Issue 11: Sustainable interior design Materials
As Interior designers we have an important responsibility when selecting building materials for our projects. The materials used in interior spaces can have significant impacts on human health, the environment, and even social justice for example the ethics of the way in which the product was made and by who. With growing awareness around sustainability and ethics, we as designers must carefully consider the full life cycle of materials from raw material extraction to end of life and what happens then. This involves evaluating manufacturing processes, emissions, energy use, and social impacts at each stage.
When designing a space, we should aim to select materials that are safe, socially responsible, and have minimal ecological footprints. Doing so contributes to the larger goals of green building and sustainable, ethical design. In this blog post I wnat to go through and outline some of the lifecycle and ethical considerations we should keep in mind for materials like flooring, paint, and even furniture. Hopefully it will help you to make informed choices that benefit both people and planet. Concious and intemntional material selection is a key part of creating truly holistic interiors.
So what are some common tyles of building materials?
Wood
Wood is a popular choice due to its versatility, natural beauty, and renewable nature ( in some cases, not all ).
Hardwoods like oak, maple, and cherry are frequently used for flooring, cabinetry, furniture and architectural elements. Softwoods like pine are often used for construction and framing. Sustainably harvested wood certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is preferable. If you live in Ireland Coillte is the biggest producer of sustainably grown wood in the country, producing over 3 million cubic metres of sustainably grown Irish timber products every year. They also maintain and care for our old groth forrests, bogs, mountains and rivers which lead to a healthy eco system.
Bamboo
Bamboo is a fantastic material used for furniture to flooring and building material. Bamboo is not actually a wood but it is a type of grass, very strong grass!
In its peek growing stage it can grow up to a meter a day!! Which means in terms of harvesting, it is a high yeald over a short amount of time. The other benefit of bamboo is that during harvesting the plant is not actually killed, but grow new shoots from the main root called the mother. In Interior design bamboo flooring is fantastic as it is hardwearing, skratch proof and waterproof. Bamboo grows all over the world, there are over 1500 species but the particular type of bamboo used for flooring and furniture is the Moso bamboo which is grown mainly in china, this would be the downside as transporting bamboo from china would have a substancial carbon footprint. That being said, you have to weigh the posatives such as fast grow time, renuable growth, hard wearing, long lasting and recycable against the negatives.
Stone
Stone os one of the most sustainable and eco friendly materials to use in design. Stones like granite, marble, limestone, and slate are popular for floors, walls, countertops and other surfaces. Quarried stone has high embodied energy from extraction and processing. Using reclaimed stone is an eco-friendly option. Stone is hardwearing, long lasting and can ve recycled at the end of its life.
Concrete
Concrete is appreciated for its versatility, durability, and modern aesthetic, however it is not sustainable or eco friendly. It is unfortunately one of the buiggest contributers to co2 emissions in the building industry. Cement manufacturing and concrete production accounts for more emissions than the entire aviation industry – around 8% and this number is growing. The use of concrete hads more than tripled in the last 40 years! The good news is that there are some alternatives to traditional concrete.
Green Concrete : Green concrete is an environmentally friendly version of traditional concrete, made by incorporating recycled materials. Green concrete utilizes industrial waste such as fly ash, slag, and recycled aggregates. It has a reduced carbon footprint as it is not manufactured from raw materials but rather from easte product, It halps with waste management, it is more cost effective than traditional concrete and it is stronger and more durable than trational concrete.....whats not to love.
Ashcrete : This is a byproduct of coal conbustion which was once disgarded in landfills. Now it can be turned into a super strong concrete like product called ashcrete.
Glass
Glass is valued for its transparency and ability to allow light to permeate. Common uses include windows, doors, partitions, and accents.
Glass types include float, tempered, laminated, and stained. Glass is a fantastic prodyct because it can be endlessy recycled without compramising the material. Using recycled glass content reduces environmental impact. From a sustainable design point of view, triple galzed glass windows offer better insultation and are more energy feeicent than double galsed.
When selecting materials for interior design, it's important to look for certifications that indicate the product was sustainably sourced and manufactured. Three key certifications to look for are:
LEED
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a green building certification program that rates buildings on metrics like energy use, water efficiency, CO2 emissions, and material selection. Products that contribute points to LEED certification are good options for sustainable interiors.
Some materials that can earn LEED points include:
FSC certified wood
Recycled content flooring and surfaces
Low or no VOC paints and finishes
Regional materials sourced within 500 miles
FSC
The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is a nonprofit organization that certifies sustainably managed forests. Look for the FSC logo when selecting wood furniture, flooring, and other wood products. FSC certification ensures the materials came from responsibly managed forests.
Cradle to Cradle
The Cradle to Cradle Certified Product Standard evaluates products based on five categories: material health, material reuse, renewable energy and carbon management, water stewardship, and social fairness. Products with this seal of approval have been assessed for sustainability from production through end-of-life. It's a trusted standard for finishes, textiles, flooring and more.
As an Interior designer I have an responsibility when selecting building materials for projects. The choices made have ethical implications and environmental impacts across the full life cycle of those materials.
While cost will always be a factor, we as designers should aim to select ethically-produced materials with low carbon footprints whenever feasible. Clients should also be educated on why certain choices are recommended over others. We have a unique opportunity to reduce the ecological impact of the built environment. By carefully considering materials from start to finish, we can create beautiful, functional spaces that also align with human and environmental health.