A Natural Balance: Interior Design, Humans, and Sustainability

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P E R S P E C T I V EFigure 5. United States Green Building Council headquarters, Washington, DC: The workspace, energy &atmosphere daylight management and lighting power density reduction (Envision Design, PLLC, 2009).Advanced Integration of SensorsComfort provisioning and control have always been, and will remain, a critical performance requirementof buildings (Cole & Brown, 2009). However, according to Cole and Brown (2009) ‘‘occupant’s pleasure,comfort and productivity are closely linked with their real and perceived control over interior environments’’(p. 44). Therefore, sensors can have a significant tradeoff if not closely tied to occupant behavior. We targetedfour key indoor environmental areas for automated control. The daylighting and shades are controlled bydaylight-sensing photocells. The thermal/thermostat adjustment, demand-controlled ventilation, acousticaltreatment, and dedicated power receptacles are controlled by occupancy sensors. Shades going up and down,lights going on and off, and temperature up and down without occupant direct control took a period ofadjustment among the occupants. As predicted by comfort adaptation research, there was a longer period ofpsychological adaptation, occupant understanding, and mechanical adjustment after moving in.Key OutcomesIf you only look at metrics, energy savings have the biggest return on investment and the reduction inlighting load is the biggest part of that. The advanced control systems used at USGBC provided quickpayback—included turning off lights when spaces were unoccupied, dimming lights when sun is lighting thespace, adjusting thermostats in unoccupied areas, and turning off miscellaneous equipment in unoccupiedspaces. While energy use can be monitored, quantified, and managed through the building systems andJournal of Interior Design xviii Volume 37 Number 2 2012
P E R S P E C T I V ENot only was I, the interior designer, an advocate for the users, I also had to be theeducator of the users in the how to make the most of the interiors’ sustainable designelements.Figure 6. United States Green Building Council headquarters, Washington, DC: The perimeter. An‘‘eco-corridor,’’ characterized by light carpet and varying temperatures, brightens the office whilesignificantly curtailing energy consumption (Envision Design, PLLC, 2009).controls, buildings really do not use energy, people do. While the latter is not entirely true, it is significantenough to warrant using buildings as tools to engage and educate in order to build human capabilities towardenergy savings. The space we provided for the people who work and visit USGBC is the way our teamworked and continues on all fronts. Whether it is use of mass transit or alternative commuting options, notturning on lights when they are not needed, segregating waste streams to make composting possible, usingbike share (instead of a cab), correctly using the occupancy sensor-controlled electric outlets or low-impact,chemical-free pest control techniques, USGBC staff make the most of the opportunities the space affords thembecause they are actively engaged with it. But it did take some education (sometimes tough) on my part asinterior designer to help them learn to accept and use the innovations we had incorporated into the interiors.Not only was I, the interior designer, an advocate for the users, I also had to be the educator of the users inthe how to make the most of the interiors’ sustainable design elements.Evolving the Field: Keeping Pace during ChangePeople wish for an easy technical fix that our left brains can understand. But this issue is really abouta change of heart—changing the way we live, not just the way we design buildings.Joel Todd, Chair, LEED Steering CommitteeU.S. Green Building Council (Gould & Hosey, 2007, p. 231)Journal of Interior Design xix Volume 37 Number 2 2012
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