A MINI HANDBOOK

SUSTAINABLE INTERIORS
A warm welcome to all the sustainable enthusiasts!
A sustainable interior is one that is inspired by its use in daily life, and
produces a high quality product that can be enjoyed by the generations to
come. This mini handbook is a guide for designing beautiful indoor spaces
from basics like using renewable resources and create healthy environments
for occupants. It will show you how to create an environmentally conscious
interior design that promotes efficiency and reduces waste without loosing
style or beauty. It will be of great help to architects and interior designers in
the field of sustainable design, who want to solve some of the ethical issues
that have been raised by various councils. In over less than 100 pages, you
will explore all the concepts and thumb rules related to sustainable interiors,
understanding about climate and saving energy and water, while maintaining
comfort and quality.

The objective of this mini handbook are -

• Understand the components of sustainable
interiors
• Basic understanding of terminologies
• Awareness of available technology
• Know-how of standards
 CHAPTERS

This book begins with basic understanding about sustainability & importance
of climate in sustainable interiors. Further it’s divided into 6 chapters.

1 Lighting - Understanding about Day lighting & Artificial Lighting.

2 Water Efficiency - How to save water.

Materials - Factors that play an important role while selecting

3
materials.

4 Thermal Comfort - Day lighting & Artificial Lighting.

Indoor Environment Quality - Tips to improve the indoor air quality

5
Waste Management & Appliances - Segregation of wasted &
6
ratings for appliances.

Apart from these 6 chapters there is some bonus content in the end like
Sustainable matrix and IGBC green interior ratings and prescriptive reading
material.
 SUSTAINABILITY
WHAT IS SUSTAINABILITY?
Sustainability focuses on meeting the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.

THREE PILLARS OF SUSTAINABILITY

Sustainable development is often said to encompass three important pillars:
People, Planet & Profit.
According to this concept, any development must take into account that:
• It positively impacts the lives of the employees, stakeholders and
communities it touches.
• It positively impacts the environment, ecology and the planet as a whole.
• It is economically sound and increases prosperity.

₹
 SUSTAINABILITY
WHY DO WE NEED SUSTAINABILITY?
As you may know, the world’s climate is rapidly changing. The air quality,
temperature, water-levels etc. are changing at an alarming rate.

Others
6%

Building Operations
28%
Transportation
CO2 emissions have been 23%

increasing at an alarming
rate. The building
construction and operations
industry is the largest
contributors to this problem.
Building Materials
11%

Industry
32%
 SUSTAINABILITY
To help tackle the problem, the UN has declared the Sustainable
Development Goals or Global Goal. They are collection of 17 interlinked
global goals designed to be a “blue print to achieve a better and more
sustainable future for all.” The SDGs were set in 2015 by United Nations
General Assembly and are intended to achieved by the year 2030.
 SUSTAINABLE INTERIOR DESIGN

Sustainable designs seeks to reduce negative impacts on the environment, and the
health and comfort of building occupants, thereby improving building performance.
The basic objectives of sustainability are to reduce consumption of non-renewable
resources, minimise waste and create healthy, productive environment.
OVERVIEW
There are many types of interior fit out project, could be a tenant moving
into a brand new space or a retrofit of an old building, or an interior of a
house which is very different from an interiors of an office space, or a store.
Since the variation is very large and the design expression is equally
different, how do we assess the sustainability quotient of a project? What
can be the measurable criteria for assessment? Can we objectively assess
sustainability project?
YES , YOU CAN.
 KEY ELEMENTS FOR AN INTERIOR FIT OUT PROJECT

During the design execution of any interior project, the designer takes countless
decisions that effect the overall sustainability of the project. Each of the design
elements will have an impact on sustainability criteria.
For eg. Daylighting will have an indirect impact on determining the energy usage of
the building. Insufficient daylighting leads to more use of artificial lighting.Thus,
increasing the energy use. And lighting has a direct impact on energy use. Similarly,
furniture, partition, finishes and flooring have an impact on material & resources. In
terms of resource consumption, embodied energy and end of life disposal. Indoor
Environment Quality has gained lot of attention recently, in terms of occupants
health & well being. Day lighting, views to the exterior, they all play an important
role in obtaining a good indoor environment quality. Lastly, services, like HVAC,
plumbing, fire safety and security contribute significantly to the energy & water use
and it is important to pay careful attention while integrating them in the design.
KEY ELEMENTS FOR AN INTERIOR FIT OUT PROJECT

LIGHTING: Is the lighting of the space conducive to human

activity? Can energy be saved while lighting up the space?

MATERIALS: Are the materials that you are going to select

sustainable? Can they be harmful in anyway to the three pillars;
People, Planet and Profit?

THERMAL COMFORT: Is the space comfortable for the

occupants? It using of ACs to make space comfortable detrimental
to environment?

WATER EFFICIENCY: Are we making sure that excessive water is

not wasted during construction & occupancy?

WASTE MANAGEMENT: How is the waste generated during

construction & occupancy? Is it taken care of so that it does not
harm the three pillars of sustainability?

APPLIANCES: Are we specifying the right appliances to be used

in the space? Are the appliances energy efficient? How can we
reduce the negative effects it may have on the environment?

INDOOR AIR QUALITY : Does the occupant have enough fresh

air? Are we using any materials that releases toxic gases? What
measures we are taking to purify the indoor air quality?
CLIMATE ANALYSIS
Every place has a different climate. To start designing the interiors in a
sustainable manner, we need to understand the constraints imposed by the
climate of the site.
We will look at 5 parameters to understand the climate of a place:

TEMPERATURE: What are the average temperature in the place?

Would you describe the place as hot Delhi or cold Shimla?

DAYLIGHT: Does the place receive sufficient sunlight during the

day? Do we need to have thick curtains to block the sunlight?

PRECIPITATION: How much rainfall does the place receive on

average?

HUMIDITY: Does the place has humidity? How does that effect

% the materials, thermal comfort, and energy management of the

place?

WIND: Does the place receive cooling winds(example: a

beachfront house) that we could use to increase thermal comfort?
CLIMATE ANALYSIS

Climate data for most places can be obtained from

www.weatherspark.com

The climate analysis of any place or region gives us a good idea of the various
solutions that we can propose as interior designers which will in turn affect the
occupants, and the environment of the place.

A room in hotel in coastal region

CLIMATE ZONES OF INDIA
 01

LIGHTING

DAY LIGHTING
ARTIFICIAL LIGHTING
 INTRODUCTION
Lighting plays a very important
role in design more so in interior
design projects. Research is
already established the benefits of
daylight on health and overall
indoor environmental quality.
People working in dimly lit spaces
is an image often recalled in old
paintings and photographs. It is
not the case any more. With the
abundant use of glass in building
there is adequate access to light.

How do we objectively assess that the space has adequate daylight?

What do you think about the spaces in above images?
Are they well lit or under lit?
To answer that you should know the required illuminance levels of any space.
 INTRODUCTION
Spaces that receive ample amount of daylight are more sustainable that
spaces that require artificial light even during the day.

During the design phase it’s important to ensure that each space receives the
right amount of daylight. Decent daylighting can reduce the energy bills of a
building by upto 30%

The light filled living space of the Eco House by Ar. Amrutha. Kishore,
Elemental.
 TECHNICAL TERMS
1. LUMINOUS FLUX
• Amount of light flowing through a space is
called luminous flux.
• Units of measure : Lumens (lm) ( same for
SI &IP system)
• Lumens is like flow rate of light.
ANALOGY - SHOWER HEAD

Just like how water flows out of the

shower head light flows out of the
lamp.

Look at these two lamps. Both

have different lumen output.
Green lamp with 1000 lumens fill
up the space with more light than
the red lamp with 700 lumens.

The lumen output depends upon the design of lighting fixtures and
from the lighting design perspective you want to select the fixture
with higher lumens.
 TECHNICAL TERMS
2. ILLUMINANCE
• Light falling on a surface is called
illuminance.
• When lumens fall on a surface it’s called
illuminance.
• Illuminance = lumens per unit area
• SI Units : Lux ( lumens/Sqm)
• IP Units : Footcandles ( lumens / Sft)
• 1 foot candle (fc) = 10 lux approx.
Thus is very important quantitative goal for lighting. To ensure that space
is well lit try to make sure that lux levels at the point of observation is
close to lux levels prescribed in the list on the next page. Meeting lux level
requirements would generally ensure that the space is comfortably lit as
per the task being performed there.
RECOMMENDED ILLUMINANCE TARGETS
There are standards for illumination levels required for different tasks and
areas such as office, corridors, waiting areas, classrooms etc. A good
design will use daylight to provide the recommended illuminance levels.
So that the use of electric lighting can be minimised at least during the
day.
RECOMMENDED ILLUMINANCE TARGETS

ILLUMINATION (lux,
ACTIVITIES
lumen/m2)

Public areas with dark surroundings 20-50

Simple orientation for short visits 50-100

Working areas where visual tasks are occasionally performed 100-150

Warehouses, Homes, Theatres, Archives 150

Easy office work, classes 250

Normal office work, PC work, study library, grocery store,

500
Showrooms, laboratories

Supermarkets, Mechanical workshops, office landscapes 750

Normal Drawing work,Detailed mechanical workshops,

1000
Mechanical works

Performance of visual tasks of low contrast and very small size

2000-5000
for prolonged periods of time

Detailed drawing work, very detailed mechanical works 1500-2000

Performance of very prolonged and exacting visuals tasks 5000-10,000

Performance of very special visuals tasks of extremely low

10,000-20,000
contrast and small size
TECHNICAL TERMS
3. LUMINANCE
• It is light which is reflected from a surface
and reaches the eye is called luminance.
• So light falling on the surface is called as
illuminance and when it is reflected of a
surface is called luminance.
• As you understand both the quantities are
different.
• SI Units : candela /sqm.
• IP Units: foot lambert/sft.

Illuminance and luminance both can be measured with the help of the
light meter or a smart phone app with light sensors attached with the
phone. Keep the light meter close to the surface to measure illuminance
and away to measure luminance.M
GOALS
Now for a fit out project, you want to measure the light levels at site at various
areas in the space. During this design you can asses daylight levels through
computer stimulations and your goal is to achieve the recommended minimum
luminance levels.

01

02
Second goal is to achieve uniformly distributed daylight as far as possible to
avoid contrast and glare. For eg. in the above image there is direct glare
on the surface. While it might be desirable at times, internal blinds should be
provided to control glare. The blinds are clearly seen on the higher window.
GLARE REDUCTION

GLARE: A visual sensation caused by an excessive

and uncontrolled brightness. It can be visually
disabling or simply uncomfortable.

The above two images shows how excessive brightness is reflected on TV

screens and disabling the person to view it with clarity.

HOW TO AVOID GLARE

• Suitable furniture layout
• Use of suitable design elements to cut off glare or reduce glare like curtains,
films on glass etc.
GOALS
03
While this space is might seem to have adequate daylight, the
ceiling lights are still operational. This is where daylight sensors
can be used that will control the operation of the light fixtures
depending on the availability of daylight.

Secondly there is glare on the white board which is impacting the

visibility. This is not a good aspect and blinds need to be used to solve
this, or the orientation of the whiteboard needs to be changed.

In this example, the treatment

of the glass helps solve the
glare issue, gives privacy as
well, and diffuses the light for
more even distribution.
ARTIFICIAL LIGHTING

What are the important attributes or factors that should be looked at while
planning lighting design or selecting the luminaries. The most important points
to consider while doing the lighting design is to
• Check the light fixture efficiency.
• Output or light levels from the fixture
• Optimise the Lighting design for energy efficiency.
TYPES OF LIGHT FIXTURES

Sodium Vapour Lamps Halogen aLamps Fluorescent Tubes

Compact Fluorescent Metal Halide Lamps Light Emitting Diode

Lamp (LED)

There are various fixtures available in the market. These luminaries should
be selected depending on the purpose which they are used. Some could
be focused task light, or to highlight an artefact or some could be used for
general ambient lighting and there can be many more uses.
LUMENS & ENERGY USE
You want to see two things the wattage and lumen output. Both the
information is given on the product package or can be obtained from the
manufacturer or the product catalog. You want to select the lamp that
gives the maximum light output and the minimum energy input.
This is where the term Efficacy comes into picture.

EFFICACY
• It indicates the energy efficiency of the
lamp.
• An efficient source will give the source the
highest light output using the least energy
possible.
• Which means more lumens for every watt
of usage.
• You want to select the lamp with highest
efficacy
• When you use such luminaries chances are
you will need lesser number of lamps in the
overall lighting design.

Light output (lumens)

EFFICACY =
Light input (watt)
LUMENS & ENERGY USE
If we just look at the lumens then the
green lamp obviously gives more
light than the red lamp. However red
is a 100 watt lamp and green is a 25
watt lamp.
Which means that the efficacy of red lamp is 70 lumens/watt and green
is 40 lumens/watt. Hence, the red lamp is more energy efficient than the
green lamp and it’s efficacy is much higher. So from an energy efficient
perspective a user should select lamp with higher efficacy.

EXERCISE 1:
Which lamp is Energy efficient ?
• Lamp A is 20 W lamp with 1000 lumens
• Lamp B is a 40 W lamp with 2000 lumens
ANSWER
• Lamp A = 1000/20 = 50 lumens/watts
• Lamp B = 2000/40 = 50 lumens/watts
Both the lamps are of equal efficacy. Higher wattage lamp
gives higher lumen output.
LUMENS POWER DENSITY
• Lighting power density (LPD) is defined as
watts of lighting unit area of floor.
• LPD tells us about the efficiency of overall
lighting design.
• It tells us if the lighting is over designed or
under designed.

Lighting power
LPD = Area (sqm or sft)
ASHRAE STANDARDS FOR LPD

ASHRAE Standards give LPDs for various spaces as per building area
method. Our aim should be to obtain LPD values lower than these in order
to obtain energy savings for lighting. Off course it goes without saying the
minimum required illuminance level needs to be met, but what type of
luminaries are used the efficiency of luminaries all play an important role
in determining the overall LPD.
LUMENS & ENERGY USE
EXERCISE 2:

• Building A has an areas of 80,000 sft with lighting load of 60 kW

• Building B has an areas of 2,00,000 sft with lighting load of 120kW
• Which building has the efficient lighting design, Building A or B?
ANSWER
• Building A : 60,000/80,000 = 0.75 W/sft
• Building B : 120,000/2,00,000 = 0.6 W/sft

EXERCISE 3:

Which building will have a higher lighting energy use?

ANSWER

The lighting per density determines the lighting energies and the lamp
efficacy impacts the LPD in them, but the energy use will depend on the
connected lighting load which is what LPD denotes.That’s why Building B
will have a high energy use.
 LUMENS & ENERGY USE

There are many ways to reduce the LPD. One

can be by improving the lamp efficacy and
there can be many other methods. Lower the
LPD, better the energy efficiency. Some
strategies for energy efficient lighting design
can be to have task lights for work spaces
combined with ambient lighting or using high
reflective finishes for floors, ceilings and
worktops and combining them with up lighters.
We can also have light coloured ceilings to
have a larger area.
 LUMENS & ENERGY USE
LED light fixtures consume the least amount of energy and have a much
higher longevity as compared to most other fixtures.

Using motion sensors, especially in large scale hospitality, educational or

public places can have a positive impact by;
• Ensuring longevity as fixtures are used only when required.
• Enhanced safety and security
• Saving cost and energy

Another interesting approach would be to suggest home automation to the

client . The advantages of home automation are;
• Enhanced control of fixtures from a smartphone.
• Enhanced safety and security.
• Saving energy and cost
• Easily identified errors and issues

The home automation sector is still developing and the current level of
technology on offer comes at a steep price.
 TIPS AND TRICKS
TIP 1: Consider the Colour Palette.
Rooms with darker colours tend to feel dimmer that rooms with lighter
colours.

TIP 2: Provide Views to the Outside

Spaces with better views allow for higher productivity and well being. If
there is a site worth seeing outside the space, the windows should ideally
try to capture it.

TIP 3: Avoid barriers that block day light

Try to place screens & barriers such that they don’t block day light.
 LIGHTING DESIGN
In contemporary times, a space is lit up in layers. This layered design has
three components to it.
• Ambient Lighting
• Accent Lighting
• Task Lighting Ambient Light:
Ceiling light

Accent Light:
Task Light:
Accent Light: strip light
Pendant light
Hanging light
 LIGHTING DESIGN
AMBIENT LIGHTING: Ambient lighting is general illumination of a space.
Some of the common types of ambient light fixtures are:
Tube lights, Ceiling Down-lights, Hanging lights etc.

ACCENT LIGHTING: Accent lighting is used to highlight or accent the space. It

may be used to highlight a piece of furniture, artwork, or even a corner. They
are generally directional lights. Some common types of accent lights are: Strip
lights, chandeliers, scones, spotlights, floor lamps.

TASK LIGHTING: As the name suggests, task lighting is used to carry out a
particular task. Some common types of task lights are:
Table lamps, pendant lights etc.

LIGHT TEMPERATURE
The colour of light is denoted by quality called light temperature. Light
temperature has nothing to do with its temperature but rathe with its colour.
The higher the light temperature, the more whiter it is White lights
are generally suited for focused and productive spaces whereas warmer yellow
lights are more suitable for spaces for relaxation.

2700K 6000K
Warm Light White Light
SUMMARY

Achieve minimum illuminance as per the standards through daylighting

1
and the remaining through electric lighting.

2 Avoid glare and contrast.

Use daylighting sensors with electric lighting to optimise the use of

3
electric lighting.

4 Select high efficacy light fixtures.

5 Reduce the overall Lighting Power Density ( LPD).

6 Use task lighting where possible.

 02

WATER
EFFICIENCY
 INTRODUCTION

Which areas in an interior fit out use water.

• Restroom
• Cafeterias
• Pantries
• Kitchen
This are some of the common spaces. Quite often this topic does not get as
much attention it should. But the good news is it’s quite easy to achieve water
savings by implementing simple measures.
FIXTURE USING WATER
Water used to a great extent does depend on the people using the
water fixtures. That is not something we have control on as designers.
So let’s look at the fixtures using water in the project.

Typical fixtures

WC The flushing mechanism uses water

Some projects might have them &

URINALS
some might not

Could be in the restrooms, cafeterias,

FAUCETS
kitchens, janitors , closets etc.

SHOWER
Again flushing mechanism uses water
HEADS
 RESTRICT
THE FLOW!

The fundamental Warner saving criteria is to restrict the water flow from the
fixtures. Today many faucets have flow restrictions by default but it is important
to know about it, understand what is the flow rate. See you could have a lower
flow rate and different fixtures will have a different methods of restricting the
flow.
Let’s first understand what exactly is the flow rate.
 FLOW RATE FOR FAUCET
• Volume of fluid which passes per unit time is
flow rate. Which means in one second or one
minute.
• SI Units : cubic meters per second - m3 /s Or
Liters per minute - lpm
• IP Units : cubic feet per second ft 3 /s Or
gallons per minute (gom)

Aerators are used as flow restrictors

Have you seen the water flow like above images? Do you think there is a
difference between all three kinds of flows? When you touch the water you
will certainly feel the difference. The flow in third image would feel more light
and somewhat like foam, as if there are air bubbles. This faucet has a flow
restrictor, whereas the first image flow will be dense and this faucet does not
have a flow restrictor.
 AERATORS
A flow restrictors looks like an above image.
The arrow marked is knows as aerators, it’s wire
mesh which is fixed in a faucet.
The size of the wire mesh will determine the
water flow rate.
Aeration occurs in a two-step process
• The air is drawn into the water stream
breaking the stream into a flow of tiny droplets
mixed with air.
• The mixture of air and water passes through
screen further mixing the air and water evenly
spreading out the resulting stream.
Since the aerators liming the flow through faucet
water used is reduced as compared to the same
time of flow without an aerators.
The same concept is applicable for shower
heads.

The standard flow rate = 1.5 gpm

Low flow rate can range from 0.75-0.5 gpm
This will give an automatic saving of 25-50%
The flow restrictions are quite common today, but
you might want to pay attention. When you are
working on a retrofit project , where the older
faucets will be replaced with new low flow
faucets
 SENSORS

Aerators are used as flow restrictors

Another way is to use sensors, also a water saving feature. It is mostly used
in spaces where the usage is very high, such as airports, large commercial
buildings, etc. It helps in reducing the duration of use and can be used along
with the flow restrictor to maximise the water savings.
 RESTRICT
THE FLUSH!

Now for the water closets and the urinals, it’s the flush and not the flow which
needs to be restricted. These fixtures use lot of water and in most cases
potable. Just like the faucet you can’t control the way the people use this
fixtures. But by bringing in efficiency in the fixture in itself, a lot of can be done
in achieving water saving targets.
FLOW RATE FOR WC
• For these fixtures the flow is measured by
gallons per flush or litres per flush.
• The standard flush rate is 3.5 gallons per flush
• You would be needing a lower flush rate in
order to achieve the water savings.

DUAL FLUSH SYSTEM

• One of the methods is to have dual flush system.
This is also very commonly seen today.
• The dual flush toilet uses to buttons or handles to
flush different level of water.
• The smaller level is designed for liquid wastes
whereas the larger one is designed for solid
waste. It relies on the gravity to remove the waste
from the toilet.
• The waterline is considerably lower than that of
the stiffened flush toilets which were commonly
used earlier.
• Dual flush can be in combination of 1.1-1.5
gallons per flush.

The standard flush rate = 1.5gpf

Dual flush rate can be 1.1-1.5gpf or 0.52-1.1gpf
This can save up to 50% for wc and 75% for urinals
 WATERLESS URINALS
• Waterless urinals uses a special liquid that
ensures that it traps the liquid waste and keeps
the space odour free.
• Periodic maintenance is off course required.
• But it is a great water saving feature.

SENSORS FOR WCs

• WCs and Urinals can also have sensors that ensures that flush works
properly.
• Specially in public places.
• Also it is used from a hygiene point of view.
• In Faucets will have a cutoff time so that the faucet is used for a limited
duration.
• But in case of flush flow and duration is pre-set.
• So the sensors ensure that flush used does not affect the flow rate.
SUMMARY

1 Use low-flow fixtures

2 Identify water saving opportunities in different fixtures.

Technologies to save water - aerators, sensors, dual flush systems

3
& waterless urinals.
 03

MATERIALS
 INTRODUCTION

Now use of materials is one of the most important aspect of Interior Design.
Material selection and application is one of the crucial and deciding factor in any
Interior Design project. It is major part of project, be it, glazing, partitions,
furniture, flooring, and finishes. These are the major components.
Design trends keep changing and new materials are constantly being introduced.
Each project might demand a completely new Design look. Renovations and
retrofits of same spaces also happen rather quickly. So while cost might be the
factor in material selection the process certainly needs to address the
environmental impact. Design aesthetics may influence the material selection . So
weather or not sustainable is part of the design brief, all design should be
sustainable. Just that there is no special requirement for fire & structural safety. It is
given that the basic functional requirement will anyways be executed. Often times
you may not have right data or information to help you in this process, in such a
situation, you need to focus on the low hanging fruits for assessing sustainability
criteria of material selection.
WHAT MAKES A MATERIAL MORE SUSTAINABLE?

CLIMATE RESPONSIVENESS: Is the material the right choice as

per the climate of that place?

RENEWABILITY, REUSABILITY & RECYCLABLITY: Can the

material be re-generated In reasonable amount of time &
resources? Can it be recycled once it’s current use is over?

SOURCING & PRODUCTION: Is the material transported from

far off? How does longer transportation distance impact?

EXTRACTION

MANUFACTURING
RECYCLABILITY
SUSTAINABLE MATERIAL
PARAMETERS

REUSABILITY TRANSPORTATION
RENEWABILITY REUSABILITY RECYCLABILITY

RENEWABILITY: It means that the material is not a finite resource and can
be regenerated in a reasonable amount of time.

Examples is some renewable materials are; wood, bamboo, cork, straw,

linseed, linoleum, cotton, soy, wool.etc.

REUSABILITY: It means that the material can be put to a different use once
it’s current use case is over. A reusable material may not necessarily be a
renewable material.

Examples is some renewable materials are; wood, engineered wood, stone

etc.

REUSABILITY: It means that the material can be converted into a raw

material after its use is over within reasonable use of time & resources.

Examples is some renewable materials are; steel, upvc, aluminium, plastic,

Some exciting new materials are Ashcrete, Ferrock, hempcrete, timber

Crete, newspaper wood, MDF/HDF, Honeycomb paper etc.

Buying second hand materials, items or objects is one of the best ways
to ensure a sustainable approach to design.
 RECYCLED CONTENT

• Extraction and processing the version of materials will definitely consume

more energy than reprocessing and recycling materials.
• You should opt for materials with recycled content, wherever possible.
• Some of the commonly used materials like plywood, mdf, fibreboards,
carpets, gypsum boards, typically have recycled content.
• However being aware of them is very important. Try and find out the
percentage of content, the higher the better.
• This data can be available from the manufacturer or the from the website.
 SOURCING & PRODUCTION
Is the material produced, transported and installed in a way that is
good for the people & environment?
For example: Wood, although a renewable product, may be extracted
in a illegal fashion by the clearing of forests.
To better understand the role of sourcing, production and
transportation, the term embodied energy has been introduced.

EMBODIED ENERGY
Embodied energy is the sum of all the energy required to produce any
goods or services, considered as if that energy was incorporated or
‘embodied’ in the product itself.

It’s generally more sustainable to use materials with lesser

embodied energy.

For example, aluminium windows tend to have more embodied energy

than upvc or timber windows.

EXTRACTION
MANUFACTURING TRANSPORTATION INSTALLATION
Joules
Joules Joules Joules

EMBODIED ENERGY
 LOCAL MATERIALS

• Foremost thing is to prioritise the use of locally available material. The

emphasis should be on reducing the energy consumed by a material from
the extraction stage to the construction stage.
• The material which are locally sourced will consume lesser energy as we
will save on the transportation cost.
• Moreover, such material also produce the livelihood to the people around
the area.
• It could also reflect the local culture in the design.
 MATURITY PERIOD

• Materials can be sourced from both renewable and non-renewable resources.

• But specifically talking about plant based products, it is important to be
aware that it takes many years for plants mature and become ready to be
used.
• For eg, it takes around 60 years for the northern softwood to mature and t
takes around 3years bamboo to mature. While all plants may be renewable,
it is important to know the source and take conscious decision about it.
• Because ultimately our decision will have an impact on biodiversity.
• This where rapidly renewable products are better options. Since they can be
harvested within 10year cycle.
• Plant based alternatives, such as bamboo, eucalyptus, pine and cork are
rapidly renewable.
 INTERIOR MATERIALS
STONE
• Stone is a non-renewable material. It’s
important that if stone is being used in a
project. It’s a locally available material.
• Tiles may also be considered. They are
slightly more sustainable option when
compared to stone.

FABRICS
• Naturally occurring fabrics
are generally more
sustainable than artificial
ones. Leather and wood are
extracted from animals which
may create some concern for
the users.
• Due to high amount of
chemical released in its
production, cotton is generally
not considered a sustainable
fabric. Polyester, nylon, and
other synthetic fabrics fall
under the same category.
 SOURCE OF WOOD

• Often wood is used most in the interiors. Contrary to popular belief, wood is
actually a sustainable material due to its ability regenerate. Most types of
wood may renew more rapidly when compared to others.
• This is one material, that can have a varied application, be it flooring, walls,
partition, panelling, furniture, etc.
• Wood is renewable, but deforestation is a major cause of concern today.
• So we have a Forest Stewardship Council which is an international
certification and labelling system that guarantees wood products come from
responsibly managed forests and verified recycled sources.
• The FSC accreditation ensures that the biodiversity and ecological function of
the forests area is not affected by the extraction of the wood.
• So as a designer you have an option to select wood that are FSC certified.
 REDUCTION IN HARDWOOD USE

• Engineered wood such as plywood, has a high amount of recycled content.

• Some of the products from engineered woods are MDF, HDF, Particle board.
Although renewable, manufacturing of these boards may use chemicals
which are detrimental to human health. Check with the manufacturer to learn
more about the manufacturing process before making a purchase.
• It is manufactured by infusing wood dust and other waste wood into thin
boards. It is better than the hardwood which is virgin wood which takes many
years to grow and mature.
• Instead of hardwood you can even opt to use veneer so that the exterior
finish looks like the hardwood.
• These are some areas which can impact Design decisions and can only be
implemented if thought at an early stage
SUMMARY

Attributes and Properties of materials to be considered for materials

1
selection.

2 Local Materials, Recycled Content, Maturity period.

3 Forest Stewardship Council certified wood

4 Alternatives to hardwood
 04

INDOOR
ENVIORNMENT
QUALITY
 INTRODUCTION

Indoor environmental quality impacts the occupants. It includes

• Air Quality
• Occupant Control
• Daylight
• Views to the exterior
The material selection based design has the impact on the indoor
environmental quality. Now this is one of the intangible criterion of
sustainability in interiors. Because, it is not exactly measurable and quite often
the designer might not be the occupant of the space. So the designer can not
really see the impact. However it is a well established fact that the indoor
environmental quality has an impact on both the occupant health and well
being.
INDOOR AIR QUALITY

Lack of fresh air or presents of polluted stale air can affect the health as well

as the performance of the occupants health. In the USA , a person spends

about 90% of time indoors. Globally also this is the trend. Lack of fresh air

for long period can result in sick building syndrome. Occupants of such a

building gradually develop acute health and comfort issues like lethargy, lack

of concentration, headache or dizziness. 100% air conditioning building face

this challenge more often than naturally ventilated buildings. Hospitals and

offices have major issues of unacceptable air quality. As they are entirely air

conditioning and have high occupancy. Now let us try and understand why

we need fresh air and how much and how to achieve it.
 FRESH AIR
Now the air conditioning systems
recirculates the same air by cooling it
again. The indoor contaminants keep
building up which is not a healthy situation.
So you need to bring in some amount of
fresh air specifically outside air in order to
remove the odour and contaminants that
build up the space

Why we need fresh air in air conditioned building?

This table from ASHRAE 62.1

shows the minimum
ventilation rate required in a
breathing zone. The table
gives individual values for
outdoor air rate per person,
the outdoor air rate per unit
area and the resultant
outdoor air rate required.

So for example , in an office space the out air required is 8.5 litres per second
per person or 17.cubic feet per meter per person and for a lecture classroom
this gets reduced to 4.3 litres per second per person or 8 cfm/person. Because
different space types have different tasks and demographics and hence different
ventilation rates. Now air conditioning systems are always designed to produce
the minimum fresh air requirements as per standards.
INDOOR AIR QUALITY

Air quality is a measure of how clean or polluted the air is. Monitoring air
quality is important because air can be bad for our health and the health of
the environment.

Air quality is measured with the Air Quality Index, or AQI works like a
thermometer that runs from 0 to 500 units.
STANDARDS
INDOOR CONTAMINANT CONCENTRATION LEVEL

The air quality can deteriorate due to presence of volatile organic compounds
or VOC. VOCs readily vaporises with air, react with sun light and nitrogen
oxides and form ground level ozone which causes air pollution and health ill
effects. We as designers should use materials in particular paints, coatings,
adhesives, sealants, flooring systems and wood with no or low VOC. So oil
based paints are high in VOC whereas water based paints are low in VOC.
ASHRAE 62.1 give guidelines in indoor contaminants concentration level.
 MEASURES
1. AIR PURIFIERS

Let us understand the measures that can be taken to improve the indoor air
quality. It can be through the use of air purifiers which are plug and play devices
used in homes. It is a small unit that has a filter and an ioniser that help in
improving or removing the particulate matter and also bacteria, gases, fine
dust, pollens and pet hair. Some devices also have a digital display of air quality
index.

2. INDOOR PLANTS
Another way is by using indoor plants. Studies have
shown that indoor plants can help bring down the
VOC in a room. Plants help in adding oxygen in air
and hence improve the air quality. They also add
the aesthetics of the room lighting it up . One can
choose the plan as per the location & climate of the
place. Some plants that can be used are lilies,
orchids, money plants, ferns and anthriums, rubber
plants, zz plants, fiddle leaf fig, monstera.
 MEASURES
3. PREVENT OFF-GASSING

All materials release some amount of chemicals. This is called off gassing. It is in
trace amount, but build up of chemicals happen overtime. Over prolonged
period time it has a harmful effect on the occupants. Many chemicals of gas
more in higher temperatures and humidity. To give you an idea, there is peculiar
smell of new furniture, new clothes, the smell of upholstery when you are inside a
new car, the smell of fresh painted walls, this is what is off gassing. A car is small
confined space, you are able to notice the smell immediately. But in a larger
office space you might not be aware of it. The smell of paint often vanishes after
time, but it will still be there Trace amount.
 MEASURES
4. USE LOW-EMITTING FURNITURE
All furniture, flooring & panelling materials also off gas’s overtime hence it
important to use materials that are certified as low emitting. Green guard is
one such certification for furniture and Floor Score is for floor materials.

5. BEESWAX CANDLES
A great way to create a cosy atmosphere while purifying the air.

6. CARPETS
Carpets are able to capture harmful particles in the air, thereby improving
the overall quality. Carpets need to be vacuum dried in order to positively
impact indoor air quality.

7. EFFICIENT PLANNING
Efficient planning with segregation of zones is crucial for maintaining a
positive air quality. For example; cafeterias and working zones in offices are
segregated to improve the air quality.
 MEASURES
8. USE LOW VOC PAINTS

Do you recognise the paint like smell that is because of of the presence of
VOCs. It is important to use water based paints that are low in VOCs than
the oil based paints or lustre based that are high in VOCs. ASHRAE in 62.1
specify the limits to indoor contaminants like odours, formaldehydes, lead,
ozone and other VOCs. Each compound of VOCs further specify in table B3
in ASHRAE 62.1. For example in US the federal government caps the VOC
Content at 250gms/litre for flat finishes or 380gms/litres for other finishes,
which are low lustre or semi gloss etc. The VOC content is specified by the
manufacturer.
BENEFITS OF LOW OR NO VOC PAINTS
Though these paints a come at a higher price than the conventional ones,but
have long term durability and other advantages like;
• Stain Resistance
• Rich finish
• Fungus Resistance
 MEASURES
4 PAINT BRANDS THAT ARE LOW VOC OR NO VOC
NILAYA BY ASIAN PAINTS: NILAYA by
Asian Paints launched in 2019 to be India’s first
organic paint line and it offers paint that has all
the natural ingredients.

SILK BREATH EASY BY BERGER PAINTS: It is formulated

with 100% acrylic emulsions with the low VOC and
formaldehyde reducing agents.

DULUX BETTER LIVING: DULUX India follows the

highest environmental standards for paints which includes
reducing VOC by replacing solvents traditionally used in
the paint with water to improve air quality.

NEROLAC IMPRESSIONS ECO CLEAN: NEROLAC Impressions

eco clean which do lead free paints for years. They have
environmentally transformed a brand by introducing a line of
water based paints and low VOC paints.

WALLPAPERS
• Wallpaper can be made of recycled paper, which makes it more sustainable
option when compared to paint. Make sure that low VOC adhesives are
being used.
 MEASURES
9. FLUSH OUT BEFORE OCCUPANCY
Ventilation is key to get rid of indoor contaminants. This very crucial before the
occupancies since the build up of particulate matter is very high. Supply lot of
outdoor air by forced mechanical ventilation to flush out the toxins before
occupancy. Many local code actually require to carry out the flush out. If not
such criteria can be part of construction practice wether or not part of the
project brief.

10. PROVIDE OCCUPANT CONTROL

Imagine being in a room where you are feeling very cold and there is no
other way to control the temperature or turn off the air condition. It important
to provide occupant with thermal control for thermal comfort that provides
better indoor Environmental quality. A simple controllable of thermostat with
manual override can be a simple strategy.
Similarly, providing lighting controls to
occupancy is very important. Providing task
lighting is one way, provide dimmer controls
and local manual override for lighting also
provides occupant with control that help
them take control of visual comfort and
hence better indoor environmental quality.
 MEASURES
11. VIEWS TO THE OUTSIDE

Apart from the physical parameters the intangible parameters for indoor
environmental quality and health of the occupants is views to the outside and
adequate daylight. Studies have shown being in nature or viewing scenes of
nature reduces anxiety, anger, fear and stress and increases pleasant feelings.
While designing the interior layout, you want to see that most occupants have
views to outside.

12. CROSS VENTILATION

Is a great way to make sure that the
air in the interiors is constantly
refreshed.
SUMMARY

Air conditioning systems can be designed to provide adequate

1
fresh air.

2 Periodic maintenance should be carried out.

3 Provide operational windows wherever possible for fresh air.

4 Use CO2 monitors to assess indoor air quality.

5 Use indoor plants to improve indoor air quality.

6 Proper flush out toxins before occupancy.

SUMMARY

7 Use low VOC Paints.

8 Use low emitting furniture, flooring and other materials.

9 Provide occupant control for thermal control and lighting.

10 Provide daylighting.

11 Provide views to outside.

 05

THERMAL COMFORT
 THERMAL COMFORT
Thermal Comfort is the condition of mind that expresses satisfaction with the
thermal environment of the space.

Thermally comfortable spaces are more conducive to human productivity and well
being, and hence are an integral part of the three pillars of sustainability; People,
Planet, Profit

There are 6 major factors that together contribute to the feeling of thermal comfort
in a space.

TEMPERATURE
%
HUMIDITY

OCCUPANTS
METABOLIC RATE
THERMAL COMFORT
FACTORS

RADIANT HEAT
WIND

OCCUPANTS CLOTHING
 ACHIEVING THERMAL COMFORT IN HOT CLIMATES
OPENINGS:
The east, West and South sides of the building receive the maximum amount of
heat from the sun.

Although sunlight ingress from south side can be avoided with small sunshades
or chajjas, the east and the west side pose a stronger challenge. Hence, it’s
recommended to avoid large openings on E/W sides.

Using quality double/triple units in windows, although costlier, may be a good

investment in the long run as both systems significantly reduce heat gain.

HEIGHTS:
Taller ceilings are generally more suitable for hot climates as they allow the hot
air to rise which decreases the feeling of stuffiness. Note that taller heights may
increase load on HVAC systems.
 ACHIEVING THERMAL COMFORT IN HOT CLIMATES

CROSS VENTILATION:
Another way to improve thermal comfort is to provide for cross ventilation.
Cross ventilation significantly reduces the feeling of stickiness due to humidity,
hence its extremely important for hot and humid places.

WALLS:
Thicker walls are much efficient in reducing heat gain than thinner walls. Thick
walls tend to absorb heat during the hot day and release heat during
nighttime.
Cavity walls systems are also an effective way to reduce heat gain.

10” thick walls are more climate responsiveness than 5” thick walls.
 ACHIEVING THERMAL COMFORT IN COLD CLIMATES

OPENINGS:
The East, West and South sides of the building receive the maximum amount of
heat from the sun.

Large openings in the southern side are preferable as it receives maximum

sunlight during the day.

Using quality double/triple glass units in windows, although costlier, may be a

good investment in the long run as both systems significantly reduce heat gain.

HEIGHTS:
Shorter copier heights are preferred in colder climates.
 ACHIEVING THERMAL COMFORT IN HOT CLIMATES

CROSS VENTILATION:
Outside airflow is to be minimised in colder climates to minimise the loss of heat
from the space.

WALLS:
Thicker walls are much efficient in reducing heat loss than thinner walls. Thick
walls tend to absorb heat during the hot day and release heat during
nighttime.
Cavity walls systems are also an effective way to reduce heat gain.

10” thick walls are more climate responsiveness than 5” thick walls.
 06

WASTE
MANAGEMENT
& APPLIANCES
WASTE MANAGEMENT
During the construction of the site, the designer needs to make sure that:
• Materials are not being wasted
• Innovative use of waste material in construction
• Disposal of waste in appropriate manner

It’s important for designers to allow for waste segregation at the source.
Dustbins in kitchen should ideally feature multiple compartments to segregate
waste.

Practising minimalism in interior design can help minimise

wastage & contribute to sustainable design.
APPLIANCES
A crucial way to make the environment sustainable is to reduce the amount of
energy we consume. As of now, most of the energy we use is produced by
burning of fossil fuels and gases, a process which is harmful to the
environment.

Here are few tips on selecting the right appliances:

HARMFUL GASES for the environment (example -CFCs) should

not be used in the appliances. Special care is to be taken for
refrigeration and air conditioning coolants.

BEE RATING can be referred to understand the energy

consumption of the appliance. Appliances that are to be used often
(example -refrigerator) should have a high BEE rating (costly)
BONUS
01

SUSTAINABILITY
MATRIX
 SUSTAINABILITY MATRIX

A sustainability matrix that will help select materials based on several

sustainability criteria which we have discussed so far in the book. As you can
see the sustainability indicators have been listed in individual columns and
materials are to listed in the rows. How it works is that you assign a the score
from 1-5 where 1 being the least sustainable and 5 being the most sustainable.
To each of the materials to each of the indicators. Finally you add up the score
to get the total. Than you add the cost of the material as fair. So you can
compare materials that’s high on sustainable and may be averaged the cost.
And also meet your design intent.
 SUSTAINABILITY MATRIX

Similarly, for scoring method under VOC, most likely indoor Environmental
quality scores will be same as VOC scores and finally thermal comfort
attribute is not applicable for wooden flooring so it will be 0. Now add up the
total score. Flooring 1 has the highest sustainability criteria. Enter the cost for
all the materials, it could be possible flooring 1 is the most expensive and
flooring 5 is the least expensive. But perhaps there might not be much cost
difference between flooring 2&5, in this case you can opt for flooring 2 since
it more sustainable than flooring 5. You can choose the material which best fits
your project.
 SUSTAINABILITY MATRIX

For example,
Suppose I have 5 kinds of wooden flooring material. Based upon the data
available and your understanding, the score will be given to each attribute,
such as regional material, the score for flooring1will be 5 because it will be
locally available, for flooring 2 & 3 will be are sourced from faraway as
compared to flooring 1, but still they are sourced within 500 miles of the
project. Similarly for recycling content all the products have some percentage
of recycled content but flooring 1 has the highest % so it will be given the
score of 5,flooring, is a rapidly renewable product, maybe, bamboo under
maturity period as It will given 5, but this attribute is not applicable for other
materials it will be scored 0. You can make this as an excel calculator and
keep building a library of materials that you use in various project. In a project
you might have 50 materials, this simple matrix can help you look at the
bigger picture and help you in balance the selection of materials from a
sustainability point of view.
BONUS
02

IGBC GREEN
INTERIOR RATING
 IGBC GREEN INTERIOR RATING
The Green Interior Rating is a system developed by the Indian Green
Building Council to identify and award projects that are truly sustainable.

The rating is given as per the total number of points scored by the project in
various areas of sustainable design. These areas:

• Eco Design Approach

• Water Conservation
• Energy Efficiency
• Interior Materials
• Indoor Environment
• Innovation in Interior Design

Each of these areas is further divided into multiple criteria to which points are
allotted to form a total of 100 points (for new building) or 80 points (for old
building).

Certification Points Points

Recognition
level (New) (Old)

Certified 30-34 22-23 Best Practices

Silver 45-59 33-34 Outstanding Performance

Gold 60-79 45-59 National Excellence

Platinum 80-100 60-75 Global Leadership

 IGBC PROCESS
REGISTRATION :
Project teams interested in IGBC Green Interior Certification for their project
must first register with IGBC. Projects can be registered on IGBC website
www.igbc.in under ICBC Rating System for Green Interiors Programme.

EVALUATION:
Certification of project will be carried out by a third party assessor, trained by
International agencies &IGBC. The certification will comprise of two stages -
assessment followed by IGBC site visit.
• The assessment will comprehensively evaluate both design & construction
aspects when the project is nearer to completion.
• The assessment also will involve a site visit to verify that all green features
have been implemented.

CERTIFICATION:
• IGBC will recognise Interior projects that achieve one of the rating levels
with a formal letter of certification and a mountable plaque.
BONUS
03

RECOMMENDED
READING LIST
 LIGHTING
COMPLETE GUIDE TO LIGHTING:
https://happyhiller.com/blog/indoor-interior-lighting-guide/

FOR LIGHT LAYERING

https://www.lumens.com/the-edit/the-guides/the-fundamentals-of-light-
layering/?ref=ylighting

MATERIALS
LIFE CYCLE APPROACH & EMBODIED ENERGY:
https://youtu.be/szUNRU0Fl-k
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embodied_energy

FOREST STEWARDSHIP COUNCIL:

https://fsccertificationindia.com/about-us-what-is-fsc-certification/

PLYWOOD:
http://www.madehow.com/Volume-4/Plywood.html

APPLIANCES
WHAT USES THE MOST ENERGY
https://www.visualcapitalist.com/what-uses-the-most-energy-home/
 THERMAL COMFORT
PASSIVE THERMAL COMFORT STRATEGIES IN RESIDENTIAL PROJECT S
https://www.archdaily.com/958193/passive-thermal-comfort-strategies-in-
residential-projects?
ad_source=search&ad_medium=projects_tab&ad_source=search&ad_medium=se
arch_result_all

HOW TO DESIGN FOR OPTIMAL THERMAL COMFORT

https://www.archdaily.com/908320/how-to-design-for-optimal-thermal-
comfort-and-why-it-matters?ad_medium=gallery

FURTHER READING
CLIMATE RESPONSIVE DESIGN
Climate Responsive Design: A study of buildings in moderate and humid climates
by Richard Hyde

PSYCHOMETRIC CHARTS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7J6R9wECh8

PASSIVE STRATEGIES
https://sustainability.williams.edu/green-buildingbasics/passive-solar-design

COOL ROOFS
https://www.coolroofpaint.com
Thank You,
With that we come to the end of this book, we have covered the measurable
criteria for
• Daylighting
• Artificial lighting
• Water Use
• Indoor Environmental Quality
• Materials.
• Thermal Comfort
Using simple matrix and concepts I am sure you will be able to bring changes in
your design irrespective of project type to create a sustainable design.