piper: decoding healthy & regenerative design

In talking about the embodied carbon and waste burden of the built environment, much of the focus has traditionally been on the structure and enclosure––or the core and shell––of the building. But in more recent years, some of the attention has shifted to the interior. And early studies show that interiors can actually surpass the embodied carbon impact and waste burden of the initial building over its average 60-year life. This is because of the rate of interior renovation, which in commercial environments is now occurring every five to 10 years, roughly. And because materials used in interiors tend to be more complex––they're often mixed, bonded or composites––they're typically harder to recycle. Rather than given a second life, things like carpet, wall systems, FF&E, ceiling tiles, and mechanical and electrical equipment are relegated to the landfill.  Enter, David Bergman. A self proclaimed eco-optimist, David has built a career around inspiring those in the design field and beyond to consider a mindset shift––that sustainable design and lifestyle choices don't have to equate to sacrifice. From his ecology club days in high school and college to authoring a book on sustainable design, and helping bring more sustainability courses to the Parsons School of Design in New York, to his latest venture, the Center for Circularity in Interior Design, sustainability and circularity have simply been a way of life for David. To him, these should be the standards of design, rather than considered part of the "green movement". And though the interest started in childhood, it was a fortuitous exhibit of eco-materials in the 90s that challenged him to shift his thinking.  In this interview, David shares what it will take to make circularity the standard in interior design rather than an afterthought.  David Bergman is the program director of the Master of Porfessional Studies in Interior Environments at the New York School of Interior Design, founder and director of the Center for Circularity in Interior Design, and adjunct professor at the Parsons School of Design, author of "Sustainable Design: A Critical Guide".  

For a material as seemingly straightforward and simple as wood, it has a very complex, layered and often opaque supply chain. While certifications like FSC, SFI and PEFC may tell you the wood came from responsibly managed forests, it's a very small part of the story. Like organic labels on produce, these certifications can offer some peace of mind, but they don't tell you the lineage, where specifically the wood came from, the forest management practices, or how it was handled along its journey. As the use of wood and mass timber continues to grow, sustainability leaders across the design and construction industry are starting to require more transparency to meet rigorous sustainability goals. And that's where organizations like Sustainable Northwest come in. This environmental conservation nonprofit does many things, but one of them is connecting responsible forest owners with buyers and specifiers, creating transparent, regional supply chain networks…from forest to frame.   Seeing the impact Sustainable Northwest was having on forestry, mass timber and local, rural economies, compelled Evan Schmidt and Oliver Ogden to join the organization as part of the wood market team. Though each took different paths to the nonprofit, they ultimately started from the same place: a lifelong passion for nature.  In this episode, Evan and Oliver discuss some of the challenges and barriers that exist in the responsible wood procurement process, how they're working to connect responsible forest and land owners with designers and builders, and how those person-to-person connections impact the wood products industry.