Future friendly furniture. Self-generating hydropower faucets. Recycled rubber flooring. No paint polymer siding. Cardboard fiber countertops.
These and other innovations were on display at a green/sustainable design trade show hosted by Professor Karen Clarke‘s Sustainable Design for Interiors class last spring. Students discussed product life cycles, chemical composition, and the environmental impacts of materials as they examined carpet recreated from “mining office buildings instead of the earth,” and fabrics made from crushed water bottles broken down to polymers, melted, spun, dyed, and then woven into new textiles.
Professor Karen Clarke (in white) watches discussion on sustainable design materials
The trade show, “Design for the Environment,” provided real-world examples of a growing market dedicated to green building. “This is out there now,” says Clarke. “Students want to be green designers, and it’s important because that is what the industry is demanding.”
The July/August issue of New England Home notes, “Interior designer Karen Clarke co-chairs one of the best-kept secrets in the country: the interior design program at New England School of Art & Design at Suffolk University.” But it’s no secret that Clarke has long been an advocate for sustainability. “She has really taken green issues on, not only on behalf of our students but also the University. It was she who pushed for University-wide recycling, for example,” says Sara Chadwick, director of administrative services at NESADSU.
Clarke guides students through the industry standard for sustainable building: the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System, set by the US Green Building Council. Her goal is to prepare students to take the LEED exam and become accredited professionals. “Architecture is changing, and we have to be respectful of the environment and incorporate design that takes into account the future now,” she says. “There are requests for sustainability and builders who want to go for LEED certification. Clients need people who specialize in this area.”
“In the next 10 years, every project, every product will have some sort of green aspect to it,” says Clarke. “As interior designers, we shape and design buildings for the users. Good design is being responsible socially and environmentally. And since 95% of our time is spent in interior environments, it’s important that our environments are healthy.”
