Level® - Sustainability Certification for Furniture

Atlantic Collection - Bernhardt

Olá!

Earlier this year, I attended a CEU Seminar on BIFMA Level Standard Furniture.

Level is the sustainability certification program for furniture.

Level^® is the multi-attribute, sustainability standard and third-party certification program for the furniture industry. It has been created to deliver the most open and transparent means of evaluating and communicating the environmental and social impacts of furniture products in the built environment. 

During the lecture, it was noted that after a building has gone through the Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) Certification Process it could all be nullified due to the fact the furniture used in the Interior Design of the building could contain emit harmful toxins or it may not be of a sustainable origin.

This makes so much sense!

AllSteel Office - Gather Collection

I was so happy that I attended this seminar because it gave me one more tool for my design arsenal.

The images of furniture in today's blog have been identified by Level and has been vetted by an independent third party certifier and its numeric marking 1, 2, or 3 indicates what threshold of certification it has achieved.  

Radius Meeting Series - Davis Furniture

- Eddy

British Furniture Brand - Another Country

Olá!

Recently, I was reading my latest issue DEZEEN MAGAZINE where I came across the British Furniture Company - Another Country.

Another Country's designs are archetypal, summoning the forms of British Country Kitchen, Shaker (one of my favorites), traditional Scandinavian and Japanese woodwork.

One of the things that drew me to Another Country is that the company is sustainable and all of their wooden products are made from certified solid woods in the UK, European and US suppliers.  Every piece is hand assembled and hand finished.

They truly believe that you cannot make furniture in a better way that this!

- Eddy

Giorgio Caporaso Ecodesign Collection

Olá!

Recently, I came across a new eco-sustainable furniture collection for the Hotel and Catering industry in my recent email from Archiproducts.

The Giorgio Caporaso Ecodesign Collection of high-performance innovative products, which are stylish and can be customized to meet an endless array of tastes and requirements. Modular systems and convertible objects that can be repaired, are easy to assemble and disassemble and designed to accommodate the multifarious needs of hotels, restaurants and public houses and bars of the third millennium. 

The pieces that caught my attention are cardboard.

MORE LIGHT Ecodesign Bookshelf

X2CHAIR - Cardboard armchair / lounge chair

X2CHAIR - Wood armchair / lounge chair

When I saw the X2CHAIR in wood, it reminded of the movement in the artwork of my friend João Galrão.  I LOVE his series entitled 'Moments in Pleasure'.  Click on his name to see more of his impressive work.

LARGE JET - Series, Moments of pleasure

Tchau,

Eddy

Eco-Friendly Upholstery

Olá!

Recently, I finished my first Interior Design course - MATERIALS.  I learned so much and you should see the back of my SUV - FULL OF SAMPLES!!!!

I have decided to share some of the things that I learned in my MATERIAL class.

Eco-Friendly Upholstery

One of the topics in my course was UPHOLSTERY.  One of my main goals of becoming an Interior Designer is to incorporate as many materials that are ECO-FRIENDLY/SUSTAINABLE in my designs.

The Upholstered Sofa I Designed for my course

I fell in love with upholstery from BRENTANO FABRICS. 

"At Brentano, we have developed green criteria for our fabrics that reflect the diverse and interconnected nature of sustainability. Our eco-fabrics include our high performance and high quality eco-friendly faux leathers, as well as beautiful upholstery patterns and contract textiles -- overall displaying an uncommon variety of design and versatility available in environmentally-conscious textiles. The Brentano Green fabric label demonstrates our commitment to pursuing green mindfulness while designing textiles with beauty + performance in mind.

In order to qualify for the Brentano Green label, our fabrics must comply with green standards in at least two of the following three categories: raw material, process, and facility and social responsibility."

Brentano Fabrics

Here is the Brentano Fabrics Sample Board I created for my class.

I fell in love with this pattern as soon as I saw it! 

I will be sharing more from my Materials Course soon!

- Eddy

Office Furniture - Sustainable and Eco-Friendly

Ola!!!!

As I prepare to start my Interior Design Diploma Program, I am starting to source
ECO-FRIENDLY/SUSTAINABLE FURNITURE.

My goal is to have a specialization in Commercial Spaces, which includes office environments.  I started looking at office furniture and learned that it should possess the following qualities:

• Healthy
• Eco-functional
• Affordable
• Refurbished
• Recycled
• No-VOC [Volatile Organic Compound]
• FSC Certified - [Forest Stewardship Council - FSC is a global forestry certification system established for forests and forest products.]

These caught my eye:

HERMAN MILLER MIRRA CHAIR

Herman Miller's Mirra chair is designed to give great back support without fussy adjustments. The innovative design also gives good ventilation, making sitters more comfortable.  Mirra comes in an assortment of appealing colors, and is certified to MBDC Cradle to Cradle Gold and Silver, depending on configuration, as well as Greenguard. Mirra can help your organization earn points for LEED certification. The chair is made to be easily disassembled for recycling at the end of use.

HAG by izzydesign

HAG's Sideways conference chair (pictured) just won a Gold Award from NeoCon World's Trade Fair 2008. The innovative chair, which allows 180-degree movement, is made from 72% recycled content (in the four-star base model) or 51% recycled content (stackable model). The components of both models are 98% recyclable.

KNOLL OFFICE DESIGN

Knoll Office Design moves beyond the boring, ordinary cube with Knoll's flexible office systems. There are many styles, colors, finishes and configurations available, all made with Knoll's cleaner manufacturing.  The company uses water-based adhesives and UV-cured wood coating, and its products are virtually volatile organic compound (VOC)-free. Many are available in FSC-certified composite wood, as well as Greenguard certified.

I strongly feel that the more we do to protect the environment, it will be better for future generations.

Solar Powered Flat Pack Shelters

Ola,

As you all are well aware, one of my goals as an interior designer is to infuse
GREEN BUILDING in all of my future projects.  On a personal level, I love dwellings that have a small footprint and are self sufficient.

I came across an article on INHABITAT.COM entitled, IKEA Unveils Solar-Powered Flat Pack Shelters for Easily Deployable Emergency Housing.

IKEA's Flat Pack Solar Powered Shelter

IKEA has taken their flat pack technology and is now using it to create comfortable, solar powered shelters for emergency housing for natural disaster victims and refugees.

The solar powered flat pack shelters where developed in collaboration with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees(UNCHR) and can be quickly setup for those in need.

Before IKEA's collaboration with the UNCHR, the UNCHR could only provide tents are covered mass-shelters for the overwhelming influx of refugees into other countries.

IKEA's Flat Pack Shelter can be assembled in 4 hours

Here are some great things about these new shelters being provided by the UNCHR:

• They arrive flat packed, facilitating transport of the lightweight shelters all at one time

• They are 188 sq.ft. (17.47 sq. metres) and can be built in four hours

• They have enough room for five people to sleep comfortably

• They are twice the size of the official refugee tent

• They have solar paneled roofing, allowing inhabitants to generate their own electricity, removing the need for candles or kerosene lamps 

• They provide privacy, comfort, and the dignity of having their own place

• The roof also helps to deflect solar reflection by 70%, keeping the interior cool during the day and warmer at night.

These new shelters will be used in Ethiopia next month.

It warms my heart to know that natural disaster victims and refugees of conflict will have not only a warm, dry place to sleep, but also a place they can call their own while they start to rebuild their lives.

AWESOME!!!

Bamboo Products

Ola,

I have been in love with bamboo for a very long time.  I came across the plant while I was in a drug store in Los Angeles. They were selling 3 bamboo stalks in lovely little pots, which I later learned bring good luck to the owner.  From that moment, bamboo has intrigued me.

When I saw an article on HOUZZ entitled, 'BAMBOO PRODUCTS - EARTH FRIEND OR FOE?, it made me think about how I could use this material in my future projects.

"Bamboo was first found and used in China about 5,000 years ago. Technically classified as a grass, it grows faster than any other woody plant in the world. Since bamboo also needs few pesticides and fertilizers and little irrigation, it has become a popular environmentally friendly building solution."  

- Houzz.com

Here are some great things about Bamboo that I learned from the HOUZZ article:

• Bamboo can grow up to 3 or 4 feet per day and can reach maturity in five to eight ears — compared with 30 to 50 years for most trees.

• Bamboo reduces carbon dioxide gases; a grove can release 35 percent more oxygen into the air than a similar-sized plot of trees.

• Bamboo is an incredibly strong and durable wood. In some parts of Asia, it's used for sturdy scaffolding.

• Bamboo is durable and resistant to insects and moisture. 

• Timber bamboo can be grown successfully in the southern United States.

• The water-use efficiency of bamboo is estimated to be twice that of other trees, increasing its capability to handle harsh weather conditions such as droughts, floods and high temperatures.

• Bamboo grows quickly, can be harshly cut back with quick regrowth.

Here are some examples of uses of Bamboo 
in Interior Design:

LIVING ROOM WITH GOLDEN AROWANA BAMBOO FLOORING

I fell in love with this flooring:

ENGINEERED STRAND WOVEN BAMBOO TIGER

I also love BAMBOO in the kitchen:

WALNUT AND ZEBRAWOOD BAMBOO

Here is the article from HOUZZ.com that was inspiration for this blog post:

Bamboo Products — Earth Friend or Foe?

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After writing this article, I am so excited to find ways to incorporate BAMBOO in my future projects.  I am so in love with the ENERGY this material possesses!

Furniture Designers | Cisco Brothers

Ola,

I have decided to write about sustainable | eco-friendly furniture designers in my blog.

In today's blog, I would like to spot light John Derian's furniture line manufactured by the Cisco Brothers.

Cisco Brothers is an eco-friendly, family-run, California-based company. They use soy and petroleum-based foam, non-toxic glues and FSC certified domestic maple wood. 

Here are some of the pieces from the line that I liked:

TETE-A-TETE CHAIRS

The first item that caught my eye was the TETE-A-TETE CHAIRS.  They are a reproduction of a 19th century piece.  It would be a great to have a very good conversation in these. 

Thorntail Wingback Chair

This chair was inspired by an American piece dating back to 1870. The enormous proportions, indulging depth and large "wings" seem to envelop the sitter. I would love to sit in this chair with a good book and read for hours!!

Dromedary Loveseat

The Dromedary loveseat seems to be a timeless piece as far as style and period. I loved it because it just looks so comfortable.  Guests would love to sit on it for hours. For me, it would be another great place to curl up and read a good book (You can tell that I LOVE TO READ BOOKS!!!)

This line of furniture is very conservative and very different from my personal taste. Being that I am studying to become an Interior Designer, I feel it is very important to be knowledgable about different styles to help create pleasing designs for my clients.

To learn more about the Cisco Brothers, please go to the Cisco Brothers site.

SUSTAINABLE IN NEW ORLEANS AFTER HURRICANE KATRINA

Ola,

I received my weekly update from HOUZZ and I came across the article My Houzz: Newly Sustainable in New Orleans.  .  As you all already know by now, I AM CRAZY ABOUT HOUSES WITH SMALL FOOTPRINTS AND ARE ECOFRIENDLY | SUSTAINABLE!!!  This house marks a new beginning after HURRICANE KATRINA.

Here is some information on HURRICANE KATRINA:

"Hurricane Katrina was the deadliest and most destructive Atlantic hurricane of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season. It was thecostliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recordedAtlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall. At least 1,833 people died in the hurricane and subsequent floods, making it the deadliest U.S. hurricane since the 1928 Okeechobee hurricane; total property damage was estimated at $81 billion (2005 USD),^[1] nearly triple the damage brought by Hurricane Andrew in 1992." - Wikipedia.org

Jared Zeller and Jennifer Pearl had to begin again after Hurricane Katrinia.  They got their  inspiration for the new house from the MAKE IT RIGHT houses in the Ninth Ward of
New Orleans.

MAKE IT RIGHT was founded by Brad Pitt in 2007, Make It Right builds healthy homes, buildings and communities for people in need. All Make It Right projects are LEED Platinum certified and Cradle to Cradle inspired – meeting the highest standards of green building.

Make It Right Homes - New Orleans

With the inspiration from the MAKE IT RIGHT homes, Jared and Jennifer started by building their new home 8 feet (2.4384 meters) from the ground to make the house safer from flood water.  They have included so many eco-friendly and sustainable items in their new home, but my favorite piece in their home is the hanging Fireorb fireplace.  It burns denatured alcohol instead of gas or wood and it's modern design fits in perfectly with their new home.  

Other by New Orleans Architect Adam Breaux

To learn more about Jared and Jennifer's new home, here is the link to the article on HOUZZ:

My Houzz: Newly Sustainable in New Orleans

Jared and Jennifer's decision to build a new home after so much destruction is a true definition of RESILIANCE - 

"Resilience is the ability to work with adversity in such a way that one comes through it unharmed or even better for the experience. Resilience means facing life’s difficulties with courage and patience – refusing to give up. It is the quality of character that allows a person or group of people rebound from misfortune, hardships and traumas.

Resilience is rooted in a tenacity of spirit—a determination to embrace all that makes life worth living even in the face of overwhelming odds. When we have a clear sense of identity and purpose, we are more resilient, because we can hold fast to our vision of a better future.

Much of our resilience comes from community—from the relationships that allow us to lean on each other for support when we need it." 

- Wisdom Commons.org 

 May Jarod and Jennifer always have the LIGHT protect their new home!!!

Sustainable Bamboo Prototype Home in Nicaragua

Ola!!!!

As you all know by now, I am in love with eco-friendly/sustainable houses with a small footprint.
Today, I came across an article on HOUZZ.COM entitled - Sustainable Bamboo for a Prototype Home in Nicaragua. 
When I saw the front door screen that was made from bamboo rings, I immediately knew that I would have to learn more about this house!!!!  Would it be great for life here in Hawai'i?

Here is the link to the article:

My Houzz: Sustainable Bamboo for a Prototype Home in Nicaragua

Hourglass LED Lamp Powered By Falling Sand

Ola!!!

While having my second cup of coffee and reading my emails, I came across an article entitled - Danielle Trofe’s LED Hourglass Lamps Are Powered by Falling Sand.

The article said:

"After the debut of her Live Screen hydroponic garden during NY Design Week 2012, Brooklyn-based designer Danielle Trofe is returning this year with a new series of off-the-grid LED lighting fixtures that are illuminated using the power of falling sand. Based on the shape of the hourglass, the new lamps need to be flipped to continue working and require the user’s involvement to stimulate awareness of the finite nature of lighting energy sources."

And this is what I fell in LOVE with: 

Danielle Trofe's Hourglass Floor Lamp

Danielle Trofe's Hourglass Table Lamp

I read more about Danielle Trofe's work on the Wanted Design website and the first paragraph in her writeup struck a deep cord with me:

"Danielle Trofe Design promotes a function-forward, sustainable and socially responsible approach to furniture and lighting design.  Keeping mindful of the philosophy that with creation comes the responsibility to not only bring beauty into the world, but to do so with little environmental impact, while serving a functional need within society."

After seeing the photos of Ms. Trofe's latest work, I can most definitely say that she is bringing to the forefront lighting design that is function-forward, sustainable and socially responsible. 

What do you think about these lamps?

What are your opinions about being sustainable and socially responsible?