Sustainability

1 February, 2010

Surely most of us are fed up with the green wash – that is the colour green which doesn’t wash – and what used to be called whitewash in the broader sense of the word.

There’s no doubt this is an important subject, and really a life or death scenario. It’s just that everyone in our industry spins a different yarn about how green they are – of which most are laughable. Can you run your own private jet and plant a tree/ forest to offset your carbon footprint? Or can you just pay an extra surcharge on Easyjet to alleviate your guilt? Can you use timber that is recyclable but imported from the Far East – is that better than cotton/plastic from next door? How sustainability is measured is questionable and often gives companies the freedom for outrageous marketing claims.

But I attended a very lively breakfast conference on this subject organised by the Society of British Interior Design (SBID). Chaired by the maverick architect Nicholas Thompson whose witty and sharp comments kept everyone on their toes, and drove the conference at a lively pace. There were four tip-top panelists of which Nick was one, who each presented a 5 minute presentation on their perspective of sustainability. And they were all different. Gensler fielded their Design Director, Thomas Vecchione, from their New York office, whilst BRE fielded Jon Mussett, and the UK Green Building Council was represented by John Alker. But it was more than the companies, it was the personalities of these panellists that made you sit up and take notice. Following on, the calibre of the Q and A session was by this time guaranteed. There were about 100 people in the audience at the Building Centre in London whose questions hit the bullseye of our industry.

“What about Rip Out and Fit Out. How’s that sustainable?”, asked one brave attendee referring to the interior designers’ shelf life of bars, restaurants, offices, and hotels, whilst other questions followed with similar courage to address the dilemma of insulating historic buildings to save energy, whilst corrupting the fabric of the building, some of which could be 200 plus years old. Another voice from the audience asked who was aware of the compulsory Carbon Reduction Commitment introduced in April 2010 for SME companies, and no more than 10 people raised their hand …Elsewhere more questions followed about how the government could do more to promote these green issues, but the unstoppable Nick nipped this in the bud, answering that he is bombarded with pamphlets but that they are just too dull and boring to read. Government take note. Designers have a major part to play, not just in implementing the sustainable issue in interiors and buildings, but getting the message read at base camp.