Instagram LIVE Recording: Aesthetics | Cost | Sustainability
Space Invader Director, John Williams, speaks with Design Insider Editor, Alys Bryan, about the tension between aesthetics, cost and sustainability and how to get it all right on a project!
“We are on the right journey – we just need to speed it up”
This interview was recorded live as part of Design Insider’s Instagram Event, 6th & 7th July 2022.
Key points from John and Alys’ conversation were:
- Costs: Although anything is possible in design and most clients are now open to a more sustainable approach, designers must apportion project budgets in the right areas, so that spaces are also beautiful and functional where it matters. This depends on the project type and end-user demographics, as well as client aspirations.
“It’s about talking about costs and sustainability with the client at the start of the project
- Sustainability: Sustainability should be at the heart of every project, which means educating the client to help them understand what that means. There are many ways in which a project can be sustainable, from encouraging bio-diversity to social wellbeing – as well as how we actually build a project. Opening client eyes to the products available with the best sustainable credentials – and what those actually mean – is important from the start. Designers also need to be educators.
“Communicating the terminology to the client – helping them to understand how we get there”
- Aesthetics: Manufacturers of products should share processes to speed things up and pull together in the right direction a little more – it’s about being transparent and this is true of all construction industry disciplines. It’s not about getting a competitive edge, but rather a way to reduce our overall contribution to global warming more quickly. Ultimately, as designers, we want to create beautiful spaces that change people’s lives for the better. This is down to how those spaces function and feel. The more sustainable product choices we have, the better, from more colours to more variety – and we need information to be simple and reliable.
This interview was sponsored by Egger, a leading, global manufacturer of wood-based materials. A one-stop shop for designers, specifiers and architects, EGGER supplies a range of decorative surfaces for multiple applications.
This event was sponsored by Hypnos. HYPNOS work with hospitality clients all over the world, to ensure guests have the ultimate sleep experience, night after night.