Here for a Short Time - Embracing a New Aesthetic for Deconstructable Interior Spaces
This webinar is part of the RAIC 2023 Conference on Architecture, now available to stream!
Topics: Innovation in Materials, Technology and Construction
Length: 1 hour | What's Included: Video, Quiz, and Certificate of Completion
“The time has come to embrace an evolving new aesthetic borne out of necessity and our sense of collective responsibility to generations to come.”―Linzi Cassels, Design Director, Perkins&Will
When embarking in the design of temporary spaces or small projects, we cannot overlook their environmental and human health impact over time. Thus, we are confronted to design in a way that is ‘reversible’, healthy, and keeps existing products and materials in use. Designing for low impact outcomes may result in a restrained palette with restricted material choices. This approach presents a challenge to do better with less by:
- Using materials in creative and interesting ways
- Exploring subtractive design opportunities
- Proposing innovative construction methods,
- Balancing modular structures with bespoke beauty
- Considering systems that can be separated and recombined to create inherently flexible spaces
- Communicating environmental impacts of design decisions to clients and end users.
The session will explore strategies used in two temporary interior spaces to minimize the carbon and material health impact of the renovations, while collaborating with clients to deliver a space that meets their vision, culture, identity, and budget.
Learning Objectives:
By the completion of this session, participants will be able to:
- Be able to describe key principles design for deconstruction
- Identify opportunities for designing for deconstruction in interior spaces and linkages to lower carbon and material health impacts.
- Critique new aesthetics borne out of a paradigm shift towards more conscious use of materials.
- Evaluate opportunities for innovative material applications and construction practices.
Subject Matter Expert:
Ms. Rufina Wu
Architect AIBC, NCIDQ, LEED® AP BD+C
Associate Principal, Project Architect, Perkins&Will
Born in Hong Kong, Rufina is a city dweller at heart, and is fascinated by the complex variety of needs and programs that compose our shared environment. Rufina recognizes that the end-user is often the silent consumer of architecture, and so has dedicated her career to understanding how the individual naturally inhabits space. Having been native to an environment known for its density, she views space as a precious entity, and she believes that it is the designer’s role to apply a robust design approach to provide spatial solutions that are both tailored and flexible. She is inspired to create spaces that invite the users to play an active role in shaping the environment to suit their unique needs and preferences. Rufina lives and breathes design. From the self-made, upcycled trinkets she has sitting on her desk to the pet inspired paintings she creates in her free time, Rufina’s desire is to produce extraordinary products from ordinary items is evident in everything she touches
Ms. Manuela Londono
B.E.S, LEED® AP BD+C
Sustainable Building Advisor, Perkins&Will
Originally from Colombia, Manuela developed an appreciation for using local materials and believes that knowing where things come from and the impact they have on the environment is at the core of sustainability. Manuela works with Perkins&Will’s interiors team to bring transparency to our material library and contributes regularly to the body of research in our Material Performance Lab. She is also involved with our embodied carbon initiative, helping to establish carbon related reporting and requirements for projects. Manuela’s technical know-how was fostered from her time at an engineering practice where she deepened her understanding of rating systems such as LEED, WELL, and Fitwell, and became accustomed to quantifying the environmental impacts of the built environment. Manuela’s passion for local and healthy materials extends to her hobby as well—designing and building wood furniture and décor for family and friends
Pricing A-La-Carte