Does 'going green' in the world of eco design mean that you have to go all or nothing?
The answer is no, simply do as much as you can with the facilities that you have. The highest level of eco design to achieve would be to build your own green home that is carbon neutral through design, build and occupancy. This is not for everyone, so instead you could adapt your home and lifestyle to suit a more eco-friendly outlook. Anything that reduces the negative effect on our natural environment, promotes sustainability and maximises human health & wellbeing is a step in the right direction.
Eco design - it would be great if all you had to do was choose one green product over a non green product. That would be simple and easy! As an eco interior designer, I am forever researching and exploring alternative methods, materials, finishes and products. There are a variety of factors to consider when making interior design choices. What is important is that the best possible design solution is found which has your lifestyle and environmental preferences at heart.
* Materials & Products
Salvaging, recycling and renovating materials and products are the best solutions for your interiors. It is better to limit the amount of embodied energy, waste and commercialism. Materials should be non toxic so that human health is not affected.
* Energy Efficiency
Did you know that your home has more of a negative effect on the natural environment by the energy consumed over the whole lifecycle - than for any other part of the build process? The use of natural light for resource reduction, renewable resources such as solar power, energy efficient appliances and a well insulated home benefit both your outgoing expenses and the natural environment.
* Lifespan
Interior structures, materials and products should designed with their lifespan as the priority so that you are able to renovate, refurnish, maintain, repair and make the most out of the them. This encourages a sustainable lifestyle and turns away from all things disposable, low quality and with a short lifespan.
* Flexibility
Interior structures, materials and products should be designed so that they are flexible to change when their demand ceases or alters in the future. Change could be renovation, recycling, re-manufacture, restoration or repair.
* Water
Efficient plumbing methods and sanitary ware which save water consumption help reduce the negative effect on the natural environment.
* Location / Manufacturer / Transportation
Where do these materials and products come from? Local sourcing, production and delivery of interior products and materials help reduce eco footprints dramatically over products and materials that come from overseas. When evaluating a green product from overseas, it may be 100% eco-friendly however transportation will increase the eco footprint. It may be the case that a local green product which is 85% eco-friendly is bought instead to reduce the environmental damage caused by transportation.
Benefits
In architecture, typically the short term costs of building eco homes are more expensive, with the use of more and higher quality materials that have a longer lifespan - whereas the costs in the long term are minimal (think of the cost reductions with energy efficiency systems, thicker insulation and the use of natural resources like solar power).
For interior design, again the products may be more expensive than their counterparts, but they may be made with higher quality materials that have a longer lifespan and are more hardwearing. Most eco products are manufactured to last, rather than built cheaply for quick disposal. So the cost savings of eco interior designs are made over a longer period of time.
This is not to say that eco products will always out perform conventional products in cost savings, lifespan or durability. Overall the ethos of green products is to promote a sustainable lifestyle by making things last and making the most out of everything. With an all round consideration for the natural environment, human health & wellbeing and the reducing the impact of our current activities on future generations - eco design looks at the bigger picture.
