Sustainable Residential Interiors

Sustainable residential interiors by Kari Foster, Annette Stelmack and Debbie Hindman is a new book that is now available for loan from the Learning Centre.

Issues of sustainability and environmental consciousness have been increasingly important to designers of residential interiors.  A leading firm that has built its expertise in addressing environmental concerns in residential interiors, Associates III presents solutions for the design practitioner in this book.  Covering topics such as indoor air quality, identifying low-impact materials, conserving energy and water, and support of construction teams in reducing waste, Sustainable Residential Interiors provides designers with the necessary information and tools to integrate environmentally responsible design into their practice.

Sustainable Residential Interiors takes readers through an integrated design process, showing how sustainable principles and practices can be applied on virtually every level of interior design.  Taking a practical, hands-on approach, this accessible and easy-to-understand resource guide includes:

• Visual examples of sustainable projects and applications
• Critical thinking about environmental issues within homes
• Guidelines for clients and project teams
• Helpful checklists for greening projects and specification
• In-depth information to promote understanding and assist in specifying interior finishes and furnishings
• Questions for manufacturers and vendors
• Effective methods of marketing sustainable design services

-- back cover

Viewpoint #27

The latest issue of Viewpoint is now available for loan from the Learning Centre.

Contents:

• The Information: Viewpoint's pick of graphics, technology, retail, design and culture news
• The Analysis: An introduction to DIY
• Yes we can! The DIY movement has moved on from home improvement to encompass technology, distribution and communication methods that, in theory, allow anyone to make anything and bring it to market.  The effect will be profound for consumers and brands alike, says Anna Sansom
• The blueprint home As 3D printing becomes more advanced and accessible, in the not-too-distant future we will see consumers taking the ultimate creative control of the products they consume.  The home will become a mini factory, with domestic 3D printers capable of printing anything from clothing to food.  Viewpoint visualises the potential future of the blueprint home.  By Kate Franklin, with photography by Metz+Racine and props by Peter Cole
• Doing it for themselves From hi-tech hacking to handicrafts, DIY in the 21st century has different meanings for different people.  Liz Hancock identifies today's key DIY groups and explores their implications for business
• Clicks and mortar The people-less purchase is coming soon to a store near you, as consumers become their own sales assistants.  By Duncan Graham-Rowe
• Hack it better Hack it better, or even hack it beautiful, is the modern-day make-do-and-mend mantra.  Discarded or broken items and materials are creatively adapted to enhance functional, aesthetic or emotional appeal.  Viewpoint collates and specially commissions pieces from designers ready to revamp refuse.  By Kate Franklin and Caroline Till, with photography by Victoria Ling
• The Argument: Six trend opinion-formers give their views Small is Beautiful; Closed Wallets, Closed Minds; Tell Us a Story; Eco Equals Ego; Back to the Future; Come Together
• The Vision: A visual essay of ten influential ideas in ten images.  By Kate Franklin and Jacob Strand
• The Features:
• Patriot gains 'Buy local' has long been a mantra for food shopping, but now consumers are applying buy-national thinking to a far wider range of products.  Josh Sims asks whether brands should be waving the flag for the patriotic purchase
• It's the real thing We spend so much time immersed in virtual worlds, there is now a backlash towards reconnecting with the physical.  But real and virtual are far from irreconcilable and the real innovation will take place in the ambiguous territory between the two.  By Mark Hooper
• (R)IP? Received wisdom has it that a brand protects its intellectual property at all costs.  But open-source thinking, the free sharing of concepts, technology and even production methods, might do for the world of things what is successfully achieving in the world of data, explains Daniel Nye Griffiths
• Testing times Challenger culture is raising the bar for personal achievement ever higher, through extreme sports, hobbies and entrepreneurialism.  As pushing the limits becomes the norm, Kevin Braddock asks whether the era of the amateur is over
• The new naive Mixing styles and transcending genres with a childlike disregard for the rules, a new school of illustrators and designers is rediscovering the expressive power of naivety.  The handmade is combined with the digitally designed, the real with the unreal.  Viewpoint introduces its pick of the creatives setting the aesthetic agenda for the coming seasons.  By Kate Franklin and Bianca Wendt
• The Overhaul:
• Knightsbridge over troubled water? When Viewpoint asked young design agency Campaign to rework an existing brand, the choice was Harrods, the most famous and historic shop in Britain.  But just how do you update a retail icon and tourist Mecca?  By Martin Bewick
• The Digest: Snapshots of some big ideas
• Please re-lease me Movies, mansions, mongrels; more and more items can be rented on demand rather than bought outright - which poses a conundrum for anyone trying to sell.  By Gwyneth Holland
• Sales: the final frontier Are designers and business overlooking an enormous opportunity in the developing world? By Clare Dowdy
• Too much, too young The culture of accelerated youth is seeing teens developing a can-do attitude that will have far-reaching consequences for business.  By Jane Kellock
• Location, location, location The property buyer's mantra is set to become social media's new spin for consumers and brands alike.  By Rachel Arthur
• Handbuilt by robots Craft and technology, once polar opposites, are merging.  By Jacob Strand
• The big giveaway Brand philanthropy is taking tentative steps beyond the standard baseline of corporate social responsibility.  By Kevin Braddock
• The ego has landed The 'me generation' has discovered a creative outlet far more fulfilling than micro-stardom.  By Jacob Strand
• The plastic oh-no band Can life after plastic still be fantastic? Maybe, as sugar plastic, liquid wood and ceramic alternatives come to the fore.  By Mark Hooper
• Cut to the chase Could no-nonsense, say-it-like-it-is advertising be the way to reach a new generation of media-savvy consumers? By Mark Tungate
• Community over cash When is a shop not just a shop? When it's a theatre, a club, a lab or a cultural space, a shop as participatory hub for experiences and interactions other than the purely commercial.  By Clare Dowdy
• The Form: Viewpoint's round-up of the current key design aesthetics

The Eco-Design Handbook

The eco-design handbook: a complete sourcebook for the home and office by Alastair Fuad-Luke (3rd edition) is a new book that is now available for loan from the Learning Centre.

"'Green' is a key buzz word in design and architectural circles. The Eco-Design Handbook is the most comprehensive publication to catalogue and represent the vast array of ingenious green products available to the everyday consumer. Scrutinizing every aspect of our designed world, The Eco-Design Handbook - now completely revised and updated - offers the most innovative, ecologically sensitive and consumer-friendly products for all areas of the home and office, including environmentally sound building materials. Some pieces are prototypes, while some are already classics; many others are destined to become part of the design canon.

Whether you are interested in design or the sustainability of our environment, whether you are building a house or looking for new furniture, whether your office is buy stationery supplies or looking for ergonomic chairs, The Eco-Design Handbook is the definitive resource, invlauable for both the lay consumer and the design professional." -- cover

Modern Sustainable Residential Design

Modern sustainable residential design by William J. Carpenter is a new book that is now available for loan from the Learning Centre.

"Books and articles celebrating sustainable or green residential design have become commonplace. This book is different. Written for design professionals, William Carpenter's Modern Sustainable Residential Design not only explores the fundamental design principles of sustainable homes, it provides a practical guide to implementing them.

This guide offers lessons for architects, interior designers, and builders who want to conceptualize and implement sustainable design strategies in modern residential design. It outlines solutions for incorporating sustainable aspects into a home design from conceptualization to implementation. Detailed design analyses range from groundbreaking contemporary buildings such as Pugh + Scarpa's Solar Umbrella House to Ray Kappe's LivingHome, illuminating some of the most innovative sustainable strategies in the United States and abroad." -- back cover

Workplace Environmental Awareness

Workplace environmental awareness is a new DVD that is now available for loan from the Learning Centre.

Summary from back cover:

In today's world, environmental management, energy efficiency and waste reduction have become synonymous with business success.

This programme includes topics on current environmental issues such as energy efficiency, carbon footprints and e-waste. It also show cases real-world examples of environmentally friendly work practices in action.

Workplace Environmental Awareness is a must-have training tool for inspiring change, reinforcing established practice, and for creating a positive platform for discussion.

Topics covered in this programme:

• Your environmental impact
• Understanding your carbon footprint
• The benefits of environmental awareness

What can you do? Including:

• Energy efficiency
• Sustainable water use
• Reducing air pollution
• Waste management
• Hazardous waste management

http://www.vocam.com

Sustainable House

Sustainable house (2nd edition) by Michael Mobbs is a new book that is now available for loan from the Learning Centre.

In 1996 Michael Mobbs renovated his inner-city Sydney terrace making it almost entirely self-sufficient in energy, water and waste disposal. Find out how he did it, what worked, what didn't, and what he'd do differently today, in this fully updated edition of his bestselling book, Sustainable House.

Including Australian and international examples of sustainable building, this book is packed with practical information to help every home renovator or builder:

• get plans through council
• brief architects and builders
• save energy and water
• choose and install a rainwater tank and solar power system
• reuse waste water in the house and garden
• choose the best sustainable systems, products and suppliers.

(blurb taken from back cover)

Contents:

1. What is a sustainable house?
2. How we achieved our sustainable house
3. The kitchen
4. The refrigerator
5. The bathroom
6. The floors
7. Drinking-water quality
8. Choosing a tank
9. Rainwater system components
10. Making our own energy
11. Turning our waste into a resource
12. Quality control for the wastewater system
13. The garden
14. Materials
15. Working with councils and government agencies
16. Working with architects, builders, plumbers and engineers
17. Costs and benefits
18. Why citizens must lead

The Secret Life of Things

Visit the Secret Life of Things for the Eco Innovators latest offering "Life Pscycle-ology" which provides a humorous take on the life cycle of your mobile phone. The Secret Life of Things won seed funding from the British Council's Big Green Idea competion and is supported by Victoria's Environmental Protection Authority.

Rematerial

Rematerial: from waste to architecture by Alejandro Bahamón and Maria Camila Sanjinés is a new book that is now available for loan from the Learning Centre.

"Everyday, millions of tons of garbage are dumped into landfills and consigned to perpetual disuse.

"But when creativity meets resourcefulness, waste can become the material for building.

"Never before in history has the impact of man on this planet been so important. The construction industry is one of the most polluting in the world, so contemporary architects can play a fundamental role by using waste -- and, what's more, ingenuity -- to convert it into structures that are useful, imaginative, and beautiful. In our society, garbage is considered filthy, and we want only to hide it from sight. Rematerial features projects that rescue discarded materials, from paper cups to cargo containers, and transform them into imaginative, attractive, efficient buildings and projects that are sustainable, innovative, even daring from a conventional perspective.

"Rematerial brings to light a movement of diverse professionals from around the world who address this fundamental theme: the reuse of materials with architectonic purpose. Though the results are as varied as the designers, all their proposals stem from the intention of giving new life to what had been thrown out.

"Complementing the built work shown here, the book presents a series of initiatives aimed at promoting the use of waste in architecture, and articles that illustrate a wide panorama of the contemporary recycling culture." -- back cover

Domus (Special Issue - Green Worlds)

Domus has released a special issue called Green Worlds. It is available for loan from the Learning Centre.

Contents:

GREEN WORLDS: ESSAYS

• The Dream of a Green Island Nocturnal musings on sustainability / text Stefano Casciani
• Climate and Architecture Extracts from the Nantes Symposium of Copenhagen, "Climate & Architecture" directed by Philippe Rahm / texts Philippe Rahm, Ákos Moravánszky, David Gissen, Henry Urbach, Sou Fujimoto, Jürgen Mayer H, Sean Lally / edited by Philippe Rahm, Francesca Picchi
• Building with Sustainability in Mind The desirable contribution of architecture is to generate energy and conserve resources / design, text Werner Sobek / photos Zooey Braun, Roland Halbe

ARCHITECTURE

• Student Housing, Milan The new student housing building, erected around a paved court, is screened from the city by a wooden enclosure hung from the facade / design Dante Bonuccelli, Morgan Orlandi / text Giulia Bonelli / photos Matteo Cirenei
• Industrial Complex in Neuenburg, Germany The new Vitra complex is proof that architecture can occupy its own three-dimensional space without undermining the environment / design Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel and Partners / text Massimiliano di Bartolomeo / photos Gabriele Basilico, Marc Eggiman
• RR House, Brazil In the South-American tropics, a house incorporating a double envelope provides flexibility of space and optimal environmental conditions / design Andrade Morettin - Arquitetos Associados / text Monica Lavagna / photos Nelson Kon
• Cork House in Esposende, Portugal Cork turns a vacation house into a familiar presence, even to local farmers / design, text Arquitectos Anónimos ®, Filipe Afonso, Vasco Magalháes / photos Ivo Canelas

LANDSCAPE DESIGN

• Water Purification Park in Het Lankheet, The Netherlands A historical country estate becomes a "green machine" for water purification / design, text Strootman Landschapsarchitecten / photos Strootman Landschaparchitecten, Anouk Vogel, Jeroen Musch

DESIGN

• Full Circle Design Projects that involves artisans worldwide, enabling them to live a dignified life in their own villages / design, photos 3Form / text Maria Cristina Tommasini
• Small Revolutions Three designers have each come up with an environmentally-friendly chair / design Lagranja, Nendo, Luca Nichetto / texts Loredana Mascheroni / photos Akihiro Ito, Peterfotograf

PRODUCTION

• Green Building Total green building has arisen from a new exchange between design and production / design AGC Class Europe, Ceramica Sant'Agostino, Ceramiche Refin, Pier Luigi Copat + Iguzzini, Cotto Possagno, Daikin+Design 3, Gruppo Mattarei, Kerakoll, Immosolar, Palazzetti, Rubner Haus, Saint-Gobain Glass, Viessmann, Xilema / text Guido Musante
• Green Light It begins with art then invades cities, homes and objects: the green ray is a source of design energy / design 3XN + Scotia, Fontanot-Greenergytech, Formafantasma, Gionata Gatto, Benjamin Graindorge & Duende Studio, Innovadersi, Joseph Mias, Patrick Nadeau, Philippe Starck, Matteo Thun & Antonio Rodriguez, Vimar, Wiva Group / text Guido Musante / photos Formafantasma, Philippe Ghancel, Ribon, Adam Mørk

HIGHLIGHTS

• Green Future (Episode: I)
• Green Future (Episode: II)

Social Responsibility in the Global Apparel Industry

Social responsibility in the global apparel industry by Marsha A. Dickson, Suzanne Loker and Molly Eckman is a new book that has come into the Learning Centre and is now available for loan.

Contents:

1. What Is Social Responsibility? -- Why Talk about Social Responsibility in the Global Apparel Industry? -- Social Responsibility in Design, Production, and Sourcing -- Historical Problems with Labor Standards and Working Conditions -- Contemporary Problems with Labor Standards and Working Conditions -- Global Context of Problems with Labor Standards and Working Conditions -- Environmental Responsibility -- The Triple Bottom Line -- Now Is the Right Time to Increase Social Responsibility -- The Challenge That Lies Ahead
2. Social Responsibility, Human Rights, Sustainability, and the Responsibilities of Companies -- Definitions of Social Responsibility -- Definitions by Apparel Educators -- Perspectives of Industry and Nongovernmental Organizations -- Social Responsibility and the Environment -- Social Responsibility and Sustainability -- Social Responsibility and Human Rights -- Guiding Principles -- Underlying Theoretical Framework: Total Responsibility Management -- Inspiration: Vision Setting and Leadership Commitment -- Integration: Changes in Strategies and Management Practices -- Innovation: Assessment, Improvement, and Learning Systems -- The Challenge That Lies Ahead
3. Cultural, Economic, and Political Dimensions of Social Responsibility -- Cultural Dimensions of Social Responsibility -- Definitions of Culture -- Impacts of Culture on Practices in the Work Environment -- Impact of Migration on Cultural Aspects of the Workplace and Issues of Social Responsibility -- Economic Dimensions of Social Responsibility -- Vicious Circle -- Virtuous Circle -- Political Dimensions of Social Responsibility -- Subsidies -- Financial Incentives -- Trade Policies -- The Impact of Businesses and Executives on Policy That Affects Social Responsibility -- The Challenge That Lies Ahead
4. Stakeholder Theory and Social Responsibility -- Stakeholder Theory -- Who Are the Stakeholder Groups? -- Stakeholder Engagement: Prioritizing Diverse and Conflicting Needs -- How Stakeholders Judge Social Responsibility -- The Challenge That Lies Ahead
5. Key Stakeholders for Social Responsibility -- Who Are the Key Stakeholders? -- Workers -- Labor Unions -- Governments and Intergovernmental Organizations -- Advocacy Organizations -- Consumer and Pressure Groups -- Colleges and Universities -- Financial Markets and Investors -- The Challenge That Lies Ahead
6. Codes of Conduct and Monitoring -- The Path to Social Responsibility -- The Defensive Stage -- The Compliance Stage -- The Managerial Stage -- The Strategic Stage -- The Civil Stage -- Codes of Conduct -- Codes of Conduct in the 1990s -- Adoption of Codes of Conduct in the Apparel Industry -- Monitoring for Compliance -- What Monitors Look For -- Who Conducts the Monitoring? -- Remediation of Problems -- Positive Outcomes of Monitoring -- Shortcomings of Monitoring -- Effectiveness of Codes of Conduct and Monitoring -- Monitoring Processes -- Quality of Monitoring -- Fraudulent Practices of Factory Management -- Workers' Limited Knowledge of Their Rights -- The Challenge That Lies Ahead
7. How Manufacturers and Retailers Organize for Social Responsibility: Internally, Collaboratively, and Strategically -- Organizing Business for Social Responsibility -- Labor Compliance Departments -- Structure of Programs -- Centralized versus Decentralized Approaches -- Socially Responsible Practices beyond Monitoring -- Public Reporting and Transparency -- Incorporating Labor Compliance into Sourcing Decisions -- Collective Effors for Labor Compliance and Social Responsibility -- Multi-Stakeholder Initiatives for Labor Compliance and Social Responsibility -- Business Initiatives to Improve Labor Standards and Working Conditions -- Business Initiatives to Improve the Environment -- The Challenge That Lies Ahead -- Power, Responsibility, and Accountability -- Civil Learning Tool
8. Strategies for Environmental Responsibility -- Background: Environmental Responsibility -- Codes of Conduct and Monitoring Compliance -- Life Cycle Assessment -- Product Design -- Materials Selection -- Production and Sourcing -- Distribution -- Product Maintenance -- End-of-Use Management -- Quantitative Analyses of Environmental Impacts -- Corporate Strategies for Environmental Responsibility -- Facilities, Procurement, and Operation -- Community Involvement -- Philanthropy -- Strategic Environmental Approach -- Generic Social Issues -- Value Chain Social Impacts and Dimensions of Competitiveness -- The Challenge That Lies Ahead
9. The Future of Social Responsibility in the Apparel Industry -- Shifting Contexts Affecting Social Responsibility -- Social Responsibility after the MFA Phaseout -- Central America-Dominican Republic-United States Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) -- Global Warming, the Energy Crisis, and Environmental Responsibility -- Identifying New Problems and Solutions -- Purchasing Practices -- Supplier Ownership -- Worker Empowerment -- Public Policy Framework -- Involvement of Consumers -- Involvement of Investors -- Expanded Participation of Apparel Brands and Retailers -- The Challenge That Lies Ahead

Appendix: Acronyms -- Notes -- Credits -- Index

Design Futuring

Design futuring: sustainability, ethics and new practice by Tony Fry is a new book that has come into the Learning Centre and is now available for loan.

SustainAble

A new book called SustainAble: a handbook of materials and applications for graphic designers and their clients by Aaris Sherin has come into the Learning Centre and is now available for loan.

First look at new 'green' library by Jo Manning - BBC News

An interesting article from BBC News about a new sustainable library building in Cardiff.

Sustainable communities: what people want?

Sustainable communities: what people want? is a new DVD that has come into the Learning Centre and is now available for loan.

"This resource asks: what are sustainable communities and how can they be achieved? It talks to architects, planners, civic leaders, local residents, businesses and your people in three separate localities and looks at how each is responding to the challenge of creating a sustainable community." -- back cover

Happy New Year

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. I sure did. I'm back in the Learning Centre after 3 weeks holiday. We are open from today so if you are looking for material to get you inspired for the start of term come in and see me. I also read a fantastic book over the holidays called Cradle to Cradle: remaking the way we make things by William McDonough & Michael Braungart. William McDonough is an architect and Michael Braungart is a chemist and they've teamed up to write this book about sustainable design and it has really opened my eyes to other environmental aspects of design. We hold two copies in the Learning Centre.

Lost at E Minor

Here is a website contribution from Lars Wetselaar that includes information on Architecture, Art, Design, Eco, Fashion, Film and Illustration.

http://www.lostateminor.com/