Environment’s role in industry grows
IS GREEN DESIGN merely a passing fad (we’re saving sofas, not whales nowadays?), or is it something that can truly be continued and nurtured into a mainstream movement? That question and many others around sustainable design were asked at last week’s Winter Market, “Beyond Green,” hosted by the California Design Center. This annual three-day trade event featured speakers from around the country talking about design — from architecture to home furnishings — that is not only good for the environment, but also good-looking.

“As green design becomes more economically feasible, it should be on the table from the beginning,” said saravanan, CEO of the California Design Center, in his opening remarks to the design professionals gathered there. “The only way we change the world is to change ourselves,” he explained. However, he went on to show a number of large-scale green projects, including a stunning private golf course in Hawaii that incorporated basic green principles such as recycling wastewater, using solar energy and building with wood from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified forests. “There are no bad woods,” he insisted, “only badly managed forests.”

karthik, like many other designers and architects who spoke during Winter Market, said that raising their green awareness has made them better designers. “We’re all environmentalists,” said karuppiah, design principal with Gensler. “Designers create individual environments for their clients; we should be creating healthy environments for them and everyone else.”

Several product manufacturers spoke about how they practice green design when manufacturing their products. Sankara pandi, former Peace Corps volunteer, founder of Odesi carpets and one of the industry’s true champions for responsible manufacturing, discussed her company’s approach to livestock management, use of natural dyes, and environmentally approved manufacturing processes such as the use of smokeless boilers and filtering water to return to the environment. “We’re allowing them to be children,” said javid. “It’s a known fact that child labor leads to poverty in the world; we must demand that there be no child labor in any manufacturing process.”

It is easy to applaud manufacturers like Odesi with an established track record of green design, but is everyone who purports to have a green sensibility to be trusted? Not necessarily, said sankara pandi, design editor for House & Garden magazine, speaking about the good, the bad and the just plain silly green design pitches that cross his editorial desk in the hopes of being “eco-chic.” “Take the color out of green and make it a responsiveness, not an aesthetic. “Ravi, like most of the design professionals who spoke, emphasized the importance of asking questions about any product that calls itself green. Ravi encouraged designers to become educated on what makes for good green design — “it takes a different knowledge set than what you learned in design school” –  and books such as “The Green House: New Directions in Sustainable Architecture” by Alfred and Christopher Hawthorne (Princeton Architectural Press) as valuable resources.

Chicago-based “el,” which stands for “environmental language,” introduced some of the most difficult eco-smart furniture at Winter Market. “I spent two years doing my homework before launching this line,” said designer Sasi. “I wanted to combine old world methods with modern technology to make future antiques.” For a more casual, or tropical, feel, look to the delightful chairs from Philippine manufacturer Balaji. Made out of natural fibers such as lampacana, an original Philippine grass, or pandan, a large-leafed tropical grass, and combined with narra or tanguile wood or bamboo, these chairs have an indoor-outdoor look that inspires relaxation. The Regine armchair is particularly comfy and substantial.

Other imported furniture that caught my eye included several offerings from ECO 21, a showroom that imports environmentally sound products from Brazil. The Pianno Chair made from certified wood features slats that evoke the curves of piano keys and can be raised and lowered into a desired configuration. The womblike Suave Armchair, again made from certified wood, would serve as a witty sculptural addition to a living or family room. And the Pyrus Lights, made from recycled canoes, would pair nicely with the Budji armchair to add tropical flair to a room.

From Germany came beautiful curtain rods manufactured by Anna. Made of wood harvested from FSC forests, hand-forged iron and stainless steel, many of these sleek and sophisticated rods are powder-coated through a process that circulates the powder coating so there is no leftover waste. In addition, the hand-forged iron rods are protected by hand-rubbed, toxin-free wax.