Parkhill Smith and Cooper

PSC Fieldtrip

Up until the past few weeks, I did not know a lot about environmentally friendly and sustainable design.  I have been studying this concept in both of my interior design classes.  Last week I took a fieldtrip to Parkhill Smith and Cooper with my class.  This company owns the first LEED certified building in Lubbock.  This trip led me to have a lot more interest in environmentally friendly design than I ever have before.

One concept that PSC’s green building contains is self sustainability.  They have employed a roof system that basically consists of a layer of earth.  Natural dirt is a great insulator.  The plants on the roof are all watered with the reuse of rain drainage on the property.  This is a great way to use natural materials for environmental benefit when building a large building.  We only saw pictures of the roof.  But, after seeing diagrams and reading information on the roof, I was assured that it is a good way to use less energy.

Another thing that I learned at PSC was that there are many different materials available that are environmentally friendly.  This includes things that are recycled, recyclable, sustainable, and naturally made.  The LEED certified building had things such as fabric air vents, large window systems, sun lights, and grass parking spaces. After doing some research online, I realized just how many companies are working hard to provide these types of building materials.  I now know that it truly is possible to do environmentally friendly design without much more trouble than doing any normal design job.

The most interesting thing that I leaned at PSC, is that environmentally friendly interiors are actually a healthier environment to live and work in.  We were informed that the LEED certified building at PSC has 12% less sick days taken that the non-LEED certified building.  It is also true that hospitals have better recovery rates when the employ environmentally friendly materials and let in natural light. Productivity is also increased in an environmentally friendly work place with sunlight.  Upon first hearing that environmentally friendly design affects the wellness of the inhabitants of a space, I thought it was just a rumor.  After learning more about the harmful effects of harsh chemicals, I can believe this statement.  I also learned that the human connection to nature is a large part of why environmentally friendly living and working can be healthier for many people.

I have become very interested in environmental design within these past couple of weeks.  I would love to do a real interior someday that could employ these kinds of concepts and materials.  It has become obvious that this type of design is becoming important and will stay important all around the world.  As an interior designer, I am glad to have gotten a taste of this type of design.  I know that I will be using it in my future.