Sustainable Design: The Long Term Approach

It is now too late to stop climate change completely – CO₂ stays in the atmosphere for up to 100 years so even if we drastically reduce the amount, we won’t realise the effects for a long time – but if we are to try and restore the balance for future generations, we need to create a more sustainable way of living. This is where design and ecology must merge and bridge the gap between the conventional design and scientific disciplines, as “the environmental crisis is a design crisis” (Van der Ryn & Cowan, 1996: p.9). In their book, Van der Ryn and Cowan classify ecological or sustainable design as “any form of design that minimises environmentally destructive impacts by integrating itself with living processes” (1996: p. x). It takes into account the material use and the waste created, doesn’t use resources haphazardly, recognises that the object should be responsible, and it understands that:

“… a product might not last forever and therefore needs to be easily recycled into other products with other uses, or that a product could have an almost infinite life span, and should therefore be simple to build and service, whilst having the least possible environmental impact.” (Bell, 2003: p. 77).

Sustainable design can relate to every type of design, from the planning and development of cities and towns to the creation of everyday household products to the production of high street fashion. If the principles of ecology are to be adapted into design, designers must look towards nature as an inspiration and an influence, so that each individual product benefits more than just the consumer. We must use ecological design to create a sustainable world.

The long term approach to sustainable design is to analyse the components that already make up our way of life and work towards ways of improving them. This would not only mean applying ecological principles to future products and processes, but also redesigning existing products to make them more sustainable; for example, modifying the materials used so they can be easily recycled and don’t come from a source which is either damaging to the environment or non-renewable, creating buildings which produce their own energy, and adapting manufacturing methods so that they recycle their own waster. We cannot ‘fix’ climate change just by restoring the natural balance, lowering temperatures and reducing greenhouse gases, we must also find “alternatives to the practices that got us into trouble in the first place” (Van der Ryn & Cowan, 1996: pp. 4-5). If we do not do this, we will find ourselves in the same predicament in years ahead – change must cover all aspects of our everyday lives.

Bell, J. (2003) Ruins, Recycling, Smart Buildings, and the Endlessly Transformable Environment. In: Strangely Familiar: Design and Everyday Life. Minneapolis: Walker Art Centre
Van der Ryn, S. & Cowan, S. (1996) Ecological Design.Washington, DC: Island Press