Hello!
Welcome to the first edition of “Daryl’s Domain”, from where I will share some thoughts and experiences…and sometimes stir up a little controversy.
Let’s think about: Sustainable Design.
My dictionary defines the word sustain as “…to keep in existence, maintain, prolong…”
A client once told me he needed some “bombproof” furniture. It seems one of his retail developments had very high traffic and he could not find furniture that would last. Our design engineer and I put our heads together, and determined that we could not make bombproof furniture. However, we could make furniture in modules, so that when damage occurred, a module could easily be replaced by the maintenance staff. We got that order, and the furniture has now been in service for many years. It is certainly of “sustainable design”.
We all need to work toward sustaining our natural resources. One way we do that is by having all our aluminum castings made from post-consumer recycled material. But sustainable design means more than just the selection of raw materials. It means the product itself must “sustain”.
I see products that are promoted as “green” because of their raw material content, but they are manufactured in such a way (cheaply) that they will have a short useful life. When I consider the time and energy to replace those products every few years, it is hard for me to define them as “green” or to be of “sustainable design”.
All of us who design, engineer, specify, purchase, and use furniture need to get past some of the “greenwash” promotions and dig a bit deeper to understand useful life. The proper raw materials and a long useful life, together, provide true sustainable design.
As always, your comments are requested and appreciated.
Daryl Braun
P.S. Our new website is a rousing success! The 3D modeling service and the “Choose a Fabric/Choose a Finish” interactive feature in “Indoor Seating” are both generating lots of activity. Check them out at: www.dmbraunco.com
