Treading Lightly
Treading Lightly or Sustainable design, has long been a key factor at Resonate. Our Scandinavian heritage alongside each individual’s passion for human, social, economic and environmental sustainability drives our desire to utilise locally sourced products and materials, reducing carbon emissions and the impact of our designs.
We follow the 7 Sustainable Design and Construction Principles which allows us to create spaces that minimise our industry’s negative impact on the environment while maximising their social and economic benefits. Within our supply chain and from the first stages of design and we follow these principles, allowing us to have the lightest possible touch on our environment.
1. Energy Efficiency
This involves reducing the energy consumption of an interiors fit out during the occupants lifecycle. This can be achieved through the use of energy-efficient technologies, such as LED lighting, energy-efficient appliances and enhanced insulation where possible. We are proud to be a carbon neutral business.
2. Water Conservation
Water-efficient practices and smart technologies aid us to minimise water wastage. This includes implementing water-efficient taps and sanitary ware as well as rainwater harvesting systems. We are also conscious of water usage in our tea point and breakout area designs so hot water taps are included as standard to avoid boiling kettles.
3. Air quality
90% of our time is spent indoors. Sustainable indoor air quality design ensures the health and comfort of building occupants and contributes to the broader goals of creating environmentally responsible and socially beneficial buildings and communities. For example, biophilic design can hugely improve the air quality of a space as well as other health benefits such as reducing stress, improving productivity, encourage environmental conservation and increasing creativity by 15%.
4. Material Choices
Choosing sustainable and environmentally friendly materials is crucial in sustainable construction. The reuse, redesign and recycling of materials, as well as sourcing locally leads to a more circular economy and a reduced carbon footprint.
We are proud to work with sustainable building accreditations such as BREEAM and Fitwel and aim to specify accredited certifications including ISO, FSC and EPD’s. To this end we have our own Fitwel ambassador.
5. Durabililty
Designing for longevity allows us to create interiors that are durable, long-lasting and resilient. This reduces the need for frequent replacements and repairs, thereby minimising the consumption of resources and reducing waste over the life cycle of a product or building. We ensure the products we specify not only contain materials that have a long-life span but are timeless designs, and are not subject to trends.
6. Design Strategies
These are strategies that reduce the environmental impact of buildings, products, and systems while promoting social and economic well-being. For example, passive design allows for the natural elements like sunlight, wind, and shading to optimise building performance without relying heavily on mechanical systems.
With the Building and Construction industry widely known to contribute to 38% of global emissions; we promote, encourage and create change to support the 2030 goals of the Paris Agreement.
7. Waste Reduction
Minimising waste during the construction process is a key sustainable principle. This can be achieved through proper planning, recycling and reusing materials, and adopting construction techniques that generate less waste. We look to design around sheet, tile and material sizes wherever possible, This prevents material waste as well as saving time, energy, logistics and emissions.
