Designers should aim to be “responsible” instead of outright “sustainable”, as literal 100% sustainability is virtually impossible to achieve in the modern world, argued designers at a London Design Festival panel.
Hosted by surface brand Neolith to celebrate the launch of its new Atmosphere surfaces, the panel included Toni Black, interior director and partner at Blacksheep; Freya Gibbons, senior designer at HUSK Kitchens; and Wendy Gilmour, Scottish Lifestyle Influencer of the Year for 2024.
Black was asked by interiors editor Pip Rich about the importance of sustainability in her projects, to which she answered that she believes striving for responsibility is far more attainable, especially given the issues between sustainability and cost for clients.
“Everybody wants to be sustainable, right? But is that sustainable, or is that being responsible?”, Black mused.
She continued: “I like the word ‘responsible’ instead because ultimately, what is sustainability? Can we ever be fully 100% green in this world? I don’t know, and I don’t think we’re there yet. However, can you be responsible? Yes.
“As designers, clients come in and they want to be sustainable, but everything always comes down to cost. So, I just think we try to be responsible as designers, and we try to balance it. The smart thing we should try and do is come up with a narrative. It’s all about getting the client sold on [sustainable and responsible benefits]. And that’s the way for us to drive being responsible.”
“There are products out there that help, but they’re not cheap, and we need to buy them more to bring prices down. But if we can tie in that narrative from the beginning, and get the client buying that, then that’s how we can be responsible.”
Gibbons agreed, saying: “We do manufacture, so we have to be careful about things like where we buy our timber from. But we are being as sustainable as possible, and we’re doing our bit, but it does take a lot of work.
“Sustainability also goes beyond what people think. It’s also about things like localising and finding out where products and materials are made. If something can’t come from just down the road, then that’s understandable, but you can at least make it European. Like, what we’re purchasing – where’s that made, and where’s that coming from? That’s why it takes a lot of research. But we should be asking those questions.
Gilmour also added that sustainability as a term can be very ambiguous, and often goes far beyond topics such as material composition and logistics. She said:“We also need to think about how long things are going to last. Even if you are able to get something locally, if it’s only going to last for a few years and then you throw it away, then that’s not very sustainable at all. If something’s going to last for, say, three decades, then maybe it’s worth getting something from a little bit further away.”
Ross Stewart, the UK senior sales manager for Neolith UK also said: “We organised this event to facilitate insightful conversation and to connect further with our partners. We’re delighted that such forward thinking panellists joined us to discuss these topics. Neolith is a product that can be used fluidly across commercial and residential design applications, but it’s rare we get to hear how these two industries directly influence each other.
“Neolith, as both a product and a sustainability concept, has a strong affinity with discussions about the future of design thanks to its world leading approach to circularity that is actively pushing the industry forwards. It is not just a surface, but a challenge to the status quo, which is evident in our recently awarded Cradle2Crade certification.”
Sustainability has been a major industry talking point in recent years. Recently, Kevin McCloud, designer and presenter of Grand Designs, has said that sustainability progress in the KBB industry should be the responsibility of the government, not industry, and it can only be meaningfully achieved through long-term legislative action.
Earlier in the year, senior figures from Egger, Blum and Häfele held a press conference in Austria on the challenges of balancing sustainability against cost for clients, where they questioned whether consumers are genuinely willing to pay more for sustainable products.