Sustainability and Accessibility

It is extremely important to be eco-conscious  while working with any type of production and building. Especially in the architecture and interior design, it is crucial for us to consider ecology-saving regulations and sustainability rules. There is a list of criteria that must be considered: energy efficiency, minimising waste, choosing sustainable materials, recycling and reusing. 

Image from dreamstime.com

Energy efficiency.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) highlights that 65% of global greenhouse gas emissions come from fossil fuel combustion, emphasizing the need for environmentally conscious design by choosing energy-efficient appliances to minimise climate change impacts (Elliott, 2021).

According to Anna(2023), the best way to minimise negative impact from energy production is to maximise natural light, use solar panels, use HVAC(Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) system, use energy efficient LED or CFL light bulbs, arrange furniture and appliances in an efficient way to act as thermal barrier to save heating energy.  

Starting with maximising natural light, which means installing bigger windows and structuring the flow of the light throughout the room. According to Ching and Binggeli (2012), it is best to use transparent windows and reflective surfaces to create a well-illuminated and bright room. "Brightness=Illumination+Reflectance" (Ching and Binggeli, 2012, p.250)

image from decorativehomeinterior.com

Moving on to solar panels, if it is possible with my project, I will consider solar panels for my energy source. It is the best renewable energy source that is reducing expenses and extremely eco-friendly. Although it produces insufficient amount of energy to power the whole restaurant, it is enough to power certain parts of the restaurant, which is mostly lighting. However, there is a slight problem with aesthetically incorporating solar panels in the design, that is why most architectural designs hide the solar panels on the roofs or locate them on premises that are not in use and not visible to clients. Use of solar panels is a question that opens to owners of the property in accordance to the possibility of it being installed.

image from propsocial.my

Minimising waste, using sustainable material, recycling and reusing.

While working with big projects, waste is inevitable. It is a must to minimise it, in order to create smart and progressive projects. For example, utilising as much material as possible like wood scraps, which can be reused or made into new materials. Recycling and using recycled material like recycled paper, cardboard and plastic. For my project, I can also request products from eco-friendly organisations and manufacturers like "bulb", "Grow Bristol", "The Plus" etc. (The Hubble Team, 2024). 

image from hubblehq.com

The next step is choosing the right materials. It is quite a big problem of wasteful use of materials, for example the mass production is the biggest cause of that. That is why it is urgently needed for people to become aware and reuse and recycle. One of the most popular materials to use in the sustainable community is wood, bamboo, straw and recycled materials like cork (D, 2022). 

 I decided to include material sources in my design, I chose three main materials: wood, bamboo and cork, since I found good UK sources and these three are main materials for sustainable furnishing.

Why wood? Because it is renewable, sustainable, recyclable and reusable, it absorbs carbon dioxide, retains heat, 100% biodegradable, and it is aesthetically pleasing (Jowaheer, 2018).

 I found a company established in the UK that provides sustainable furniture and decor out of wood - Sustainable Furniture, founded in 2007, by Margaret Larson, who is an environmental activist and has been in this field for many years (www.sustainable-furniture.co.uk, n.d.).

Bamboo furniture really excels in terms of sustainability. Bamboo is a grass that grows quickly and matures in a matter of years, as opposed to typical wood, which might take decades to grow and refill. Its extremely renewable nature minimizes deforestation and eases the burden on forests due to its quick growth (Grove, 2023).

 There is a bamboo flooring supplier, founded in 2004 and are based in Leicestershire - The Bamboo Flooring Company (www.bambooflooringcompany.com, n.d.).

Using cork for furniture seems like a sensible decision for a variety of reasons. Cork is a strong, waterproof, fire-resistant, recyclable, and lightweight substance that is obtained by carefully peeling, chipping, and heating the bark of cork oak trees, allowing the tree to regrow and flourish (Perry, 2023).

I also found a natural cork seller, that is also established in the UK - Corksystem (corksystem.co.uk, n.d.).

 

Accessibility.

It is important to be considerate and value differences of humans, be body positive and help your clients be treated with respect and have a good experience in the restaurant, that is why UK government regulations are requiring the legal standards to be met. 

Accessible toilet model: it requires to have enough room for people with difficulty walking to move easily, with handrails or similar support, the sink should have a rounded front for wheelchair users to get closer, and it should include a temperature-adjustable lever tap (www.kerasan.com, n.d.).

image from moreability.co.uk

References:

Elliott, S. (2021). A Guide to Sustainability in Interior Design. [online] gatherit.co. Available at: https://gatherit.co/how-to-incorporate-sustainability-into-interior-design-architecture/ [Accessed 22 Feb. 2024].

Anna (2023). Sustainability in Interior Design: Strategies & Advantages. [online] AUGmentecture Blog. Available at: https://www.augmentecture.com/blog/sustainability-in-interior-design/#Energy_Efficiency_in_Interior_Design [Accessed 22 Feb. 2024].

‌Ching, F.D.K. and Binggeli, C. (2012). Interior design illustrated. 3rd ed. Hoboken: Wiley, pp.247–286. Lighting and Acoustics.

‌The Hubble Team (2024). Meet 8 of the UK’s Most Sustainable Companies in 2020. [online] HubbleHQ. Available at: https://hubblehq.com/blog/sustainable-companies-uk [Accessed 22 Feb. 2024].

www.sustainable-furniture.co.uk. (n.d.). Story all about Sustainable Furnitures - Sustainable Furniture. [online] Available at: https://www.sustainable-furniture.co.uk/our-sustainable-story [Accessed 22 Feb. 2024]

Grove, B. (2023). The Rise of Sustainable Living: Exploring the Beauty and Benefits of Bamboo Furniture. [online] Bamboo Grove. Available at: https://www.bamboogrove.com/blog/bamboo-uses/the-rise-of-sustainable-living-exploring-the-beauty-and-benefits-of-bamboo-furniture/#:~:text=When%20it%20comes%20to%20sustainability%2C%20bamboo%20furniture%20truly [Accessed 11 Mar. 2024].

D, G. (2022). Best Sustainable Materials for Furniture. [online] ecohugo. Available at: https://ecohugo.com/best-sustainable-materials-for-furniture/#:~:text=1%201.%20Wood%20Wood%20is%20probably%20the%20first  [Accessed 11 Mar. 2024].

Jowaheer, R. (2018). 7 reasons why wood is the sustainable material you need in your home. [online] House Beautiful. Available at: https://www.housebeautiful.com/uk/decorate/a21614875/wood-benefits-eco-material-home/.

www.bambooflooringcompany.com. (n.d.). About Us - The Bamboo Flooring Company. [online] Available at: https://www.bambooflooringcompany.com/about-us [Accessed 11 Mar. 2024].

corksystem.co.uk. (n.d.). About us. [online] Available at: https://corksystem.co.uk/content/4-about-us [Accessed 11 Mar. 2024].

‌www.kerasan.com. (n.d.). Disabled toilets: What does the law say? [online] Available at: https://www.kerasan.com/news/tips/disabled-toilets-what-does-the-law-say.html#:~:text=Sufficient%20space%20to%20allow%20persons [Accessed 22 Feb. 2024].