Green Interior Design has grown into a dominant trend in the built environment. Rumour Has It is a member of the Green Building Council of South Africa, and its services as Green Interior Designers are in high demand.
Millennials have great expectations from product and service providers in terms of living and working sustainably. Green Interior Design principles has become part and parcel our strategic approach to interior design for corporate and private clients.
Green Interior Design refer to criteria that affect the health, safety and the welfare of humans within a space. Sustainable design is more focussed on the health, safety and welfare of our planet’s natural resources and environment. Many of our commercial clients want to make a lasting impact on their markets, whilst positively contributing to the earth and future generations that inhabit it. We love being part of our clients’ journey towards a more sustainable future through the interiors they occupy.
The practice of Green Interior Design brings with it benefits such as energy savings, healthier interior environments and heightened employee productivity, through the incorporation of more natural light, organic materials and the emotional well-being associated with operating in physiologically – and psychologically enhanced interiors. Green Interior Design compounds its benefits over the longer term with its positive effect on worker productivity, reputational benefit to the owner of the space and the long term benefit of increased cost benefits of reduced energy consumption over time.
Companies that migrate to green buildings report lower employee turnover rates, fewer sick days, and higher productivity, while academic institutions testify of higher marks, lower absenteeism and heightened academic energy being garnered in green designed interiors spaces.
An important criterion when planning with Green Interior Design strategies include the consideration of indoor air quality by using toxin free solvents and paints on floors, interior surfaces and furnishings. Office staff spend up to 90% of their time indoors, where volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from building materials and furnishings can adversely affect their health.
One of the best ways to maintain positive mental attitudes and save on energy costs, is to incorporate much natural light in the workplace through the prolific use of windows and sun slots. This method is also referred to as daylighting an interior and involves incorporating natural light without it having an adverse effect on an interior, e.g. creating glare or unwelcome heat.
If the generation of additional light is then powered by renewable energy sources and consumption is limited by intelligent management (e.g. movement sensors or user controlled directional reflectors), green interior design rises to a new parallel. Putting some of the environmental controls in the hands of the users of the space, enhance their sense of well-being and ownership.
Underpin the planning of your interior with cradle to cradle principles through the use of materials that can remain in continuous-use cycles or be re-cycled at some later stage, even up-cycled or re-purposed. These principles can apply to materials for flooring, upholstery, window treatments and partitioning.
Classic furniture designs, solid wood goods requiring less adhesives, custom upholstery with natural latex foam wrapped in organic wool, cotton, or jute, made close to location as to reduce the eventual carbon footprint of the product on delivery contribute to the longevity of an interior. Wool is naturally fire retardant, absorbs moisture and captures dust or pollen, thus reducing humidity and allergens in the air.
Everything in your interior represent a design decision that influence organisational well-being. Make sure your interior design team are familiar and up to date with the principles of Green Interior Design to help you showcase your ethics, style and flair whilst creating a productivity enhancing space.