In the 50 years since the first Earth Day celebration, sustainability has come to mean many different things to the general public and professionals in the architecture and design industry. There have always been people on both sides who recognize the link between a healthy planet and healthy homes, but it took a global pandemic to force that point back, literally. This shift in focus is highlighted in a new Kitchen & Bath Design Sustainability Research report released last month by the National Kitchen & Bath Association. “NKBA knew that the definition of sustainable design needed to focus on environmental responsibility and the health and well-being of home occupants,” said Tricia Zak, the group’s research director. speaks. Research shows that the latter factor is now at the top of consumer concerns, especially for households with children. Zack isn’t surprised.
Focus on the kitchen and bathroom
“Health and wellness have influenced kitchen and bath design for many years,” the researchers said. She saw increased interest in air and water quality in these spaces in her recent NKBA Trends Report. “As more and more consumers realize that many sustainable design elements have health benefits (e.g. VOC-free/non-toxic paints and stains, non-toxic materials, air purifiers, etc.) “It’s more likely to be incorporated into the kitchen or the bath,” she points out. According to this study, 60% of homeowners cited non-toxic materials as their top concern.
california elements
One kitchen and bathroom feature that spans both health and sustainability is LED lighting. This technology is much more energy efficient than incandescent lights and meets sustainability goals and mandates, particularly California’s strict CALGreen code with national implications. LEDs also enable health through circadian lighting, non-intrusive pathway lighting for safety, and easy change capabilities for personalization.
Los Angeles-area designer Shannon Gemm sees the power of customer personalization as surpassing the potential of circadian rhythms for now. “I think design clients like things that are beautiful, three-dimensional, and evoke emotion. LED strips and small sparkling accents absolutely help with that aspect, but at the same time they have very low energy consumption and are incredible. “I don’t think circadian rhythm is a top priority for our clients,” she comments, but they are still well satisfied by its gentle nature. states. She says: “A little light is much better for your health than turning on 8,000 recessed can lights when you want to drink water at night.”
The California-based design professional has a number of energy, water conservation, and material standards that need to be incorporated into projects, but he also tends to have clients who value sustainability and wellness, especially millennials (ages 28-43). there is. “About 55% of my customers are millennials,” he says. “They literally always prioritize materials and designs that promote a clean and healthy environment, from non-toxic paints to indoor plants that improve air quality,” she added.
Ggem was not surprised that non-toxic materials were the top concern among survey respondents, she shares. “When California first announced the 2008 deadline for non-polluting paint in the early 2000s, customers were hoarding non-conforming paint in their garages. Now, homeowners are listing their air quality questions for us. Many even specifically say “no VOCs”. There is a lot of research being done on indoor air quality, and clients learn about the risks in their favorite publications. You don’t need to tell them now. ”
overcome objections
Sustainability regulations have spread across the United States, in part through California’s market forces, but wellness factors are key to driving this choice even when the regulations do not require it. According to the NKBA report, a key insight for overcoming adoption barriers is to “strengthen the twin value propositions of family health/well-being and energy conservation, especially for Millennials.”
New York-based designer Caleb Anderson comments on the even age range of his clientele, saying: The older I get, the more important health becomes to me. ” Millennial clients clearly understand that environmentally friendly decisions also benefit their health. “As the first generation to grow up in the information age, they have spent their lives observing the effects of climate change, natural disasters, and widespread social inequality. They have taken it upon themselves to make the world better for their children. I would like to play this role.”
While Anderson’s client list has long included healthy design features, he says the nature of their requests has changed over the past five years. “Originally meant for health amenities such as home saunas, gyms, and yoga rooms, customers want all materials to be healthy. We are rapidly gaining insight into what can cause a myriad of effects and want to get to the root of the problem, which is why healthy, Red List-free ingredients and products are our current priority. I am happy to say that.”
next step
Anderson points to the sophisticated marketing campaigns employed for mass adoption of LEDs. “Imagine lifelong health savings and the same momentum of financial support from the government for using healthier products,” he suggests. “Look at the green building movement in California and the Pacific Northwest, where local incentives and requirements are greatly driving the growth of sustainable design. I would like to think that the time has come.”As we become more aware of the connection between our homes and our health, this possibility is increasing day by day.
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