This growing awareness and new perspective on sustainability has impacted not only consumers via media but environmentally responsible companies are leading the way by addressing and implementing these principles in a way that truly utilises good design at its best. The integrity of good design is essentially that…innovative design in all ways…not just the end result but from the very foundations of how a design is produced.
Hermann Miller, pre-eminent furniture designer (and represented in collections of such museums as MOMA in NY) has not only won acclaim for his design but for how his company has restructed the environment it inhabits. From the early 80’s Miller has been engaged in exploring indoor air quality in manufacture and sustainable forestry for resources. The company’s signature “Eames” chair became a symbol of his commitment to conscious choices when the rare rosewood tree was not used for the chair’s production.
In 1992 Miller’s company organised a team of over 300 employees to restructure their work environment to address environmentally responsible performance. This lead to the construction of “The Green House”, a 295,000 square foot factory and office that featured copious fresh air and sunlight, natural features such as wetlands and swales that purified storm water run-off and even provided a habitat for local birds with plants and flowers. As well as winning a “Good Design is Good Business” award the measured increase in productivity the positive social and ecological impacts have been profound.
References:
http://www.mcdonough.com/writings/anatomy_transformation.htm
http://www.mcdonough.com/writings_c2c_case_studies.htm
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/eames/images/vc9671.jpg
1 comment:
great post. have you watched video. its in the library
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