Sustainable Design Lecture On November 21
BEST and Bermuda College will hold a free lecture on sustainable design by expert Eimeir Johnston on Thursday [Nov 21] from 1.00pm to 2.00pm.
A spokesperson said, “The community are invited to attend this free lecture on Thursday, November 21 to discover how to create environments, interiors and products that are intuitive and make sense for the people who use them. Eimeir aims to create timeless, human-centred, natural and honest solutions that delight in their use, feel and look.
“Eimeir has been delivering design solutions to clients in the UK, Bermuda, the US and beyond for close to 20 years. Her multi-disciplined design background started at the Dublin Institute of Technology [TU], where she gained a first-class honours in Interior Architecture and Furniture design.
“A passion for natural materials and sustainable design solutions led her to further her education and includes a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design LEED AP qualification and a MSc Postgraduate Certificate in Environmental Design of Buildings from the Welsh School of Architecture at Cardiff University.
“Her work has been published in books, newspapers, magazines, and online and has received awards from the Bermuda Architectural Association and the City of Hamilton among others.
“This lecture is free and no registration is required. The presentation is followed by a lively Q&A, so bring your questions.”
Amy Harvey, the Earth and Environmental Science Senior Lecturer at the Bermuda College, said, “Sustainable design is something that we as Bermudians were historically doing before it had a name. We designed our houses to face a certain way to let the summer breeze through before air conditioning was a thing. Our roofs are perfectly pitched to allow for water catchment. We used local supplies to build our homes.
“With overconsumption of goods and a move to cheaper products that often are plastic based or have a plastic film it is important to be intentional about the types of materials we use to build our houses as well as furnish inside once finished. Certain products can give off gases that can actually lead to sick building syndrome.
“Also, if possible we should be trying to minimize the ecological footprint of our homes by using renewable energy sources. We can even reduce energy costs by using biophilic walls which help to cool while also helping to filter the air. Larger apartment complexes or office buildings may even have rooftop gardens which can also reduce the heat given off from buildings.
“This can reduce the urban heat island effect too. There are so many innovations available and we look forward to hearing more about how these can be applied in Bermuda.”
Jennifer Flood, BEST Executive Officer, said, “Many of the materials used for building and interiors are unsustainable. Examples include woods chosen for furniture, flooring, plywood and veneers – a number of which such as Honduras rosewood, mahogany and ramin are on either the CITES Appendix and the IUCN Red List or both. Bermudians know another on these lists, the native yellowwood Zanthoxylum flavum, which was almost extirpated by 1632. Laws were also introduced throughout the 1600’s restricting use of Bermuda cedar.
“A different example, an ubiquitous but very environmentally unfriendly product is concrete! Its manufacture takes 10% of industrial water use and is responsible for up to 8% of CO2 emissions. In cities concrete adds to the heat-islands effect. Hempcrete appears to be a worthy replacement. Silicosis, a progressive and fatal disease, once thought to be a thing of the past, has re-emerged particularly in association with the fabrication of kitchen tops from high-silica content artificial stone.
“So, for these reasons, and many others, Eimeir’s presentation on the 21st November, looking into the use of more sustainable materials in interiors and elsewhere, is timely. It will be of great interest, hopefully encouraging a move away from the rare, endangered woods and damaging products.”
The spokesperson said, “Join us for this informative presentation on Thursday, November 21 from 1:00 and 2:00pm in person at the Bermuda College, Athene Room H100, or join via Facebook or YouTube.
“Light refreshments will be provided on a first come, first served basis. Please bring your own beverage.”
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Category: All, Environment
