The Sustainable Design Philosophy

By María de los Ángeles Escobedo Zamora

Many believe that sustainability is such a powerful philosophy

which will soon change the course of all aspects

of our life and the planet

 

JASON F. McLENNAN

The first time I was invited to develop a sustainable lighting project in 2005, for HSBC corporate building on Reforma Avenue in Mexico City was something new that had not been done before in Mexico.

 

I didn´t had information about the subject or imagined how it was going to influence the future of my professional life. As soon as I became aware of the issue and understood the value of sustainability, I decided to get involved in a definitive way and I discovered this new philosophy as a way of life.

 

The balance that results from economic, social, and environmental factors is what we mean by sustainability; this concept integrates the basic needs of the present generation, the capacity of natural systems and the needs of future generations.

Jason McLennan, is currently one of the most influential scholars in the international sustainable design movement. In his book “The Philosophy of Sustainable Design” considers as central axis the concept of "respect":

 

...... respect for the wisdom of nature

...... respect for people

...... respect for the place

...... respect for the life cycle

...... respect for the conservation of energy and natural resources; and

......respect for the design process

 

McLennan principles have created a frame of reference, a starting point, to act responsibly when we approach one of them in a design process.

 

One of the great challenges of this philosophy is that it requires a deep commitment where it is important to point out that each one of us has a role to play, since this type of design is not presented as "another option", but represents a great responsibility for all professional designers.

 

Einstein said current problems can’t be solved with the same criteria which were created, we need to change our way of thinking to approach them differently. In this sense, it is a moral obligation to generate new solutions that depend on sustainable design principles, because only in this way will we approach real changes that bring value and a social benefit.

 

One of the goals of this great movement is to improve the quality of life, understanding this to create better buildings, better products, and better places to live eliminating the negative impact on the environment.

 

When I began to listen and study theories such as Al Gore's scientific studies of climate change, I became aware that the world is changing and that it is beginning to move in that direction. The importance of sustainable design then becomes a change in the structure of thought and the way things are done, it is a movement that has to do with the dignity of people, with our own position in the world, and we must "do well" in order to integrate ourselves into a virtuous circle of solutions.

 

In particular, the concepts of sustainable design are revolutionizing our profession in lighting design. Our incredible tool is the light ...... absolutely present in nature and protagonist to face the challenges that present us today.

 

Its management, in a natural and / or artificial way, has led to the development of a strict energy saving regulation that, far from being a limitation in a lighting design process, now forces us to enter new paths of creativity linked to integration of new technologies to create comfort and well-being in the spaces for the people who inhabit them, because finally people are our main objective.

 

Today, quality in a lighting project is achieved by balancing good architecture, satisfying human needs and economic and environmental factors.

 

In this new design process, another important point is "a plural vision". The participation and opinion of all is absolutely necessary: ​​investors, financiers, architects, engineers, designers, manufacturers, contractors, human resources personnel, maintenance managers and, above all, users. The simple, orderly and intelligent solutions derived from a multidisciplinary analysis manage to integrate with the purity of a good architecture, generating benefits and better spaces for all.

 

According to my experience working in Mexico, I have observed that when project leaders (owners, investors, architects) are convinced of this shared responsibility, the projects are successfully achieved. Otherwise you have to carry out a long process of convincing and often a good project is reduced to "the lowest initial investment".

 

Fortunately, this co-responsible thought is beginning to permeate society more and more until one day, as McLennan mentions, sustainable design is such a powerful philosophy that it changes the course of all aspects of our life and the planet.

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