving building performance. The basic objectives of sustainability are
to reduce consumption of non-renewable resources, minimize waste, and
create healthy, productive environments.
Society is becoming increasingly aware of the importance of environmentally
responsible building and interior design. As a result, more and more clients
seek to incorporate sustainability principles in their interiors. Interior
designers have a tremendous impact on the sustainability of an environment
because they are the ones deciding which materials and products will be
used and how ecologically people will be able to interact with their
surrounding spaces.
5 Principles of Sustainable Interior Design
1. Design for energy efficiency

Energy consumption is one of the major contributors to climate


change. Buildings are responsible for a big share of the world’s
greenhouse gas emissions, caused by energy consumption.

Architects and interior designers can do a lot to improve a building’s


energy efficiency, mainly by reducing the amount of energy needed
for heating, lighting, running appliances, etc., and by providing
renewable, non-carbon-based energy to the building.
Heating and lighting are the two most crucial factors interior designers
have influence over. Since most of the building’s heat escapes through
windows, it’s important that the installed windows are of high quality
and provide good insulation.

Curtains keep both cold air and the sun’s heat outside. Window
coverings, blinds and shades enable residents to control the building’s
temperature in an energy efficient way by opening and shutting them
as needed.
Installing home automation and so called ‘’green gadgets’’ makes it
possible to control heating and lighting systems remotely. This also help
residents and occupants use the building’s energy more efficiently and
economically.
Carpets are excellent thermal insulators; according to estimations, a carpet
retains as much as 10 % of a room’s heat.
To save energy spent on lighting, a lot can be done just by picking the right
colors. Lighter colors reflect more light, while rooms with darker walls and
furnishing need more artificial lighting. Using reflective surfaces increases the
amount of light in a room by bouncing it around, decreasing dependency on
artificial lighting.
2. Design for low environmental impact

From a sustainability perspective, it’s very important to pick materials


and products with the lowest environmental impact.

Organic materials (e.g. wood, wool, natural stone) seem the obvious
choice, but we mustn’t forget that natural resources need to be
treated responsibly. Choose materials that are quickly renewable (such
as fast-growing bamboo), and are extracted in an environmentally
responsible way.
The environmental impact of materials and products must be evaluated
throughout their entire life cycle — from extraction, production,
transportation and processing, all the way to how they are discarded
after use.

There are standardized tools and labels that help designers understand,
compare and evaluate a product’s environmental impact in distinct
phases of their life cycle, such as the LCA (Life Cycle Assessment).
3. Design for waste reduction

Interior designers have a lot of power in their hands when it comes to


waste reduction, and at the same time, a big responsibility to act
sustainably. The planet’s precious resources are limited, so the mentality of
discarding products as soon as they go out of style and replacing them with
those that are currently trendy is no longer justifiable.

Fortunately, the world of design is becoming increasingly aware of the need


for sustainable thinking and is experiencing a growing interest in
sustainable trends, such as recycling, upcycling and repurposing. Instead of
discarding ‘’old-fashioned’’ objects while they are still functional, designers
can (and should) come up with creative ways to give them a new life.
Another way in which interior designers can help reduce the depletion of
natural resources (and divert waste from landfills) is by opting for synthetic
materials that were made from recycled waste or can be renewed/recycled
at the end of their life cycle
4. Design for longevity and flexibility

To prevent materials and products getting discarded too often, interior


designers should consider the lifespan of any material they plan to
use, especially for those elements that experience a lot of wear and
tear (such as flooring).

The goal of designing for longevity is to design durable and timeless


spaces and suppress the urge to change the whole design every couple
of years. The best way to achieve timelessness is to choose quality
over quantity, classics over trendy, and simplicity/functionality over
embellishments.
Throughout the years, however, people grow and change, and they want
surrounding spaces to grow with them and reflect those changes.

In anticipation of that, interior designers should consider the flexibility of


spaces — how well can they be adapted to fit the changing needs of people
who are using them. Designing flexible spaces is one of the keys to longevity.
When you can easily replace or adapt individual elements of a room, there is
no need to demolish and renovate it in its entirety.
Innovation has brought many options for flexible design: walls that can be
modified to create more spaces when children get bigger and need their
own rooms, adjustable and mobile furniture that can be re-assembled to fit
the needs of the flexible modern workplace, modular flooring that allows
personalization and easy replacement of individual pieces, and so on.
Easy maintenance is an important part of
designing for longevity; when spaces are
hard to maintain, regular changes are
inevitable and result in more resource
consumption and waste creation.
Maintenance of spaces with lots of easy-to-clean materials
and surfaces requires fewer cleaning products, which are
often harmful for the environment.

Therefore, investing in elements that are sturdy, durable and


easy to clean or replace means that less renovations will be
needed; and, consequently, less waste will be generated.
5. Design for healthy environments

People spend most of their time indoors; in offices, schools, at home,


etc. There are several factors to keep in mind when trying to design
healthy spaces, such as the quality of the air, heating, ventilation,
lighting and acoustics.
Indoor air pollution is the result of products and materials with high
levels of toxic emissions. For example, furniture or equipment that has
been treated with harmful chemicals releases dangerous toxins in the
air. Designers should look for materials with low emissions of VOC
(volatile organic compounds) and other air pollutants.
To improve indoor air quality, it’s important that the air in a room can
regularly circulate and remain fresh. Plants act as natural air filters.
Carpets improve air quality by
trapping the dust particles from
the air and holding them until
vacuumed.
With regular, sustainable carpet
cleaning, the room environment
remains healthy and free of germs
and allergens contained in dust
particles.

Carpets are also excellent sound


insulators, they help to reduce
noise by absorbing sound
vibrations — an important benefit
to the well-being of occupants and
residents.
Exposure to natural light is another beneficial aspect for both physical and
psychological health. This is especially relevant for workplaces, as natural
light reduces stress and increases productivity. In fact, being surrounded
by elements from nature (or ones that mimic nature) has a calming effect
in general.
Biophilic design is a type of design that recognizes this need to include natural
elements into our buildings and interiors and aims to restore the connection
between humans and nature.
Architects and interior designers are the creators of the spaces we live in
and should always be guided by sustainable and biophilic approaches —
to help take care of the environment, and simultaneously, ourselves.

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