“Beautiful & sustainable: eco-friendly designed campuses.”
A definition for being surprised is, when someone encounters the truth almost like its striking unexpectedly many areas of their lives.
We certainly were surprised by this pandemic and throughout it, reality impacted our current lives as students.
In our expectation for our context to change and looking forward to going back to in person classes, we’re going to need our common academic spaces more than ever.
When we do, I want you to come with an understanding about our campuses and the way their structures are designed and planned. We want to make sure that we value the concepts of sustainability and interior design in each of our common places. In other words: we need to care.
Before we were affected by this pandemic, we hardly ever appreciated our campus and spaces where we were used to fulfill our duties and encounter our everyday activities. Places where besides getting access to pursue our academic goals, we used to interact in a diverse atmosphere and use a lot of resources available that helped our own growth.
My purpose in this article is to share and increase awareness of sustainability in interior designed campuses and universities.
By being engaged and more informed throughout the Student Life, we got access being in a leadership role to take part of the academic decisions that impact our performance and experience throughout this important stage of our lives.
More than just a trend
In our roles working at the Office of Student Life, we discovered that Sustainability is more than just a trend. Our part as students is so relevant since we acknowledged that many decisions are going to leave a legacy to the generations to come in many of our common spaces,
Sustainability incorporates art that, within its innumerous ways of expressions, gives character and personality to different spaces. I would like to share how Interior Design can be combined to the betterment of our campus in a sustainable way.
How does interior design relate to sustainability?
Both interior designers and architects had understood that is necessary to pay attention to many aspects when it comes to sustainable projects.
Many University programs include as part of their pro-environmental education, projects where many students can get experience in resource efficiency, waste management effectiveness and quality parameters.
As college students it’s definitely our task to continue the narrative of applying what we are learning, despite the area of major that we are into.
A little bit of context
Often the terms green and sustainable are used interchangeably in design. However, it is necessary to provide a distinction between the two. Green design refers to a focus on people issues — their health, safety and welfare; while sustainable design encompasses a more global approach — the health, safety and welfare of the planet, so that it is possible for this generation to meet their needs without jeopardizing the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. (World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987).
We are “THE” sustainable generation
According to Nielsen, a company that provides a source for complete data analysis about consumer intelligence for nearly 100 years, with The Conference Board® Global Consumer Confidence Survey conducted in collaboration in 2017, we belong to the generation that most likely believes in the implementation of sustainable programs.
Those future companies will be into the hands of current students that are just like you and me.
So, let’s take that into consideration the current results between the different generations.
Architects and designers in the field
It is significant to realize and be aware, that before any construction project starts, there are many questions to ask. In order to get answers to those questions, architects, engineers and interior designers work together to look for solutions that adapt to every specific need.
Their main task is to observe and identify details that might work with certain conditions of their available spaces. They use several processes and techniques for designing living, work, education and leisure indoor environments as part of their building system.
Some of the steps that need to be followed start by professional planning, designing, equipping, and furnishing residential and commercial interior spaces, as well as interior architecture understood as an instructional program providing knowledge on this field.
In order to share the importance of sustainability, students in the construction field review throughout their career pathway subjects for building techniques including structures and material technology, building materials specification, material technologies, building code regulations, safety requirements, and accessibility for disabled persons, to mention some of them.
A good example of how Architects and Designers approach the topic of Sustainability starting at the classroom is Sian Moxon, Senior Lecturer and Sustainability Coordinator at the School of Art, Architecture and Design at the London Metropolitan University. In her book Sustainability in Interior Design, 2012, talks about how designers approach low-energy design, while seeking to reduce energy demand by selecting energy-efficient products and ensuring that the remaining energy demand comes from a renewable source.
Opportunities to develop lasting connections among peers, fellow students, faculty and workforce leaders often find their genesis on campus throughout our academic journey.
HCM Architecture firm, for example, designs physical environments that are empathetic to our learning experience. Their concept of empathy, in the field of designing campus learning spaces means thinking outside of the box. They look for ways to get us as students to become active participants in the campus community and engage with our lessons long after classes end.
This holistic, campus-wide approach to design has a greater impact on us than traditional designs. To help students succeed, they focus on five campus design principles that are listed below.
Architects and designers have to put into practice the principle that academics is the cornerstone of knowledge, and the key to a well-balanced student is to offer us opportunities for social development that prepare us to navigate the professional world that awaits.
The relationships we foster while on campus will help form the professional network that can follow us beyond graduation. What is interesting about the importance of Architects and Interior Designers, is that they had cared about the need to be purposeful in their planning and execution to help educators win the fight for student retention. More specifically, these environments must provide the variety of amenities that we need to keep us on campus and engaged in our student life.
Campus space interiors
When designing campus space interiors, here are some simple steps to put into practice to increase sustainability.
One step includes buying local goods. This is beneficial for the environment as it means that they don’t have to travel far to get to your home, lessening the environmental impact of transportation. On the other hand, buying second-hand goods is generally better than buying brand new items.
Another step to consider, is looking for sustainable and green materials.
This also incorporates the materials’ uses being considered sustainable.
There is a published research project by Carolyn Hayles, “Environmentally sustainable interior design: A snapshot of current supply of and demand for green, sustainable or Fair Trade products for interior design practice , where she classifies the materials that are considered sustainable into five categories that are listed below.
Our role
Combining sustainability and design has the benefit to provide wellness and inspire unique places that at the same time help us focus into many areas related to our learning experience: study performance, creativity in our assignments & projects, scores in our evaluations and of course, the holistic approach.
Therefore, being aware of the elements behind our campuses, their common spaces and structures, will allow us to value the time that we will invest into those structures whenever we will be able to go back to in-person classes.
Now, with more understanding regarding Sustainability and Interior Design, our role as students will be motivated about getting into more leadership positions to participate and be involved into the main decisions that will influence many future generations.
