sustainable innovation for interiors: highlights from season 1
in sustainable design
Moving interior design into a more sustainable direction is a huge objective where everyone in the industry has a role to play: designers, suppliers, site workers, and customers.
Exchanging ideas and discussing with others is always a great opportunity for learning – even more in challenging situations. This is what inspired Sustainable Innovation for Interiors, the interview series I’ve hosted as part of Isola Design District‘s program for Milan Design Week 2021. Across 6 episodes, we’ve met emerging designers that care about sustainability, discovered new materials and novel applications, and talked about the future of the design industry.
Let’s gather some final thoughts after season 1…
the guests
Here’s an overview of the 6 guests and the projects we’ve explored during the series:
- ep 1 - w/ Sara Howard In her Circular Ceramics project, Sara reuses waste from several industries (glass, stone, construction, and ceramics) to make new tableware that literally diverts materials from landfills.
- ep 2 - w/ Rashmi Bidasaria Born as a by-product of lockdown, Dross is an experimental project where Rashmi challenged herself to make new furniture using only scraps found in her family’s steel processing factory.
- ep 3 - w/ Francesco Cantini With Endèmica, Francesco explored the potential of natural materials native to the Mediterranean area, from seagrass to bio-resins.
- ep 4 - w/ Nina Salsotto Cassina Still on the topic of localism, Nina’s studio Unurgent Argilla analyzes different geographic environments and uses locally sourced clays to make highly textured vases.
- ep 5 - w/ Carissa Ten Tije Incineration is the final destination of landfill trash, but what happens after? In her Bottom Ash project, Carissa gives a novel use to the waste of waste.
- ep 6 - w/ James Haywood James is constantly looking for different – and more sustainable – materials for his creations. Such as the low-impact concrete in his lighting collection, a formula that uses iron slag instead of cement.
the meaning of sustainability
Sustainability is a term that means several things at once. Guests have highlighted different aspects when asked what this word means, and here’s a recap:
material use and reuse
Knowing materials’ technical properties is the first step to make the most out of them. This also allows considering landfills as rich material warehouses, looking at all waste types as valuable resources.
economy, environment, and society
These 3 pillars are all equally important in making an activity viable over time, so that it can survive and be successful without depleting the planet or denying fundamental human rights.
long-term outlook
True sustainability can only be achieved if everyone starts considering the long-term effect of his/her present actions. This is true for producers and consumers alike, and it’s a very powerful exercise that can shift our perspective over the entire world with one single question: what will happen next?
an outdated objective?
One of the first formal definitions of sustainability describes it as the ability to meet present needs without compromising the lives of future generations. This point has – unfortunately – already been overcome. So the whole concept of sustainability might be considered just outdated…or it might become a target we move towards while we work on restoring ecological and social balances on our planet. What’s for sure is that having no negative impact is not enough at the moment; what we need are net positive impacts!
sourcing waste
Using someone else’s waste as a raw material opens a very practical question: how do you go about sourcing waste? I’ve asked the question to my guests, and they’ve all agreed in saying that this is indeed a pretty weird moment. It takes some explanation to justify this request, but – after some initial skepticism – “suppliers” are usually happy to support a brave and planet-friendly project.
reacting to the pandemic
The pandemic has changed everyone’s plans – at least to some extent. But this is not always a bad thing. Speaking to my guests, I’ve heard a variety of positive reactions. Writing a book, developing a new project with local resources, re-evaluating and redirecting career objectives, and even starting a new career altogether.
All these things came as a consequence of having more still time and not being allowed to travel far…and I believe this is a great lesson to treasure while we try to figure out what the new normal should look like.
making design more sustainable
The sustainable transition is a journey that requires multiple changes and priority resets. I’ve asked my guests what they believe could speed up or facilitate the change in the design industry, and here are the main points that came up:
personal choices
Becoming more informed consumers, voting with our wallet, and only supporting realities that we believe deserve it are all actions that give a strong signal. And in every market, the offer goes where the demand is…
economic accessibility
Sustainable materials and methods often result in higher prices. Finding ways to make them more affordable would also make them a viable choice for people that don’t have the means to choose them right now.
regulations, accountability systems and public funding
Updating the rules of the game is certainly going to be a powerful step in moving everyone in the right direction. But since policymaking is a slow mechanism, it is probably going to follow and complement bottom-up change in the real world.
the video series
The 6 full episodes are available to watch on YouTube:
- ep 1 - w/ Sara Howard
- ep 2 - w/ Rashmi Bidasaria
- ep 3 - w/ Francesco Cantini
- ep 4 - w/ Nina Salsotto Cassina
- ep 5 - w/ Carissa Ten Tije
- ep 6 - w/ James Haywood
[anooi studio X Isola Design District]
Cover image: anooi studio
