Spec Finish

Design DrVanessaBradyOBE , Founder andCEOof the Society of British and International Interior Design (SBID), considers how the COP26 aims to achieve zero carbon by 2050 impacts the interior design industry, andwhat key factors interior designers or specifiers should consider to reduce the carbon footprint of their designs. SUSTAINABLE INTERIOR DESIGN 22 www.thefis.org I see a time in the future when the key considerations for property buyers and commercial tenants are not just location, but include a building’s carbon footprint. Across the construction and furniture, fixtures and equipment (FF&E) sectors, the A&D industry contributes greatly to the world’s carbon emissions. For interior designers, our impact on the environment must consider the whole lifecycle of the product or materials we specify, from the harvesting, processing and manufacturing, to the transportation, use and final installation. We are seeingmore andmore designers specialise in sustainable interiors in the same way that designers specialise in residential, commercial or hospitality design. Nomatter the specialism, all designers and specifiers have the power tomake design decisions that help tominimise carbon and reducewaste, whether that is utilising solutions that improve the energy efficiency of properties or specifying ecological, carbon-absorbing paint for example. Incorporating sustainable practices into supply chains Throughout the course of a building’s lifespan, interior renovations (especially in the commercial sense) can accumulate larger carbon footprints than the building itself. Interior designers are the visionaries and product specifiers of a scheme, so it’s important that we educate clients tomake better choices and influence thefinal design to reuse or upcycle existing products and materialswhere possible, aswell as identify new innovations in technologywhich improve product performance. Cradle-to-cradle and cradle-to-grave initiatives are an important step in specifcying products that actively aim to reduce environmental impacts. It’s also important to consider the types ofmaterials we select, both natural andmanmade, for the impacts they engender – fromthe origin and resources required for production, to the durability, maintenance and end-of-life disposal. Improving ethical and environmental impacts throughout procurement We are not aligned as an industry. The entire design, product and installation sectors are segmented with little correlation and conversation between them. Yet, each sector needs the other two. Until we communicate and share the issues that each sector causes to the others, we can’t eradicate them – and that must end. I have always felt that a designer’s project is a prototype and so inherently, it is open to generating errors in procurement. It’s imperative that we share these errors to prevent a repeat process or unnecessary waste. This way we can create an efficient and joined-up industry, which operates under a shared system of mutual values and professional standards. I have built, owned andmanagedmy own fit- out company formany years, because I simply could not co-ordinate trades, compatibility ofmaterials andfixtureswith the budget and approved design – unlesswe effectively embraced conversation as project partners and co-operated on solutions to the problems that we all knowstill exist. By collaborating across the industry, wewill drive positive and improved outcomes. For this reason, SBIDencourages greater partnership between interior designers, product suppliers andfit-out specialists. So often, compliant products are installed in an unsuitable location so the products fail in their performance. I’m very keen for the SBID Construction Council, consisting of contractors, construction experts and consultants, to co-operate with other industry bodies, and as a party to the Government’s Construction Leadership Council, we look forward to supporting this three-way collaboration. It’s now time to build on our strengths and restart the conversation with all industry counterparts to create greener environments for future generations. www.sbid.org FIS and SBID have recently set down a Memorandum of Understanding to work more closely to encourage closer working between the design and contracting communities. SBID Awards 2021 Finalist, Elkus Manfredi Architects, CBRE Dr Vanessa Brady OBE SBID Awards 2021 Finalist, Fogarty Finger, The Dime