Building a Sustainable Future

By Jonas Carnemark, CR, CKD
(From the NKBA's Profiles Magazine)

Our built environment is a leading contributor of human-produced carbon-the key element responsible for global warming. Recent studies show that the carbon generated from our manmade surroundings surpasses even automobile transportation when it comes to contributing greenhouse gases.

Research and practice also shows that the beneficial side effects of reducing carbon in our built environment will reach far beyond its impact on global warming. A handful of simple steps—and a not-so-easy change in mindset—can go a long way toward improving indoor air quality, lowering pollution levels, reducing landfill waste, and more. Also, contrary to popular belief, these steps don't have to be expensive. Many can even generate an investment return for the client greater than anything available on the market today.

Call it sustainable design. Call it green building. Call it whatever you like. Just make it yours. In the construction industry, environmental stewardship begins with us—individuals who integrate environmental awareness into the design process. One material at a time. One technology at a time. One step at a time.

Sustainable design is not a fad. It's not based on aesthetics or architectural styles that can come and go. It's not just about specifying a countertop made from recycled paper, using energy-saving light bulbs, or installing a bamboo floor for the occasional "green" client.

It is about all of this and more. Sustainable design is about thoughtful design, careful construction and consistent maintenance. It's about embracing environmental stewardship—more efficient, less wasteful construction—as a building principle.

Despite America's growing enthusiasm for all things green—from automobiles to weddings—sustainable design isn't new either. Tremendous research and technological development over the past 20 years already support green building practices. In Europe, energy-saving strategies, recycled materials, and high-efficiency building envelopes are commonplace.

Follow the Leaders

As with any emerging industry, there are those who lead, those who adopt, and those who follow. In the United States, the tipping point has been triggered by forward-thinking leaders who have adopted sustainable building with profitable results. As many early adopters have learned from past pioneers, no one ever moves backward. Once you've embraced sustainable building principles, you're hooked. You'll just keep learning and growing—and building better, smarter environments for your clients.

As designers, we're in a unique role. We use what we know to create what our clients need. We can create change from knowledge. As we create that change for our clients, we become a teacher to them—whether it's through demonstrating a more sensible flow or choosing a more efficient fixture.

We've all had stubborn clients who complain and complain, but refuse to imagine a solution. For them, no change is possible; every alternative brings too great a compromise. But as designers, we press on—determined to solve their angst. As we push and prod at their inflexibility, we eventually happen upon the magic button that allows them to consider a new way of looking at the problem.

All of a sudden, these hard-to-please clients begin to experience the possibility of a solution. They want to learn more about the options. They begin to gain trust in the knowledge we share. They're able to accept a better—often simpler and more elegant—solution than their existing reality that they clung to so desperately. By gaining their trust and showing them a better way, we help our clients learn how to make better choices.

It's in this way that we designers are uniquely suited to teach the benefits of a sustainable approach to our built environment. We know how to get past the roadblocks. By consistently teaching our clients the importance of choices they make, we can have a direct impact on the environment. Even more importantly, we can create agents of change who'll carry our work further.

Make Your Own Way

Many people—clients and designers alike—ask, "What kind of difference can I make? I'm only one person." The answer is that any change is change in the right direction. Ask any expert on the solutions available and you'll hear that the greatest impact is at the lowest level. Think of it this way: no single cabinet or fixture can blow your budget. It all adds up.

For sure, building a sustainable society will require an enormous shift in the cultural mindset. Still, the shift will happen—one mind at a time. The best advice is to start where you are. Look for the one step you can make tomorrow that will start your journey and take it one step at a time. Try a new green product that you read about. Introduce an energy saving technique you learned from a colleague. Then look back and ask yourself, "Did that work for me? How could I have done it better?" Then repeat the process. It's about changing the way you think by changing the way you act—one step at a time.

When will your journey begin?

Jonas Carnemark, CR, CKD is the owner of Carnemark systems + design—and Konst, DC's exclusive SieMatic showroom—in Bethesda, Maryland. Before becoming a leading designer, he started his working career as a solar technician in Silicon Valley in the early 1980s.