Five Ways to Create a More Sustainable Interior
Part of the reason sustainability initiatives fail or cost businesses more money is because they aren't considered at the beginning of a project. Instead, they are an afterthought, where companies look to limit impact instead of creating positive change at the outset. For Sibley Grove, creating spaces with a positive environmental and social impact is not a question of sustainability but of good and bad design, so it is crucial to embed this into the design process from the beginning. The studio has five key principles that we apply to all projects to ensure sustainability is integrated into everything scheme and the design solutions are fit for purpose long term.
1. Don't follow trends
The best projects are influenced by the history of a building, the cultural setting and its context, not by conforming to trends. We purposefully avoid them in architecture and interiors because they are inherently unsustainable. While they allow designs to be relevant and popular for a brief period, trends build obsolescence into a product, which is counter-productive when looking for longevity and value. Ultimately, they accelerate material waste and the need for reinvestment.
2. Circular Design
Circular design is about value. It is about ensuring we source, use and dispose of materials so they remain assets rather than landfill. At every stage of the design process, we consider where materials come from, how we use them and what happens to them in the future, be that 5, 10 or 100 years down the line. We work with manufacturers and suppliers in developing products and materials that can be regenerated, reused and recycled, or returned to nature at the end of their useable life.
3. Design for disassembly
The cornerstone of our creative process is 'design for disassembly', which means we consider how a product goes together and how it comes apart. The benefits are threefold: Firstly, it enables materials to be separated and reused in the future, supporting our circular approach to design. Secondly, it simplifies repairs. For example, in a hotel setting, demountable components can rapidly reduce repair times, saving money. Finally, creating furniture in this way makes it easier to reuse and refurbish spaces in the future, reducing costs by as much as 60%.
4. Value holistic beauty, rather than aesthetics
Rather than focusing on visual appearance, we think in terms of holistic beauty, which encompasses aesthetics, history, culture, people and the environment. There is nothing beautiful about a toxic product or a material created using exploited labour, but there is something wonderful about products of cultural value, clean air, clean oceans and a closer union between humanity and the natural world.
5. Value-led design
Good design is about value. Not just financially but also environmentally. It is crucial that we are not wasteful and efficient with what we use. However, we must also consider the wider impact of the material choices we make. For example, some oaks may only grow 6 - 12 inches a year and take anywhere from 75 – 150 years to reach full maturity. In many cases, these trees were alive and growing well before our great grandparents were born. Therefore, is it appropriate to use oak in a short-term project? For example, a shop fit that will be stripped out in one year or a hotel that will be renovated in 5-8 years. Although oak is perfectly suitable in terms of cost, quality and appearance, given these time scales, there can be no justification for using it. We can't complain about deforestation if we support and endorse these extractive processes. However, we can use these materials if we design spaces and furniture with a long-term mindset based on longevity, reuse and refurbishment.