My Professional Manifesto

The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) issued a report in October 2018 that was written by 91 authors, and 40 review editors. It featured 133 contributing authors, with 6,000 scientific references. It was subject to over 42,000 expert and government reviews prior to publication. There are a few things we know for certain from the report that has been reviewed by over 42,000 experts: Climate change is man-made and post-industrial revolution issue, and we have now roughly 12 years to prevent the temperature increase of 1.5° C (McGrath, 2018), after that, we will eventually reach a tipping point where we will unable to backtrack from the Anthropocene epoch, which could lead to a 6thmass extinction. (BBC, 2015) This is an issue we can no longer ignore. As my green design idol, Eric Corey Freed of OrganicARCHITECT, once said, “the good news is that it is statistically possible to prevent the temperature rise.” (Freed, 2017)

The rapid changes we need in our society are in energy generation, land use, cities, and industry. (McGrath, 2018) Buildings and building construction account for nearly 40% of the planet’s energy usage, (UN, 2017) (Petkar, 2014) and the building construction sector contributes to 38% of the greenhouse gas emissions. (Ritchie & Roser, 2018)

The primary responsibilities of an interior designer are to promote health, safety, welfare, and to enhance the human experience. As an interior designer, the decisions made are impactful on the environment, dictating the electrical load and how much water a building will consume in the appliances and fixtures specified. If we are working on a project in a community that relies on non-renewable resources for energy, then our decisions matter even more. We can either select materials with a high embodied footprint or a low one. 

We have a clear role to follow ethical practices and being stewards of the environment and the planet's finite resources. Being part of the solution looks beyond energy consumption. Not only will it be good for the environment, but it will make us healthier, we will have happier communities and despite misleading information circulation, our economy will continue to thrive.

This manifesto is my declaration of my commitment to the sustainable design principles listed in The Philosophy of Sustainable Design, by Jason McLennan. There principles I will explore are:

Qorner by Safdie Architects (Inhabitat, 2018)

Qorner by Safdie Architects (Inhabitat, 2018)

Manifesto | Respect for Wisdom of Natural Systems | The Biomimicry Principle

“Biomimicry is an approach to innovation that seeks sustainable solutions to human challenges by emulating nature’s time-tested patterns and strategies.”
— The Biomimicry Institute

As mentioned in the previous post, the building construction industry is one of the greatest contributors to greenhouse gases and much of what we use to in them is making us sick. (Freed, 2017) We need a transformational approach to how we build, and there is much to learn from nature’s innate technology. Biologist Janine Benyus explored the learnable functions of the planet’s systems. It runs on daylight, which is free, and is energy efficient. It recycles everything it creates, is cooperative, and thrives from diversity. (McLennan, 2004)

  • Nature runs on sunlight.

  • Nature fits form to function.

  • Nature recycles everything.

  • Nature rewards cooperation.

  • Nature banks on diversity.

  • Nature relies on local expertise.

  • Nature curbs excesses within.

“Biomimicry ushers in an era based not on what we can extract from nature, but on what we can learn from her. This shift from learning about nature to learning from nature requires a new method of inquiry.”
— Janine Benyus, Biomimicry 3.8 Co-Founder (McLennan, 2004)

The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating system, while it is supporting better construction practices and making buildings less energy consumptive, it has a lot of room for improvement. The Living Building Challenge examines ways to employ the principles of Biomimicry and is planting the seeds for a revolution in building construction. (Living Future Institute, s.d.) The requirements are that the buildings harvest their own energy and water, that it is adapted to its climate and place, and that it operates pollution-free. It is comprised of integrated systems and promotes our overall health and well-being. (McLennan, Living Buildings for a Living Future | TEDxBend, 2015)

“You could look at nature as being like a catalog of products, and all of those have benefited from a 3.8 billion year research and development period. And given that level of investment, it makes sense to use it.”
— Michael Pawlyn (The Biomimicry Institute, s.d.)

It is a budding industry, living buildings, and with the continued study of synthetic biology at MIT, we will continue to be informed of the evolving best practices. (Freed, 2017) As an interior designer, I can do my part by committing to continued learning from the case studies of The Living Building Challenge of the Living Future Institute, respecting passive solar strategies, employing greywater when possible, continuing to grow my understanding of the natural sciences and systems, and when appropriate, partaking in innovative biomimicry design charrettes. I will familiarize myself with the products with the Declare Label and avoid those on the Red List, so that when disposed of, the products and materials that have been specified can either be reused or decomposed without toxic ramifications.

The task requires designing with curiosity and humility, seeking to emulate, but the rewards will outweigh its costs. (McLennan, 2004)

“Nature does nothing uselessly.”
— Aristotle
The Biomimicry Institute (Biomimicry Institute, s.d.)

The Biomimicry Institute (Biomimicry Institute, s.d.)

Manifesto | Respect for Place | The Ecosystem/Bioregion Principle

“We shape our environment, thereafter, they shape us.”
— Winston Churchill

Respect for place is about recognizing and honouring the sanctity of a place and exploring sustainable patterns of living there. This includes following passive solar design principles and harnessing solar and wind energy. It is about protecting the existing biodiversity, and “that which is not yet visible.” (McLennan, 2004) It is about preserving our cultural heritage, both the craftsmanship of the past, and the environment. It is about reusing the structure that is already in place, and not building beyond city limits, and building for the long game. 

“When we neglect to bring forth that which is unique and beautiful in our surroundings, we degrade ourselves and diminish our potential to communicate that which is unique and beautiful in our culture.”
— Jason McLennan

Respect for place is about designing with the question in mind of what can be done to improve this place? How can it improve the vitality of the community and restore what is already there? It is important to protect the connection with the natural world because without it, we lose empathy for the plight of environmentalism. 

I aim to abide by this principle by facilitating the connection to the natural world trough barrier-free access to biophilia, without encroaching on the life that already exists. I aim to endeavour the challenge of heritage restoration, and simply maintaining and honouring what is already there, adapting without misusing. 

Manifesto | Respect for People | The Human Vitality Principle

“Sustainable design is as much about people as it is about the environment.”
— Jason MacLennan

Designing buildings and spaces is a service rooted in empathy. In order to achieve a successful design, we must consider the user experience, how people relate to and interact in the space they are in, how it affects us both physiologically and psychologically. If we fail to serve the people we are designing for, it becomes failed design. To truly take a human-centric approach to design, it requires careful consideration of functionality, flexibility, and the durability and longevity what we are specifying, from materials to fixtures and furnishings. It is about ensuring safe indoor air quality, drinking water, contact to daylight and biophilia, and minimizing exposure to toxins. It is about limiting stress on the human bodily systems, and providing olfactory, acoustic, ergonomic and thermal comfort. It is about supporting physical and mental health. In short, it is about supporting human vitality.

“Sustainable design endeavors to create the healthiest most nourishing places possible for people without diminishing the ability of nature to provide nourishing places for the rest of creation and for our own species in the future.”
— Jason MacLennan

I intend to become a WELL Accredited Professional this summer, inaugurating my commitment to designing for the human-health, happiness, productivity and overall wellbeing; however, I will need to dig deeper than the WELL Building Standard to really be of value. For decades, we have been designing with little regard for how buildings affect out health, in many cases, manifesting into ‘sick buildings’, buildings that cannot offer healthy indoor environments. (McLennan, 2004)

Since the 1950s, over 80,000 chemicals are currently being used in the United States, of which only under 200 have been tested for potential side effects, and only 5 have removed from production, as reported in the Toxic Substances Control Act.  In one study, they found that 232 chemicals were found in the umbilical cord samples. Babies are now being born with targeted immune systems and studies are linking this to higher infant mortality rates, a trend in lower IQs, and a rise in allergies, to list a few concerns. (Perkins + Will Transparency, s.d.) 

Along with familiarizing myself with Declare Label Products and The Living Future’s Red List, I aim to develop my understanding of toxic chemicals in building materials by following Pharos, and The Precautionary List, on Transparency,  “a gathering point for resources, news, and data supporting the open and honest disclosure of building material ingredients,” (Perkins + Will Transparency, s.d.) provided by architecture and planning firm, Perkins + Will, in collaboration with the American Cancer Society in service of the shared human vitality goals.

This principle also extends to social justice issues, and synthesizes with the next principle, Respect for place. It is important to protect the communities that are affected by building material manufacturing. Are safe and ethical practices being observed? It is about considering the factory workers that manufacture the products. Will the disposal of the products specified affect the health of the communities and their environments? It is about selecting wood that is sustainably retrieved, without impacting the wildlife. It is about protecting the diversity that we all benefit from.

Manifesto | Respect for the Cycle of Life | The “Seven Generations” Principle

“There is a teaching that is found within many indigenous cultures that talks about the Seven generations, the need to consider our impacts on each other, on our environment, and for those faces who have yet to come.”
— Ron Deganadus McLester (McLennan, 2004)

Except for materials created in modern society, nature has always been able to break down materials. As mentioned in the Human Vitality Principle, many of materials used in the built environment carry negative health implications. Seeing as nature metabolizes what we leave behind, the illnesses from these materials will also be passed down to the people and environment of future generations. (McLennan, 2004)

“Nature operates according to a system of nutrients and metabolisms in where there is no such thing as waste.”
— Bill McDonough and Michael Braungart (McLennan, 2004)

The life we have been privileged enough to enjoy on earth will likely change dramatically in the century to come. The United Nations issued a report May 6, 2019, stating that 1 million species are at risk of extinction, largely because we are eviscerating their habitats by removing their homes, food or poisoning their water, to meet our own goals. (Trompiz, 2019) This not only impacts the landscape of the planet we know and love, but it will threaten our quality of life, our food security, and most certainly the economy, expecting to shrink America’s GDP by 10%. (Irwin, 2019)

This principle seeks to teach and learn from the 7 generations we share our lives on earth with, from our great-grandparents to our great-grandchildren. It goes beyond the desire for adequate disposal methods. Bill McDonough and Michael Braungart wrote a book, Cradle to Cradle, that explores the concept of regenerative design, the reusability of materials as new resources, and understands that much of what is manufactured today is designed without consideration for its degradability. (McLennan, 2004)

I aim to abide by this principle by prioritizing products and materials that employ the closed-loop model for materials, making new products out of waste materials, and referring to a product’s Life Cycle Assessment. I also will aim to restore as much as possible, and design with the awareness that I am responsible for what I leave behind. 

“ Waste = Food”
— Paul Hawken (McLennan, 2004)

Manifesto | Respect for Energy and Natural Resources | The Conservation and Renewable Resources Principle

The resources available to us on this planet are finite; we need to treat them as finite, not an afterthought. The industrial economy would flounder without the employ of natural resources.  (McLennan, 2004) We have the responsibility to consider the embodied energy of the products and materials we use, and aim to minimize the use of materials, as long as it doesn’t impede meeting a project’s goals or quality. (McLennan, 2004)

I aim to specify plumbing and lighting fixtures, and appliances that have reduced water and energy loads. 

I will also endeavour to select materials either with high-recycled content, or is salvaged or reused, or when sourcing raw materials, to select minimally invasive (certified wood) and with a minimal embodied footprint. This includes understanding the process of resource extraction, the emissions of manufacturing, and transportation and assembly. It considers the maintenance requirements throughout its use (does it require a toxic cleaner or constant exhaust to reduce the effects of continuous off-gassing), and through the (potentially selective) demolition process. It means from the very beginning, considering its opportunity at the end of life. (McLennan, 2004) (Binggeli, 2013) I look forward to having a well-developed library of trusted green materials and products.

Green Wall Facade (Therapeutic Gardens, 2018)

Green Wall Facade (Therapeutic Gardens, 2018)

The 1000th Well Certified Project by EDGE Technologies and BuroHappold (IWBI Twitter, 2019)

The 1000th Well Certified Project by EDGE Technologies and BuroHappold (IWBI Twitter, 2019)

Manifesto | Respect for Process | The Holistic Thinking Principle

This principle acknowledges that it is in order to truly revolutionize the building industry, , it requires changing of the process by which we design, which is it a team effort. It requires an agreement and shared goal among all the professionals, architects, engineers, designers and contractors. (McLennan, 2004)

This principle has six sub-principles:

1.     A Commitment to Collaboration and Interdisciplinary Communication

2.     A Commitment to Holistic Thinking

3.     A Commitment to Life-Long Learning and Continual Improvement

4.     A Commitment to Challenging Rules of Thumb

5.     A Commitment to Allowing for Time to Make Good Decisions

6.     A Commitment to Rewarding Innovation (McLennan, 2004)

I plan on completing my LEED Accredited Professional Exam next summer so that I can keep abreast of the last best practices, and further my commitment to sustainable design.