An Introduction to Sustainability in Design

Our planet's ecological footprint shows that people are using the capacity of 1.5 earths, but how? Just like overdrawn bank accounts, Earth’s resources are being consumed faster then they can be generated. Fish are harvested before they can be replenished, forests are being chopped down before they can be reproduced and green house gasses are being emitted more quickly than the plant life can absorb them. 

“We are, without a doubt, in a state of “ecological overshoot””.

What is sustainability?

 ‘…The one with the flipping wings and the guy peddling away to make the wings go…’ is an opening by author Ray c. Anderson in ‘The Guide Book to Sustainable Design’. It explains that sustainability is related to the very first aeroplane created. As a metaphor it goes on to explain how the pilot flew off a cliff, and descends into a free-fall without realising as the ground is too far for him to see the extent of his situation. 

Daniel Quinn describes the metaphor. Mender S and Odell W explain that ‘Quinn says that our civilisation is in free-fall, too, for the same reason: It wasn’t built according to the laws of aerodynamics for civilisations that would fly…’

This is a significant metaphor- the top of the cliff represents society in a holistic way, everything we take for granted; from farming crops to deforestation of rain forests. As described in Quinn’s quote, the aeroplane relates to the downfall of sustainability of our planet, it wasn’t built for society to overuse. Relating back to Quinn’s metaphor, only a certain number of us chose to see the bottom, others are ignorant, or do not understand, but there are few are prepared to create change, as will be explained.

“We live in two interpenetrating worlds. The first is the living world, which has been forged in an evolutionary crucible over a period of four billion years. The second is the world of roads and cities, farms and artefacts, that people have been designing for themselves over the last few millennia. The condition that threatens both worlds - unsustainability -, results from a lack of integration between them.”

This quote alone summarises the problem in one; are we doing enough to help integrate “both worlds?” Principles are to be considered when one has to think of sustainability, as it is a very delicate subject.

Substances from the earth cannot be extracted faster then they can be recreated;

”… the concentration of these substances in the exosphere will increase and eventually reach limits, irreversible changes will occur. So much radioactivity that we all die, so much lead in the water that we all become sterile, so much carbon dioxide in the atmosphere that polar ice caps melt."
 

Much of this is evident throughout the world and the message is clear, we cannot over harvest, doing so will diminish nature. So how can this be handled and how do we save our planet when it is so far into crisis? 

Sustainable design

Ecolife Dictionary defines sustainable design as;

“…the intention to reduce or completely eliminate negative environmental impacts through thoughtful design. This concept can be applied across all fields of design such as designing buildings or products”

Questions about design change over time, particularly about how the design works. Does it please aesthetically? Will it work for the target market? One of the most recent question to ask is how does it relate, is it ‘green’?

As discussed in ‘What is sustainability?’ in regarding problems previously examined, a manifesto was created for designers to follow, to aid their understanding of ways to become ‘green.’ This manifesto is called the Hannover principles.

Hannover, a German city, was selected to host the EXPO 2000 world fair. The EXPO world fairs were originally a collection of countries coming together to show advancements of technologies, but this EXPO 2000 was to show solutions of world problems. The motto for the EXPO 2000 was 

”Humankind-Nature-Technology – a new world arising”

The manifesto was written in relation to the EXPO 2000 theme to help designers and consumers alike understand sustainable design. The Hannover principles were first written by American architect, William McDonough, and German chemist Michael Braungart. In summary, the priniciples are:

1. Insist on the right of humanity and nature to co-exist in a healthy, supportive, diverse and sustainable condition.
2. Recognise interdependence.
3. Respect relationships between spirit and matter.
4. Accept responsibility for the consequences of design decisions upon human well-being, the viability of natural systems and their right to co-exist.
5. Create safe objects of long-term value.
6. Eliminate the concept of waste.
7. Rely on natural energy flows.
8. Understand the limitations of design.
9. Seek constant improvement by the sharing of knowledge.

 With these principles in mind, surely we can strive to produce sustainable designs for the benefit of our planet, our clients and ourselves...

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References:  WWF, “What does overshoot mean?” <http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/all_publications/living_planet_report/demands_on_our_planet/overshoot/>

Dougherty, D. Green graphic design. New York: Allworth Press, 2008, p 24.

Cowan, Van Der Ryn.S, Ecological Design. Island press, Washington DC, 1996. P 17

Mendler. S.F, Odell. W, The Guidebook to Sustainable Design, John Wiley and Sons, Canada, 2000, P.ix

Ecolife Dictionary. Definition of Sustainable Design <http://www.ecolife.com/define/sustainable-design.html>

The History of world Expositions. Expo 2000 Hannover <http://www.expo2000.de/expo2000/geschichte/detail.php?wa_id=21&lang=1>