As a society, we are all collectively becoming more and more aware of the effect we have on the environment. In every facet of life terms like ‘carbon neutral’ and ‘sustainability’ are being used to indicate that a business is good for the environment, but are the real practical differences that can be made to a business in terms of its construction?
At HE interiors we have spent years working in the world of interior fit-outs and designs to a host of different clients, and we have strived to make each of them unique and functional, without losing sight of the importance that sustainability plays in construction.
One of the most significant factors to climate change is energy consumption. Buildings account for a significant portion of global greenhouse gas emissions, which are driven by energy usage. Naturally, we as interior designers have a responsibility to ensure that the fit-outs and designs we produce are as sustainable as possible.
Energy
Energy consumption is one of the most important and complex aspects of keeping an office environmentally friendly. As interior designers, we need to know what aspects of a building’s energy usage we actually have influence over. The two most important of these would be heating and lighting.
Lighting is an area where we can make sure to proactively decrease the number of emissions and energy used. We at HE interiors specifically have installed many energy-efficient LED lighting setups that have decreased the total carbon footprint of the buildings.
Sustainable lighting can also come from entirely organic sources, such as simply having plenty of access to natural light. This has been shown to not only decrease the amount of energy consumed but also improve the productivity and happiness of employees of an office. Solutions to natural lighting issues can work in tandem with heating solutions.
Simply installing heavy drapes or double-layer windows can greatly reduce the amount of heat loss in a building, as well as giving control of the temperature to those within the office. The less energy used the better, however, the negative impact of the energy used can be dependent on the supplier and so if the energy company is using 100% renewable energy, then this is less of a problem.
Design from a sustainable perspective
The type of materials used for the design and construction of a room is essential to ensuring its overall sustainability. A reasonable choice for materials would be to have them made from natural sources like wood, wool, stone, etc. However, it is also important to understand where these materials are acquired from.
There are additional options available to designers that choose to use synthetic materials as many of these can come from recycled materials. Ultimately much of sustainability in terms of building substances used comes down to where you have sourced the materials and how you intend to implement them.
The Lifespan of the space
Waste is an enormous problem with modern businesses. One of the best ways we as designers can minimise waste is by having an understanding of the lifespan of the materials we use, as well as their malleability to fit any situation.
One of the keywords in interior design is innovation, but often we lose sight of what innovation really means. It does not necessarily mean ripping everything up and completely changing the paradigm, but instead, it can be a flexible and adaptable design that can be changed to meet the needs of the user. Innovative design can be moveable walls, modular pieces of furniture that allow for easy replacement and an overall emphasis on the personalisation of the space.
There are even little things that can be improved in an office design with a mind to sustainability, like using easy to clean surfaces and materials that will cut down on the cost of complex and/or chemical-based cleaning solutions. This may seem like a small and ergonomic design choice, but very often practical adaptations and sustainability go hand in hand.
What does this mean for designers?
When it comes down to it, we as designers have a responsibility to ensure that the work we do is as environmentally conscious as possible, and while many of the methods give here can give a good blueprint for how to better sustainably design an interior, it comes down to the decisions of the designer and the client to decide how the building is going to be. As such awareness and conscious choices need to be taken whenever possible to minimise any potential carbon footprint.
We at HE interiors have a proven track record of design spaces for a variety of clients that are both practical, ergonomic and sustainable at the same time. Our years of experience in the industry combined with our environmentally conscious perspective means that our projects have succeeded in satisfying the client without increasing their carbon footprint.
Take a look at our projects and see for yourself where we can help you improve the sustainability of your offices or buildings.
