Our Roadmap For Sustainable Change
of cost savings and positive impacts, and committed designers have it.
For those of us in sustainability for the long haul, a roadmap has always been essential. Every practice needs a different itinerary and timeframe. As designers, if we can reach our destination we’ll collectively tackle our industry’s massive 40% contribution to global energy-related carbon dioxide emissions and the mountains of waste we contribute to landfill. (Carpet alone accounts for 3.5% of US landfill annually). Over a span of 60 years our practice has found it easiest to stay the course with a clear plan that shows clients and collaborators who we are, what we value, and the steps we take to design and specify for people and planet. Three guiding principles inform that: we began with a similar social mission: to transform Australia’s suburbs with high-quality contemporary design that’s sustainable and affordable. To keep our own house in order we have joined BCorp, a global movement of 3,000+ businesses in 170 countries and 150 industries certified to meet the highest verified standards of social and environmental performance, legal accountability and public transparency. We became carbon neutral in 2018 and intend to embrace further initiatives in the next few years, such as switching to 100 per cent green power, introducing a green travel plan for staff and to increasingly participate in teleconferencing that embraces the idea of a War on Waste.
Success with the first two initiatives helps here, as does seeking out clients who share your values. We find they tend to become repeat clients.
As hospitality and other industries recover from lockdown, building trust and selling ESD with the evidence about savings and positive impacts will be especially important. Leaders in the hospitality industry have longstanding commitments to green design and efficiencies. Take Joost Bakker’s zero-waste restaurants. Hotel groups’ performance management systems — such as Hilton’s LightStay, InterContinental’s Green Engage and Marriott’s Serve360 — have helped slash energy and water useage across hundreds of properties by up to 25 per cent.
Holistic frameworks such as One Planet Living are offering new solutions for interiors teams, architects and urban planners designing eco-communities, products and services. One Planet Living considers 10 diverse measures: health and happiness, equity and local economy, land and nature, travel and transport, and local and sustainable food. We’re currently exploring these on ambitious adaptive reuse projects in Melbourne and Sydney. The results are interiors that touch existing buildings lightly and create considered spaces with abundant natural light, ventilation and planting, simple materials honestly expressed, and minimal waste.
Economical and efficient. What’s not to buy?