5 Sustainable Species

The 2007 IIDA/Metropolis Smart Environ­ments award winners may, once and for all, blow apart the widely held belief that clients don’t care about green design. These clients specifically wanted buildings and interiors that would be good for their workers’ health and well-being—and, incidentally, their bottom lines. These five spaces represent such diverse interests as the U.S. government, a condo developer, a viticulturist, a non­profit, and a nature preserve. It turns out that being kind to your people (or, in the case of the winery, to your grapes) is also kind to the earth. The idea that interior designers and architects have trouble collaborating is also going out of style. To do top-notch green design, all kinds of skills are needed. You  may also note that there’s almost no sustainable ideology in these stories; these designers are too busy finding earth-friendly solutions to spend their time preaching. And it turns out that minimalism may be good for the environment too: you buy less stuff, and what you choose is carefully considered in terms of manu­facturing, materials, local availability, and, of course, beauty, function, and performance.

The 2007 IIDA/Metropolis Smart Environ­ments Award Winners:
ISLAND WOOD
Bainbridge Island, Washington

STRATUS VINEYARDS
Niagra-On-The-Lake, Ontario, Ontario

U.S. CENSUS BUREAU
Suitland, Maryland

NAVY FEDERAL CREDIT UNION
Pensacola, Florida

ECO-SUITE
Toronto