Anyone remember the Whole Earth Catalog, how about Mother Earth News? It was 1968, sometimes referred to as the Back to the Land Movement and I would say that this was the precursor for the Green Design movement which is moving its way main stream thanks to people like Al Gore. I’ll never forget the day my sister called me from law school (about fifteen years ago – she is also ten years younger than me). She was describing some people she just met at school and referred to them as “earthy crunchy”. I never heard this expression and silently wondered if she thought I was one of “them” since I practiced yoga and liked to wear Birkenstocks.
When the concept of Green Design began to take hold in the early 1990’s, there were very few companies making these products and the majority fell into a visual genre that looked, well…”earthy crunchy”. But the Green of the 21st century is a technological revolution that is spawning the creation of the most design savvy products that are developed through innovation and mindfulness of our limited resources.
One of our favorite design resources in our studio is the polycarbonate resin panels made by 3form USA. We have used these to design backlit walls, custom light fixtures, decorative face panels for reception desks and countertops. One of the most innovative uses of this material is seen in the San Francisco bus shelters by Lundberg Design. 3form manufactured these ground breaking sustainable shelter canopies combining photo-voltaic cells and recycled polycarbonate material. You can read more about this project at 3form.com
There sure is a whole lotta green washing going on and it has become the marketing enigma of the 21st century. But the reality is that “Going Green” is not fad or fashion; it is a revolution that is growing more mainstream every day.
I recently spent two days participating in a Green Design Summit sharing ideas with people who really “walk the talk”. One of the speakers who really struck a chord with me was Joshua Foss, also known as the MetroHippie. I was all ears just listening to his introduction: his father worked for Charles and Ray Eames as an architect, he referred to both his parents as “old school hippies”, he has a degree in fine arts, a background in carpentry, and decided to learn everything he could about “green design” through working in the field, way before it became mainstream. This guy is what I call “the real deal”
Joshua made a statement in the beginning of his discussion which particularly resonated with me not so much because it was some groundbreaking revelation, but because it was good ol’ fashion common sense. He said: “A huge part of green is that it lasts a long time”.
The day after finishing the Green Design Summit, I had met with new clients. They hired me to design a new kitchen for their young family including adding on to the existing space an additional 150 sq. ft. We proceeded to review their “wish list” of all the things they would like to incorporate into the new space. When we began to discuss materials and cabinets for the kitchen, I cautiously began to ask questions about investing in “Green Products” and if they had concerns about IaQ: Indoor Air Quality, etc. etc.
Well, the husband turned to me and said: “You know, you can buy things made from bamboo but if isn’t made well and falls apart in a few years then it really isn’t green. I have always felt that if you invest in well designed high quality products that will last a long time, then that is really being green.”
So there you have it folks..the synchronicity of these events was amazing. Good design, whether it be modern or traditional is timeless..and green
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