Positive Products should be the norm for the built environment and furniture industry
Over 40 professionals gathered, listened, shared and networked at our inspiring Declare Europe Roadshow – London evening on the 11th of July. Presentations, great panel and audience conversations covered transparency and built environment materials at the event hosted in partnership with Humanscale at their Clerkenwell Studio.
Andre Loosemore (Humanscale) opened the evening with welcomes and an introduction to the inspirational work and achievements of Humanscale around Healthy Materials, Declare, Living Product Challenge, JUST and BCorp.
Carlo Battisti (LFE) provided an informative overview of Declare, The Red List, the Living Building Challenge and the Living Product Challenge. Illustrating why we need to be asking deeper transparency questions. On the question of ‘Are we seeing an increase in demand for transparency’ a Slido poll of those present (*) revealed 36% reported a significant increase, and 64% some increase. ‘The materials we use in our buildings are as important to our health (and to the health of our planet) as the food we eat, the water we drink and the air we breathe.’
Martin Brown (LFE) moderated a panel of guests – Asif Din (Perkins + Will), Griso Barrios (ILFI Just), Bruno Mendes (HMTX Industries) and Rhiannon Laurie (VHA) – with a wide range of experience across the design, product and social aspects of material transparency.
There is a concern that the current ‘rush’ for green, biophilic or regenerative buildings may mask the focus on ensuring we avoid red list and toxic materials of concern and that social justice in producing, using and post-use for all materials is addressed. However, if a regenerative built environment means asking different and better questions, then we are on the right track in starting to ask far better questions on material transparency. Yet, we have much work to do, making it far easier to provide and obtain material ingredient information, transparency labels, like food labels have to become the norm, and we all need to be better at promoting the wide and positive benefits of healthy materials.
In closing the panel conversation, Martin asked panel members what is inspiring them at the moment. The comments ranged from Trust and Road Maps “we now know where we are going” (Asif), addressing the social and JUST issues around Materials (Griso), the keenness of designers to address transparency (Rhiannon), the increase in healthy materials and product demand (Bruno), and from (Martin) the increasing awareness of learning from nature.
