Sustainability remains one of the most talked-about initiatives in the built environment; with the damaging impacts we have placed on earth, ‘sustainability’ ‘eco-friendly’ and ‘biophilic’ have been a regular in the design workbook. In Europe, the retail buildings have been one of the largest consumers of energy with a contributing rate of $20 billion each year (Schneider Electric). Given sustainability as an increasing priority in the business of retail, a shift towards ethically resourced, designed, and constructed spaces are given much attention
Cradle to Cradle in Interior Spaces
In Interior Design, the Cradle To Cradle principle makes new from old, and it is about the targeted selection of materials and methodologies for construction that can go in absolute cycles. C2C is an easy concept to explain using a single product. However, it becomes a challenge when we talk about interior design and architecture since most of the traditional buildings were built and are composed of materials that did not go through net positive integration. Unlike conventional approaches, C2C focuses on eco-effectiveness; improving the positive impact rather than reducing or minimising the negative impact.
The path to a sustainable retail design
We are living in a time where deadlines and budgets drive the design. The goal of C2C is to create a high-performance space through an integrated design process. From design conceptualisation to planning and construction, we have to ensure that all integral objectives are considered. Going green has proven to not only help retailers reduce the impact of carbon footprint and emissions, but also significantly save money through quality facility and improved performance
Before making any significant investments in retail spaces, we want to start by defining the identity of the company and use this to make sustainability a part of its brand vision. As sustainability stewards, we are responsible for meeting goals that are true to its production and its processes
Although sustainability has become a part of the interior design language, the practice is still limited. As described by Yang, interior design is relatively backward and conservative, only focusing on fashion and small environments (Yang et al, 2011). Retail design has concerned itself to a one-dimensional practice that is to provide a space of aesthetic enhancements with visually appealing motives. An approach that neglects energy-saving and fossil fuel reduction, therefore, creating harmful effects on consumers and primarily the environment.
With the significant shift seen on design strategies and the focus on healthy environments, users and stakeholders are beginning to see how a responsible built environment assists in creating a future-proof ecosystem. Material Selection has a high impact on the eco-efficiency of interior design projects. In the industry of retail, due to the need for adapting to the current trend, the project’s life span adjusts every 2-3 years, placing a weight on the amount of waste on resources. By integrating sustainability on the very first phase of developments, we instead limit the industrial system and instead strategically manage resources to possibilities of biological or technical pathways.
In order to achieve a holistic approach, designs should accommodate a circular system. A system that considers wastes as food, serving technical and biological wastes as nutrients at the end of their lifespan (Ankrah et al, 2015). With greater awareness and sensitivity to the limited natural resources, certification bodies were established to promote and incentivise products that meet the requirements of environmentally efficient materials. Also, councils such as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and Environmental Protection agencies assist in actively mandating green policies. We want to be able to meet the needs of the user without compromising the growing environmental concerns and moving away from the linear cradle to grave but instead onto a circular system to progress towards a future-proof interior environment.
“ “The world will not evolve past its current state of crisis by using the same thinking that created the situation.” Albert Einstein ”
References
N. Ankrah, E. Manu, C. Booth Cradle to Cradle Implementation in business sites and the perspectives of tenant stakeholders Science Direct, (2015)
Y. Yang, W. Fenghu, Z. Xiaodong Contrast study on interior design with low-carbon and traditional design ICMREE, 1 (2011) (2011), pp. 806-809
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