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There’s an enlightened new business model emerging within the residential design trade – and it posits that instead of a singular focus on financial returns, as tradition dictates, kitchen/bath design firms and others should vie for nothing less than a triple bottom line: people, profit and the planet.
At the heart of this burgeoning new mindset is the notion that companies throughout the industry’s supply chain should pay as much attention to the impact their actions have on the environment and quality-of-life issues as they do on revenue, margins and profit.
Indeed, the notion of eco-friendliness and sustainability is being increasingly embraced by savvy design professionals, as well as by a growing number of home buyers and remodeling clients who are seeking product and design solutions that don’t denigrate the environment – or, better yet, have a positive impact on the planet. Evidence of this movement includes the introduction in recent years of such environmentally friendly products as water-saving showerheads and faucets, LED lighting, sinks fashioned from recycled materials, and countertops made with recycled glass, plastic, quartz and ash.
But the industry is advancing beyond those pioneering endeavors now.
And with good reason.
While it may not seem obvious, residential remodeling – as a projected $450-billion-dollar industry in 2023 – has a major impact on the planet. According to some estimates, in fact, the built environment will be responsible in the next 30 years for roughly one-tenth of the world’s carbon emissions, a major cause of climate change. Residential renovation, from demolition alone, is among the largest sources of waste. Kitchens and baths, by their very functionality, utilize more energy than any other rooms in the home. And while the impact of individual kitchen and bath projects may be negligible, cumulatively it’s enormous.
Because of all this, designers, remodelers and others in the building sector – including manufacturers – have a critical role to play in helping address pollution, waste, biodiversity loss, global warming and other key challenges.
But there’s more to the equation than simply being a good environmental steward. There’s a triple bottom line reason, as well.
The COVID-19 pandemic of the past few years has sparked an acute awareness of health issues and their connection to the home. Consumer preferences and buying patterns have dramatically changed. Generational shifts in attitudes toward the planet are also resulting in consumers becoming more mindful about investing in sustainable design and construction, minimizing waste, recycling in an environmentally feasible way and utilizing responsible products that are carbon neutral. Eco-friendly choices are playing an increasing role in the purchase decisions of both remodeling clients and home buyers. A growing number of homeowners with a planet-first mentality are demanding that their design partners be held to the same eco-friendly standards that the homeowners themselves are seeking.
So, what does all this mean?
For one thing, it will doubtless mean that kitchen and bath designers will need to educate themselves, and become conversant with clients, about the principles and benefits of sustainable design. Designers, increasingly, will also be called upon to specify products that are more durable, repairable and recyclable than those of the past. They’ll similarly need to explain to homeowners how sustainable homes deliver benefits like improved air quality, increased comfort and durability, and cost savings from energy efficiency. They’ll also need to prepare for the inevitability of bans on certain products as the movement toward sustainability increasingly takes hold.
Building partnerships with vendors from whom designers can source sustainable products will also be a critical component of that effort, as will working with manufacturers who’ve demonstrated their commitment to sustainability by investing in such initiatives as renewable energy, reused water, natural power sources, carbon-neutral production processes and other emerging technologies.
Just as designers have a responsibility to assure that homes are healthy and safe, they also have a social responsibility to make a positive impact by rallying around a consistent, holistic approach that makes sustainability the standard for every project they create. Protecting the environment must be considered a fundamental part of that mission, a central element of every company’s core purpose in both 2023 and beyond. ▪
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