Friday, August 1, 2014

i3 LA02 - A Designer's Awareness of Sustainable Design

Read through the article (below) ‘Australian Paper Sustainability Spotlight’ from Desktop Magazine 2010 and answer the following questions in full sentences or dot-points. Please try to put your answers in your own words so that I know you have understood the article.


1. According to this article, HASSELL is one of Australia’s largest and awarded architectural businesses and a leader in achieving good sustainability design. Name a few of their project initiatives.
• Wayfinding
• Space planning
• Creating healthy indoor environments
• Environmentally sustainable design
 
2. Name two projects HASSELL has won awards for in environmentally sustainable design.
• The SA Water building in Adelaide
• The ANZ Centre in Melbourne’s Docklands
 
3. What is the role of the Sustainable Futures Unit (SFU) at HASSELL?
• It advises each of its studios how to demonstrate their environmentally sustainable designs, by working closely with local professional teams and sustainable communities.
• It researches project specific and management advice on sustainability objectives and initiatives.
 
4. What type of materials do HASSELL source as compared to 10 years ago?
• Recycled timbers that are sustainably managed and FSC certified
• They also use third-party organisations like Ecospecifier and GECA (Good Environment Choice Australia) that certify products
 
5. What does GECA stand for and what does it offer?
• Good Environment Choice Australia. It offers services that locate certified products.
 
6. Name 5 websites listed in this article that provides sustainable outcomes for your business and your clients.
www.geca.org.au
www.ecospecifier.org
www.o2.org
www.inhabitat.com
www.thinktheearth.net
 
7. Name Australia’s top selling carmaker for hybrid vehicles and what year was the first hybrid vehicle made?
• Toyota. They released the first hybrid vehicle in 1997. It was the
Prius.
 
8. Name a few of the recycling sustainable initiatives that this carmaker has carried out to reduce its carbon footprint.
• ECOVAS – the Eco Vehicle Assessment Scheme
• Car batteries, which achieve a 96% recycling rate
• Using recycled aluminium to build their engine blocks
 
9. The article mentions TED, what is it?
• Toyota Environment Dealership. This program encourages their dealers to measure their current performance and improve against those benchmarks over time.
 
10. What has this carmaker done to set guidelines and targets for environmental management for parts?
• Created a five-year environment plan that falls under the Toyota’s Earth Charter
• Created a range of programs under their Toyota Community Spirit program
• Only use suppliers which are certified to the ISO14001 environment management standard
 
11. What social, environmental and financial indicators does this carmaker use to verify sustainability reports?
• Use the Global Reporting Initiative Indicators
• Independently verify their sustainability reports
• Verify their performance of their environment management systems
 
12. Is there awareness amongst businesses to take on a sustainable approach?
• Yes. With the Green Economy emerging into a reality, the community’s environmental consciousness is shifting. Companies are now providing green products in their range and are mainstreaming greener options across their entire range.
 
13. What has this carmaker benefited from by being sustainable?
• Lower costs
• Customer focus
 
14. What can the design community do about being environmentally sustainable?
• Look to the future, so that in 20 years sustainable products are the only products used.
 
15. After the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster Greenpeace UK encouraged designers to submit posters rebranding BP’s flower logo. Search the Internet for a few of these posters.
 
























16. What is the triple bottom-line approach when it comes to sustainable design for social and economic considerations?
• A holistic philosophy known as ‘The Three P’s – Plant, people and Profit’
 
17. Find an example of a website which declares its sustainable credentials.
http://sustainableman.org/
 
18. What advice does Ecospecifier give when a product is greenhouse friendly?
• “All labels are not created equal”, so as a consumer it helps to
research the standards by which companies judge their own products.
• Always look for products, companies and certifications/labels that have been independently audited
 
19. What is the purpose of the Fair Trade logo?
• It if for those who commission work or buy products from Third World countries.
 
20. Name another respected label that promotes environmental performance.
• FSC (Forest Stewardship Council)
• Good Environmental Choice
 
21. What final advice does this article provide for designers?
• “By using an Australian paper carbon-neutral grade, not only can you use the Greenhouse Friendly logo and communicate with your stakeholders that you want to have a positive impact on climate change, but you can also find out exactly how much CO2 has been avoided through your paper choice.”
• “BY recording how much you have offset with each print job you will be surprised how much of an impact you can have”.
 
22. Name the Onyx range of speciality papers that Candice Murison at Block Branding has chosen and why?
• Smooth vellum
• Embossed finish in white and cream
• They are 100% recycled and 100% Australian
• They offer premium quality and print performance
 
23. Research and find the ‘Greenhouse Friendly’ logo and the common ‘Recycle’ logo (three arrows).
  

Call 1800 280 037 for a free sustainability paper guide or go to http://www.australianpaper.com.au/ for more information.
 
 ** Student note: A few years ago a friend promoted the Keep Cup, and I purchased one for myself (Christmas 2012).


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