Sustainable Design – The key to a clean future

“Sustainable design gives an authentic value to the consumer”

The idea of encouraging sustainability in our lives continues to grow to a collective and utmost importance. In all facets, sustainable design is crucial to both people, business and the environment: On society with respect to comfort, reduction in efforts, amplification of results, on the environment with respect to global impact, weather change, and effects on biodiversity, and with respect to business on a sustainable economy, efficiency, meeting buisness needs and ensuring long term profits.

Sustainable design – Definition

Sustainable design has been given many definitions. To me, the one which seems simple while still encompassing the broad meaning it connotes is;

“the intention to reduce or eliminate negative environmental, societal and economic impacts from system through its life-cycle by using thoughtful designs.”

 In other words, the sustainable design seeks to promote sustainability in every sense and substance of the word. It ensures a system is optimized according to the six principles of sustainability;

  • Economic Vitality
  • Disaster Resilience
  • Quality of Life
  • Social Equity
  • Environmental Quality
  • Participation

How to achieve a sustainable design in your business

Achieve a sustainable design in your business

For increased sustainability potential, sustainable design principles dictate that there must the fusion of certain abilities in the design phase.

 This includes the ability to: 

optimize site potential, minimize non-renewable energy consumption, use environmentally favourable products, enhance indoor environmental quality, and also optimize operational and maintenance practices.

These listed abilities, when synergized with design creativity, will not only lead to safe and preferable products and programs but also increase comfort. 

For example, minimizing non-renewable energy consumption will go a long way to preserve the repository for future use while sustaining present demands. Cutting back on energy wastage can improve efficiency and therefore save a company money making it more profitable, as well as presenting the company in a better social light.

Environmental protection is the core pillar of sustainable design

Using environmental favourable products help in maintaining weather conditions and biodiversity conservation.

Environmental maintenance has been one of the most common concerns of countries in the globe. The aim to protect the environment continues to be one of the peak interests of governmental and non-governmental agencies due to the far-reaching effects it has on the collective well-being of the worlds population.

So important is this sector that the United Nations recognizes it in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), aiming to balance the environmental dimension of sustainable development. 

To this end, many concerted efforts have been made to ramp up the struggle for environmental sustainability. This can be seen in the very different fields where alternative products and process have been adopted to replace old, inefficient and polluting legacy designs – for example modern paper mills are now required to be ‘closed loop’ systems to prevent discharge of toxic wastes and acids; what was previously waste product to be discharged is now processed to recover materials which can be re-used.

Pollution – A major roadblock towards sustainable design

Pollution – A major roadblock towards sustainable design

 A major factor that hinders sustainability is environmental pollution. 

Global warming is the blanket term given to considering the increasing vagaries and unpredictability of global weather conditions. Researchers have attributed our emissions of harmful and atmosphere-depleting gases consequent from our industrial processes, farming, transportation and individual activities to be a major factor in the accelerating effects of global warming.

Illustratively, there are about 1.4 billion cars in the world! These cars are predominantly used to transport only one person at a time and the overwhelming majority use petrol, diesel or gas that produces significant carbon emissions

Although, with the advent of EV (electric vehicles) which can be powered by green energy (solar and wind grids) the life-cycle emission costs are reducing (however it should be noted there are significant emissions and environmental costs in manufacturing electric vehicles!)

Furthermore, the number of industries that release unfiltered gases to our atmosphere is countless. The number of gas flaring, bush burning and accidental fire incidents that spew out carbon emissions as well as toxic gases that harm the atmosphere are equally surprising. 

In this light, there is a need to check and balance this global menace of depletion of the atmosphere, and sustainable design is considered the ideal rescue.

The world is ailing and needs treatment from within – that treatment is sustainable design. 

Waste – a target for sustainable design for economic vitality

Waste is expensive, and sustainable design targets efficient solutions that can cut down on it. By removing waste, the system becomes more efficient which makes it more sustainable from an economic point of view. It also makes the system more profitable, meeting business needs and ensuring its long term function.

Ways sustainable design is used today

The idea of sustainability in designs stems from the need to improve the availability and accessibility of products, processes, and programs at the lowest risk, without compromising quality for the present and future. 

Sustainable design is a core concern, has its tentacle extended to different aspects of life. 

It is presently implemented in gardening, farming, building, modern city/community design, and even in business practices to engender an alternative and also quality way of life.  

 To set this in perspective, the following are how sustainable design has been helping tremendously in encouraging environmental sustainability in the crucial sectors of daily lives;

  • Gardening

Sustainable design is revolutionizing the aspect of environmental sustainability through sustainable gardening. 

This cuts across, but not limited, to committing a 100 per cent organic substances, avoiding chemicals, finding creative ways to reuse resources, passively harvesting water, choosing species of plants to cultivate wisely, keeping a zero-waste garden, saving seeds and propagating them, and also building healthy soil by encouraging free mulching and organic matter accumulation. 

Through these gentle but effective ways, biodiversity conservation is ensured and this directly translates to a better environment.

  • Farming

Techniques developed through sustainable design for sustainable farming in a noble attempt to promote a healthier life. It includes the use of alternative energy to drive farm operations, cultivation of varieties of crops, poly culture farming (inter planting), crop rotation, using water-efficient fixtures, allocation of green spaces among many more. 

These ways benefit the environment by maintaining soil quality, reducing soil degradation and erosion, saving water and effectively ensuring biodiversity.

  • Building

In building, the sustainable design relies on the use of effective wastewater management system, renewable energy systems, green building materials and finishes, and native landscaping. 

  •  City/Community Design

Introduction and utilization of sustainable transport systems which use less non-renewable energy resources and more alternative energy options is a great point. 

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Minimizing harmful emissions through sustainable design has heavily nurtured a sustainable environment. Although sustainable cities design not a common thing yet, it will no doubt become one of the most important and best practices introduced by sustainability design.

  • Business

Sustainable design in businesses includes practices that encourage programs that have the most positive impacts on people and the environment. 

In light of the foregoing, agencies are endeavouring to introduce initiatives and programs that make sustainable design a forefront factor. 

With the core concept definition that sustainability help focuses attention on the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations, it’s no wonder the topic is given a top priority.

Sustainable design is good for business

People around the globe realize the effects of environmental degradation. While they also try to nurture a clean environment, they appreciate the companies implementing sustainable design.

There are a lot of advantages that come with the ‘green-company’ label. Many companies, especially manufacturers, have heavily invested in sustainable design. It’s a sign of keen care to the environment around your customers, but also benefits the bottom line and increases profits – since sustainable design is inherently more efficient and less wasteful.

Summary of Sustainable Design

Sustainable design is all about using intelligent design processes to ensure that a system operates efficiently and is optimised according to the enviornment (ecosystem), society (users), and economically (business needs) throughout its life-cycle.

Ken

Ken is a retired engineer, beekeeper and avid gardener. He writes about permaculture, sustainability and self-sufficiency on his blog SkyPerma, which journals his progress becoming more sustainable in the SkyGarden, a 100 square meter rooftop garden right in the heart of the Adelaide city which hosts over 500 plants and 5 established beehives. Ken has the goal of establishing his own permaculture acreage in the Adelaide Hills, and other than gardening his hobbies include cycling, cooking and writing.

Ken has 62 posts and counting. See all posts by Ken

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