The environmental focus throughout the design process is something that will matter until we pass on and even our children pass on. The social design aspect of it is the perfect zen spot within life. The social design incorporates connection, conversation, and trust but also doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, in my opinion. Environmental design, to me, is focusing on the greater good of the world. The earth needs our help and change can only happen if we begin making change. Our generation is the change we need and we will continually fail this world if we don’t do something soon.
The direction that interests me the most is environmental design because I feel as though I understand it better. As I have said in past blog posts, I was born in Montana. I grew up in the mountains surrounded by lakes and rivers. Being enclosed by some of the most gorgeous land and views in the world makes environmental design more intriguing. To be able to show off my home and the land that I am passionate about brings my creativity out. I feel responsible for showing off what I am passionate about because I understand it and its importance. We are always being told to stand up for ourselves and what we believe in. This leads me to want to help slow down the rise of climate change and protect our world before it is too late.
In my high school environmental sciences class, we did a fun exercise where we made hanging gardens out of recycled water bottles. Then we checked up on them each class day and watered them consistently. They all hung around the room and created a very homey vibe in the room. This was the first time I felt that type of excitement about housing plants in my own home.
I was always the child in my home who stressed to my parents that we should begin recycling (Montana doesn’t do the best job in the realm of recycling). I became more and more passionate about the earth which shaped me into the person I am today. Outdoor activities really make me feel alive and free, which led me to join the Environmental Club in high school called “FreeFlow.” This set me up with a basic understanding of many important things I need to know for life.
A step in the right direction for saving our planet comes with taking responsibility for our actions. Beginning with small actions such as: eating less meat, unplugging unnecessary things, finding energy-efficient appliances, and also using renewable energy. Businesses or design agencies can implement design for good into day to day work by printing less, buying energy-efficient printers, unplugging the computers every night after work, and also turning unnecessary lights off. Something that I have attempted to do is to not drive as often as I used to. Being at school helps with that because I don’t have a car.
I am currently writing my I-Search Paper in this class on experiential design. Combining experiential design with environmental design creates a very interesting outcome. In public spaces, a designer could install an indoor greenhouse or small sustainable window gardens. I did some research and found a building in Seattle that houses 3,500 square feet of different plant species. The greenhouse gas emissions saved by this is equivalent to 140,000 metric tons. This shows that one building making big changes to the outside can help immensely.
Change needs to happen. That starts with me and you.
