Sustainability HW 1

Object Coverings Team (fabrics, paint, laminates, etc)
1) What is sustainability
"Sustainability is a systemic concept, relating to the continuity of economic, social, institutional and environmental aspects of human society. It is intended to be a means of configuring civilization and human activity so that society, its members and its economies are able to meet their needs and express their greatest potential in the present, while preserving biodiversity and natural ecosystems, and planning and acting for the ability to maintain these ideals in a very long term. Sustainability affects every level of organization, from the local neighbourhood to the entire planet. "

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainability
http://www.fbe.unsw.edu.au/staff/Mariano.Ramirez/futureground.pdf

"Natural resource is limited. Sustainable design seeks to reduce negative impacts on the environment, and the health and comfort of building occupants, thereby improving building performance. The basic objectives of sustainability are to reduce consumption of non-renewable resources, minimize waste, and create healthy, productive environments.
Sustainable design principles include the ability to:
· optimize site potential;
· minimize non-renewable energy consumption;
· use environmentally preferable products;
· protect and conserve water;
· enhance indoor environmental quality; and
optimize operational and maintenance practices. Utilizing a sustainable design philosophy encourages decisions at each phase of the design process that will reduce negative impacts on the environment and the health of the occupants, without compromising the bottom line. It is an integrated, holistic approach that encourages compromise and tradeoffs. Such an integrated approach positively impacts all phases of a building's life-cycle, including design, construction, operation and decommissioning."
http://www.gsa.gov/Portal/gsa/ep/contentView.docontentId=8154&contentType=GSA_OVERVIEW

2) What are the problems that need to be solved with my team topic and sustainability?
In my view, I think all sustainability design is related to ecological therefore it has some similar problems still hard to solutions such as cost, energy and natural resource etc. In addition, I thought an article discuss about education of sustainability design. I think that basic problem for sustainability design is most people don’t know what sustainability is. For example, a tile company produces non- sustainability products and sales to market because that cost too much and have some technical problems. Another, even has that kind of products in the market, but designers or consumers might don’t have enough knowledge of sustainability design, or those product might cost more money, so didn’t select those product. However, I think need to understand what does sustainability and must educate people like ecological of earth because we live in same environment and resource is limited. We need everybody’s help to improve our world. Also, I think designer has responsibility to spread of using sustainability products.
http://www.fbe.unsw.edu.au/staff/Mariano.Ramirez/futureground.pdf
3) What solutions are currently out there? (you may need to contact companies and ask about their products, if needed)
Here I collected some design relate to covering.

"Energy Cutrain The Energy Curtain is a window shade woven from a combination of textile, solar-collection and light-emitting materials. During the day, the shade can be drawn to the extent that people choose to collect sunlight and, during the evening, the collected energy is expressed as a glowing pattern on the inside of the shade. In this example, people make direct and tangible choices over how much energy to save and spend, and their choices are experienced as an aesthetic presence in their home that reflects the natural cycle of daily light. "

"Appearing Wallpaper Not all forms of energy are as instant and apparent home electricity or lighting. Ongoing natural cycles such as sunlight represent forms of energy that that have a significant but slow change in behavior over time. ‘Appearing-Pattern Wallpaper’ amplifies such slow behaviors – it comes in a solid color when purchased, but a pattern emerges over time as sunlight exposes textures printed with UV-sensitive ink. This is a poetic example of how the life-span of ordinary things and everyday life may be transformed in relation to existant energy conditions. "

"Disappearing-Pattern Tiles Heat is a form of energy that is often taken for granted, invisibly escaping from appliances, boiling water, lamps and radiators. Energy lost through heat may be visualized if artifacts communicate leakage in various ways. In the example ‘Disappearing-Pattern Tiles’, bathroom tiles are decorated with patterns in a thermochromic ink that reacts to heat, fading away to reflect splashes and intensities of hot-water use. The longer the shower, the less decoration on the wall! The architectural surface acts as a subtle reminder of personal energy use over time, reflecting the duration and waste of water during a shower. ""
http://www.tii.se/power/staticE.htm

4) What areas need more exploration around your team topic?
Energy and etchnic. Energy is a key word of sustainability design. How to use it in effective way and low cost is big issue need to discuss. For example, save energy from free natural resource such as sunshine into fabric or material of roof and change it to electric power or heat water.We still need to improve technical to make more new materials to use on covering stuff for sustainability design.

5) What conclusions have you found, specifically that you would like to take on personally?
In conclusion, sustainability is related to environment where we live now. Sustainability is not totally far and though topic for us. Everyone would help to make better future for earth in everydays live. Such as use recycles products or don’t waste energy, etc.
I correct some points which need everyone’s help.
1. Government needs to educate people to use sustainability products.
2. Encourage engineers and scientists to find new technical or material to effect using energy and natural resources.
3. Design more sustainability buildings and products. I my personally, I interest to design products which can continue use or add new material or using recycles material. I want to create something both pretty and functional what can close to people everyday’s life.


More source:
http://www.edf.edu.au/DfSGuideWebsite/IntroBackg/IntroFrameset.htm
http://www.nyc.gov/html/ddc/html/ddcgreen/