Sustainable Interior Design --- Making Healthier Choices

The mantra of green design is "People, Planet, Profit." Personally, I don't think that there is any contest as to which of these is most important. While we do need to preserve the planet for future generations, we cannot risk their health and well being in the process. And our extreme focus on certain areas of green design and determination to prove them cost-effective could lead to serious health problems for current and future generations. Because energy efficient buildings are by definition relatively air-tight any toxins, dust or mold that are brought into such buildings tend to stay there.

Sustainable interior design, architecture and construction done properly are holistic practices that protect the health of building occupants. But unfortunately one of the most important aspects of what responsible design professionals do can be value engineered out of a project by someone who is focused on short-term financial paybacks and unfamiliar with the potential serious risks, both to the physical health of building occupants and the long-term fiscal health of any organization that does not take the necessary steps to ensure healthy indoor environmental quality.

When I tell people that I specialize in sustainable interior design, I often get the impression that they think "bamboo," when in reality I'm much less focused on saving trees than protecting people. Preserving North American forests may be more closely monitored than preserving healthy indoor air quality. And many sources for bamboo introduce more toxins into the interiors in which we spend 90% of our time than hardwood products would.

Improved indoor air quality can help reduce asthma, flu, sick building syndrome, headaches and respiratory problems that can lead to missed time from work or school, chronic illness, and potential lawsuits. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has quite a bit of information on preserving indoor air quality and the potential risks of not doing so in this section of its site:

Indoor Air Quality - EPA

Every interior design project, whether it involves space planning and construction or just new carpet, furniture and/or a fresh coat of paint, can affect the health of building occupants. And poor choices on the part of individual tenants can disrupt the air quality in even a LEED Platinum building. So all things being equal, I recommend always working with a design professional with demonstrable expertise in improving indoor environmental quality.