i + D - March/April 2020 - 22

Business
of Design
Talking
Sustainability
with Clients

Seventy-five percent of construction
waste was diverted from landfills
during the building of a Square
One Interior Design project for
Grosvenor Americas, a residential
property developer. All furniture
is Greenguard-certified. Lighting is
LED and dimmable to lower
power consumption.
(Image: Ema Peter)

Beautiful, healthy, and sustainable
"There used to be the misconception that sustainable and high-end design were
mutually exclusive. Fortunately, that viewpoint is not as prevalent lately," says
Jones. "Clients are seeing luxurious, eco-friendly homes in glossy magazines and
staying in LEED-certified hotels more frequently. We no longer need to convince
clients that green needn't mean granola."
Jones says that her clients understand there is a direct correlation between the
materials and finishes used in their homes and their health. And she firmly believes
that it is designers' responsibility to educate their clients further about indoor air
quality and steer them away from products that contain harmful chemicals that
off-gas, such as adhesives used in wall-to-wall carpets.
Hamilton says, "We are very fortunate that most design choices have sustainable
options or components. We have never had to compromise the design of a project
to meet a sustainable course of action. Sometimes the need to eliminate certain
materials, i.e., high-VOC products, has propelled our team to find better solutions.
It's a win-win."
Sharing her view, Wilson says, "Generally speaking, sustainable products,
designing for a specific site, capturing views, daylighting, and passive heating/
cooling are just better. Good design and sustainability go hand-in-hand holistically.
Our clients want good design, and therefore, they get sustainable solutions."

Designed by Echo Architecture
+ Interiors, Loyal Coffee
was created using natural and
sustainably-sourced solid
and veneer walnut, among
many other eco-friendly details.
(Image: Richard Seldomridge)

Products getting better
Locally fabricated furniture using sustainably
harvested wood and non-toxic adhesives is a standout
example of sustainability, attests Jones.
According to Hamilton, "The manufacturers are
responding well to the need for sustainable options.
The carpet industry, for example, has done an
outstanding job of making their product not only
sustainable, but also recyclable." But she notes,
"If I were to choose one product category
that could improve, it would be lounge or
amenity-type furniture."
As for Wilson, she sees the need for better options
for utility items. "It's not the most glamorous
category, but I wish the unseen products that are
oh-so necessary to installation or final completion of
projects, such as adhesive and caulking, had more
sustainable options," she says.

22

i+D - March/April 2020

Jennifer Hamilton,
Square One
Interior Design
(Image: Janice Chiu)
i + D - March/April 2020

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