i + D - March/April 2020 - 20

Business
of Design
Talking
Sustainability
with Clients

Jennifer Jones,
Niche Interiors
(Image: MJ Cohen
Photography)

Jennifer Hamilton, partner at Square One Interior Design in Vancouver, says clients often
assume there is a higher cost involved with environmentally sustainable design and are
happily surprised when she informs them that "unless they want an official certification, the
cost can be the same...and operational costs will be reduced."
As for dealing with the green-averse: "Be open about how sustainability makes sense-both
from an economic viewpoint and for the end-user," she advises. "Wellness and health are
so important, and sustainable building methods and products have a positive impact on the
indoor environment."
"What we experience most often," explains Courtney Wilson, interior designer at Echo
Architecture + Interiors in Colorado Springs, Colorado, "is the client who is interested in
implementing sustainability through materials or building systems, but once construction
numbers come in, it is the first thing to be cut. When that happens, we try to retain as much
as possible through creative means and passive design solutions."
Wilson says that sometimes the best way to persuade a client to use green products is to
allow them to physically compare green with non-sustainable alternatives. "More often
than not, they will experience the off-gassing from the non-sustainable samples and have an
understanding of what that would mean for the project and for those occupying the space,"
she says. "You may not always be able to convince the client to go with 100 percent of your
selections or design decisions, but being able to explain your 'why' just might be enough to
push your client to think about their long-term goals for a project a little differently."
A living room
by Niche Interiors
welcomes with
eco-friendly sofas
of natural latex,
organic wool
and FSC-certified
wood frames.
(Image: R. Brad
Knipstein Photography)

When clients say "yes"
"In Colorado we're seeing more and more
people aware and interested in sustainability,"
says Wilson. "We have many clients who bring up
sustainability in our initial project meetings
or consultation, which we love. The level
of implementation can vary from specifying
photovoltaic panels and solar heating systems to
simply designing in thoughtful ways to increase
functionality and a design's life cycle."
Jones always asks if clients are interested in learning
more about sustainable, healthy design, and
she says about 75 percent of them will take this
opportunity to discuss their priorities.
Hamilton, whose firm specializes in workplace,
residential, and hospitality design, says she now
sees interest in sustainable design in all markets. In
fact, she says, "Because our residential projects are
still 'commercial' in nature, sustainable design is
actually a marketing tool for developers."

20

i+D - March/April 2020
i + D - March/April 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of i + D - March/April 2020
