Kirsty Máté
I am passionate about interior design and sustainable design – believing that this under-recognised profession has a crucial role to play in providing motivating spaces for the wellbeing of people and the planet. As an Australian pioneer in sustainable design and therefore very much aware of the struggle to bring new ideas to the mainstream, she sees education as a key element to creating a shift in thinking and the perfect forum for new concepts in interior design such as total sensory immersion. Currently I am completing a PhD at UTAS investigating alternative spatio-temporal forms of encounter and exchange influenced by efficient and resilient practices of sustainable consumerism. These practices challenge the design of shopping scapes within the current dominant economic paradigm, through provocations that I term ‘curious spaces’. The aim of the thesis is to extend the current discourse of sustainable consumerism into the area of interiority and the spaces within which these practices of exchange take place.
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Community-oriented consumption paradigms relate to behavioural changes that link people more closely, socially and/or culturally, with each other, providing a sense of community. These can be virtual or face-to-face. Collaborative consumption, the ‘Me vs We’ economies, service economies, the slow movement and prosumption are examples.
This paper will discuss the variety of community-oriented consumption paradigms, addressing food as a linking concept, and their influence on shopping centre/mall design.
In the last 20-30 years, there has been a growing concern in regard to mass consumption and its impact on our planet. As temples of mass consumption, will the modern day shopping centre be able to adapt itself effectively for a sustainable future or will it die as swiftly as it appeared?
Understanding the importance of the life cycle of the design they are intended is as equally important as the material choice – it’s the way the materials are used which will significantly change an ordinary design into a sustainable one.
Much has already been published on reducing the life cycle impacts of products during manufacturing and designers need to be aware of these, however comparing the life cycle assessments (LCAs) of various manufacturing processes can be complicated, the information opaque and the results confusing.
While the importance of the environmental impacts during manufacture are significant when selecting materials and products for interior environments, equally important are the issues related to consumption, the practice of specification for the use of materials and products, the impacts of indoor air quality and end of life options.
This article will address how an interior designer/architect can address some of the greatest environmental impacts of their practice, specifying materials and products, by understanding the life cycle impacts of their designs, rather than just the materials they use, for domestic and commercial use.
This paper describes the results of a research project that investigated the sustainability values of interior designers and examined how those values shape designers’ behaviour, particularly the selection of materials for design briefs involving sustainability.
The project categorised designers into three groups according to their sustainability values: champions, conformists or challengers. A set questionnaire was used in interviews with 20 interior designers in Sydney, Australia to determine how they perceived their own sustainability values. They were categorised into the three value groups, and the relationship between their perceived values and behaviour was analysed.
Analysis showed that the designers’ perceived values were not necessarily transformed into behaviour; that the value groups took up ecomaterials at different rates; and that the groups had different levels of knowledge about sustainability. These results help to explain the disappointing uptake of sustainability in interior design and might suggest possibilities for effecting change in this area.
Research has shown that in order for long term change to have effect, underlying values and perceptions need to change. This paper reports on a recent study in which twenty senior interior designers in Sydney were individually interviewed to assess their values and perceptions towards sustainability. We were interested to discover what influenced their decision making when selecting materials and interior features. The results provide significant insights into the interior design industry and a snapshot of how it is approaching sustainable design.
While the majority of those interviewed claimed to agree on the importance and value of sustainability and design, their behaviour and actions in making choices were often not consistent with their professed attitude. Many, in fact, rely on clients or other external agencies to insist on sustainable design approaches; others rated the importance of environmental issues when making material selection as “low”, unless the client specifically instructed them to select materials for sustainable properties. Lack of confidence in their own knowledge and in the information on sustainable issues provided by suppliers was also a major concern.
This research study begins to illuminate the connection between the thinking and actions of interior designers and how their decisions are influenced by a concern for sustainability – or not. These findings are helpful in encouraging change amongst this cohort of designers. They reveal where additional resources, information and education can be effective in assisting the interior designer to make selections that are consistent with sustainable design.
Community-oriented consumption paradigms relate to behavioural changes that link people more closely, socially and/or culturally, with each other, providing a sense of community. These can be virtual or face-to-face. Collaborative consumption, the ‘Me vs We’ economies, service economies, the slow movement and prosumption are examples.
This paper will discuss the variety of community-oriented consumption paradigms, addressing food as a linking concept, and their influence on shopping centre/mall design.
In the last 20-30 years, there has been a growing concern in regard to mass consumption and its impact on our planet. As temples of mass consumption, will the modern day shopping centre be able to adapt itself effectively for a sustainable future or will it die as swiftly as it appeared?
Understanding the importance of the life cycle of the design they are intended is as equally important as the material choice – it’s the way the materials are used which will significantly change an ordinary design into a sustainable one.
Much has already been published on reducing the life cycle impacts of products during manufacturing and designers need to be aware of these, however comparing the life cycle assessments (LCAs) of various manufacturing processes can be complicated, the information opaque and the results confusing.
While the importance of the environmental impacts during manufacture are significant when selecting materials and products for interior environments, equally important are the issues related to consumption, the practice of specification for the use of materials and products, the impacts of indoor air quality and end of life options.
This article will address how an interior designer/architect can address some of the greatest environmental impacts of their practice, specifying materials and products, by understanding the life cycle impacts of their designs, rather than just the materials they use, for domestic and commercial use.
This paper describes the results of a research project that investigated the sustainability values of interior designers and examined how those values shape designers’ behaviour, particularly the selection of materials for design briefs involving sustainability.
The project categorised designers into three groups according to their sustainability values: champions, conformists or challengers. A set questionnaire was used in interviews with 20 interior designers in Sydney, Australia to determine how they perceived their own sustainability values. They were categorised into the three value groups, and the relationship between their perceived values and behaviour was analysed.
Analysis showed that the designers’ perceived values were not necessarily transformed into behaviour; that the value groups took up ecomaterials at different rates; and that the groups had different levels of knowledge about sustainability. These results help to explain the disappointing uptake of sustainability in interior design and might suggest possibilities for effecting change in this area.
Research has shown that in order for long term change to have effect, underlying values and perceptions need to change. This paper reports on a recent study in which twenty senior interior designers in Sydney were individually interviewed to assess their values and perceptions towards sustainability. We were interested to discover what influenced their decision making when selecting materials and interior features. The results provide significant insights into the interior design industry and a snapshot of how it is approaching sustainable design.
While the majority of those interviewed claimed to agree on the importance and value of sustainability and design, their behaviour and actions in making choices were often not consistent with their professed attitude. Many, in fact, rely on clients or other external agencies to insist on sustainable design approaches; others rated the importance of environmental issues when making material selection as “low”, unless the client specifically instructed them to select materials for sustainable properties. Lack of confidence in their own knowledge and in the information on sustainable issues provided by suppliers was also a major concern.
This research study begins to illuminate the connection between the thinking and actions of interior designers and how their decisions are influenced by a concern for sustainability – or not. These findings are helpful in encouraging change amongst this cohort of designers. They reveal where additional resources, information and education can be effective in assisting the interior designer to make selections that are consistent with sustainable design.