inteiror design

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Roots to Renders - Sugarcane's Journey into Creative Design

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Roots to Renders - Sugarcane's Journey into Creative Design

"A world where materials are in harmony with nature." Wouldn’t that be amazing? I truly believe, that biophilic designers can specify this change, and also help scale innovation to make this happen.

The global plastics crisis is stark: over 400 million tonnes of plastic are produced annually, with a staggering 99% being fossil-based and 91% never recycled. The plastics industry contributes 3.4% of global greenhouse gas emissions, equivalent to 1.8 billion tonnes of emissions. Hao Ding, Global Marketing Director at TotalEnergies Corbion, unveils the potential of Polylactic Acid (PLA) - a bio-based material that could help how architects and designers approach sustainability. According to a new Life Cycle Assessment, PLA reduces carbon footprints up to 85% compared to conventional plastics.

PLA stands for Poly Lactic Acid, a bio-based plastic material made from renewable resources like sugarcane or corn. Specifically, as Hao explained in the interview, it's produced through a process of fermenting plant sugars to create lactic acid, which is then polymerised into a plastic-like material. Unlike traditional petroleum-based plastics, PLA is:

- Made from renewable resources
- Biodegradable
- Reduces carbon footprint by up to 75%
- Food contact approved
- Usable in multiple applications like packaging, 3D printing, textiles, and medical packaging

A key difference is that PLA starts from plants that absorb CO2 during growth, whereas conventional plastics are derived from oil pumped from underground. When composted, PLA breaks down completely without leaving persistent microplastics, making it an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional plastics. PLA can reduce carbon emissions by up to 75% compared to conventional plastics. "PLA can replace most conventional plastics and offer similar performance."

Architects and designers can leverage PLA in multiple applications.

Design and Construction Applications:
1. Furniture packaging materials
2. Exhibition and conference temporary structures
3. 3D printed decorative objects
4. Cavity wall insulation
5. Prototype and model making
6. Textile and upholstery applications

READ ON and Watch the interview

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Biophilic Design healing our earth - interview with Jojo Mehta co-founder of Stop Ecocide International

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Biophilic Design healing our earth - interview with Jojo Mehta co-founder of Stop Ecocide International

"I love this term biophilia, because it's this, in a sense, it's a love of nature in a word, isn't it? And I had this beautiful description recently of what it actually means to love something or to love someone. In very plain terms, it means to include that person or that thing's interests as one's own." Jojo Mehta, Co-founder, Stop Ecocide International.

 

For me Biophilic Design has the potential to heal more than just physical and mental health of people, it has the potential to help heal our earth too. If we implemented Biophilic Design in cities for instance, we can help mitigate climate change, even just by planting more trees which is a Biophilic Design solution, we increase tree canopy cover, increase biodiversity, mitigate flooding. There are many more, from creating Blue cities with cleaner rivers and waterways to planting on roofs and sides of buildings helping reduce the need to switch on air conditioning units in the summer and heating in the winter, which in turn reduces energy consumption. Also, as interior designers we specify more natural materials, reducing plastic, are more considerate of what textiles are made of and originate from.

With our global temperature reaching a danger point, we need to do all we can as designers, architects, fit out managers and anyone who works in the built environment at any point.

Today we have got the amazing Jojo Mehta with us on the podcast. Jojo is CEO and co-founder of Stop Ecocide International (SEI), the hub of the global movement to create a new international crime of ecocide to protect the Earth from the worst acts of environmental damage, a movement that is gaining significant political traction.  She co-founded SEI with the visionary lawyer, Polly Higgins, who died in 2019, having devoted the final decade of her life to the cause.

 

We explore and put into context just WHY we need to do more as designers, seize every opportunity we can to create better environments, not just for people, but for planet too and also how Biophilic Design is an essential part of the solution.....

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BIID Interior Design Award Winners - From Chapel Barn to Riverside

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BIID Interior Design Award Winners - From Chapel Barn to Riverside

The British Institute of Interior Design (BIID) is the only professional institute for interior designers in the UK. Our growing membership represents both the commercial and residential sectors, from heritage to cutting edge. In addition to rigorous entry requirements which assess training, experience and professionalism, they require our members to continue their professional development throughout their career to ensure their continued expertise in design process, practice and regulatory matters.

For those wishing to find an interior designer or to confirm the credibility of a potential interior designer they offer a directory of our Registered Interior Designers.

Each year BIID celebrates the very best of British interior design through its awards program.  The BIID Interior Design Awards showcase the best interior design projects completed across the UK.

Winners are awarded across 7 regional categories ranging from the largest commercial project to the smallest residential dwelling.  In addition, there are two landmark prices – the Interior of the Year Prize, which is awarded to the best interior design project in the UK and the Anna Whitehead Prize, which is awarded to the best achievement in sustainable interior design. 9 awards will be given out in total, along with acknowledgements of Highly Commended projects.

In this podcast, we are joined by two previous award winners and one of the judges of this year’s awards to discuss the value of the awards programme. Throughout the discussion it is clear that just adding sustainable materials to a design doesn’t make the overall design sustainable.  Consideration has to be given to materials being appropriate for the design; the design can’t simply include “box-ticking” elements.

The participants are all clear that a sustainable design doesn’t involve a compromise on aesthetics.  Indeed, taking a biophilic approach to design can enhance the look and feel of a space and contribute to a deeper, more meaningful aesthetic that resonates with the principles of balance with nature.

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