"Green Design Will Become the Definition of Good Design"
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 07.25.07
That's what Jill Salisbury of Environmental Language Furniture said to Style Chicago in an overview of the Chicago green scene. They looked for "visionary architects, interior designers and home furnishings manufacturers who are committed to the green principle, creating beautiful buildings and divine decor that leave the lightest footprint possible on this place we all call home." While that is a quote that would make George Monbiot retch, there were some interesting selections, including Nathan Kipnis Architects-"Environmental design is the only logical way to design in response to the global and local situation," Kipnis asserts.
Jill Salisbury worked with an environmental consultant to develop her furniture collection at EL Environmental Language, which utilizes natural and non-toxic materials in classic, heirloom-quality pieces. Salisbury maintains that sustainable design is a shift of lifestyle, not a passing trend, and that the demand is growing. "Green design will become the definition of good design," Salisbury says.
We had no idea that Montauk, famous for its oversized chairs, was going green. "We are part of an important initiative and a growing trend to pay attention to our planet. Montauk is committed to continuously reducing our footprint by improving our showrooms' energy efficiency and procuring our materials from sustainable sources," says Tim Zyto, Montauk Sofa's president and CEO.
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"Green design will become the definition of good design"
I'm sorry, I beg to differ. Sort of. It's not that Green Design isn't important, it's that there are so many other variables also included. We could argue that practicality and pleasure are elements of what makes something 'green' anyway, but in that case why bother using the word 'green' at all? Why not just say 'good design is good design'?
...Because that 'green' bit refers to something specific. Something that is about energy, materials, footprint, efficiency, and so on. These are vital issues in any good design, and you could even say that there is no good design without them, but they're not the totality of it.
Far too often good design gets overlooked and bad design gets un-warranted praise, all because of green principles. Good design is not predicated upon green principle, while they are important, they do not creat good design in its entirity.
The term 'Green' in architecture is quite recklessly thrown around in use and often becomes a crutch for design. The design industry thrives on quality design, but the trend of society is to think "green", thus our design world becomes convoluted with the ideals of society. Design begins to suffer.