Sustainability / Sustainable Design (Design multi-disciplinary practice)

The Impact and Potential Role of Multinational Corporations in Achieving Sustainability in Latin American Countries

by Charles Atencio

Master of Science Thesis, System Design and Management, School of Engineering and Sloan School of Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

    This thesis aims to assess the activities and influence of automotive multinational corporations (MNCs)... more     This thesis aims to assess the activities and influence of automotive multinational corporations (MNCs) in developing countries as it relates to the concept of "total sustainability" within three countries: Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico. It is an innovative perspective of the systemic sustainability issues incorporated incorporate strategy, industrial policy, worker representation, and the environmental protection.

    Research has focused on collecting information from journals, industry publications, and studies by international organization, on the interplay between government policy and automotive MNC activity. Focus of attention has been paid to influences on the "Pillars of Sustainability", described by Professor Nicholas Ashford, that encompass sustainable development: Environment, Economy, and Employment.

    Analysis of the observations and industry/policy trends has used the Ashford framework, which focuses on both the above mentioned factors of total sustainability and the many processes that interconnect their states. Attention is also paid to emergent complex system behavior and associated risks and opportunities.

    Conclusions and Recommendations are focused on systemic views of the challenges posed by automotive industry activity on the nations studied and policy recommendations on how to possibly both capture economic benefit, but also further
sustainable development efforts.

    Suggested future research topics associated with this thesis would encompass the analysis of different industries, entrepreneurial enterprises, industrial policies, technologies and policies, or the development of associated System Dynamics models.

Using Materials for Sustainability in Interior Architecture and Design

by Kirsty Máté

Journal of Green Building, Fall 2007
Online edition can be found at http://www.collegepublishing.us/jgbonline.htm however a subscription is required.

‘Green’, ‘eco’, ‘sustainable’, materials and products are no longer as rare as hen’s teeth. There is an increasing... more ‘Green’, ‘eco’, ‘sustainable’, materials and products are no longer as rare as hen’s teeth. There is an increasing market for all things ‘green’, but all the green products in the world won’t necessarily create a ‘green’ interior design solution.

Understanding the importance of the life cycle of the design they are intended is as equally important as the material choice – it’s the way the materials are used which will significantly change an ordinary design into a sustainable one.

Much has already been published on reducing the life cycle impacts of products during manufacturing and designers need to be aware of these, however comparing the life cycle assessments (LCAs) of various manufacturing processes can be complicated, the information opaque and the results confusing.

While the importance of the environmental impacts during manufacture are significant when selecting materials and products for interior environments, equally important are the issues related to consumption, the practice of specification for the use of materials and products, the impacts of indoor air quality and end of life options.

This article will address how an interior designer/architect can address some of the greatest environmental impacts of their practice, specifying materials and products, by understanding the life cycle impacts of their designs, rather than just the materials they use, for domestic and commercial use.

REMEDIATING SHOPPING CENTRES FOR SUSTAINABILITY

by Kirsty Máté

Presented at the Interior Educators Conference 2012, London, UK

The modern day shopping centre is so entrenched and so familiar a building form in most countries in the world,... more The modern day shopping centre is so entrenched and so familiar a building form in most countries in the world, particularly the developed nations, it is hard to believe they did not exist in the living memory of those who today are sixty years or older. While this new way of shopping brought convenience, variety, comfort and a new shopping experience, the repercussions from its almost overnight infiltration and takeover from the retail experiences of the past were realized too late.
In the last 20-30 years, there has been a growing concern in regard to mass consumption and its impact on our planet. As temples of mass consumption, will the modern day shopping centre be able to adapt itself effectively for a sustainable future or will it die as swiftly as it appeared?

Ecodesign Tools: One basis to operacionalize sustainable design

by José Vicente

Co-authored with Rui Frazão, Fernando Moreira da Silva, publiseh in Proceedings of VI International Congress on Design Research - October, 2011 - Lisbon, Portugal

This paper aims to provide an analysis of the different types of available ecodesign tools, their benefits,... more This paper aims to provide an analysis of the different types of available ecodesign tools, their benefits, capabilities and problems, to understand how these instruments could serve as a foundation for developing a practical body for sustainable product design, thus allowing the design to be able to promote a shift to a paradigm of sustainable production and consumption.

The Case for Open Source Appropriate Technology

by Joshua Pearce

Joshua M. Pearce, “The Case for Open Source Appropriate Technology”, Environment, Development and Sustainability 14, pp. 425–431 (2012). DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10668-012-9337-9

Much of the widespread poverty, environmental desecration, and waste of human life seen around the globe could be... more Much of the widespread poverty, environmental desecration, and waste of human life seen around the globe could be prevented by known (to humanity as a whole) technologies, many of which are simply not available to those that need it. This lack of access to critical information for sustainable development is directly responsible for a morally and ethically unacceptable level of human suffering and death. A solution to this general problem is the concept of open source appropriate technology or OSAT, which refers to technologies that provide for sustainable development while being designed in the same fashion as free and open-source software. OSAT is made up of technologies that are easily and economically utilized from readily available resources by local communities to meet their needs and must meet the boundary conditions set by environmental, cultural, economic, and educational resource constraints of the local community. This paper explores both the open source and appropriate technology aspects of OSAT to create a paradigm, in which anyone can both learn how to make and use needed technologies free of IP concerns. At the same time anyone can also add to the collective open source knowledge ecosystem or knowledge commons by contributing ideas, designs, observations, experimental data, deployment logs, etc. It is argued that if OSAT continues to grow and takes hold globally creating a vibrant virtual community to share technology plans and experiences, a new technological revolution, built on a dispersed network of innovators working together to create a just sustainable world is possible.

UAD Product Design

by Gianluca Medri

“Torricelliana” (ISSN 1827-4919), The Bullettin of Società Torricelliana di Scienze e Lettere di Faenza. v. 61-62, pp. 53 – 64. (2010-2011).

The design and development of disposable, or Use-And-Discard (UAD), products are analyzed from a more conscious... more The design and development of disposable, or Use-And-Discard (UAD), products are analyzed from a more conscious engineering standpoint. A comprehensive definition of UAD products is proposed and specific design suggestions are reported for the sake of product sustainability.

Appropedia as a Tool for Service Learning in Sustainable Development

by Joshua Pearce

Joshua M. Pearce, "Appropedia as a Tool for Service Learning in Sustainable Development", Journal of Education for Sustainable Development, 3(1), pp.47-55, 2009.

Numerous studies have demonstrated that university students are capable of contributing to sustainable development... more Numerous studies have demonstrated that university students are capable of contributing to sustainable development while improving their academic skills. Unfortunately for many institutions, the expense of sending large cohorts of students on international service learning trips is prohibitive. Yet, students remain enthusiastic and well equipped to assist in sustainable development. This article reports on two pedagogical experiments in service learning that overcame this challenge by providing solutions to sustainable development problems using Appropedia.org, the site for collaborative solutions in sustainability, poverty reduction and international development. The course successfully used Appropedia (1) as a forum for students who were geographically dispersed, (2) for a whole-class writing collaboration, (3) to coordinate a sustainability-focussed outreach campaign to retrofit stop lights in communities throughout Pennsylvania and (4) to review class material with application to technologies for sustainable development.

If Small is Beautiful.....Exclusive beats it.

by Alvaro HIDALGO

Luxury as a factor to set carrying capacity .TALC Luxury as a factor to set carrying capacity .TALC

A Model for Integral Sustainable Design Explored through Daylighting

by Mark DeKay

Public Planting Establishment

by Joe Clancy

The purpose of this project is to investigate, describe, and define plant pests, diseases and disorders, vandalism in... more The purpose of this project is to investigate, describe, and define plant pests, diseases and disorders, vandalism in context with open public spaces and the historic and contemporary methods of identification, prevention, mitigation and control.
Without a thorough understanding of the susceptibility of planting schemes to pest, disease, disorders and vandalism and how to manage/prevent them, poor design will be inevitable.  Planners, developers, local authorities, etc, are looking towards environmental (sustainable) design for efficient, cost effective schemes.  Environmental design is “the philosophy of designing physical objects, the built environment and services to comply with the principles of the economic, social and ecological sustainability” (McLennan, 2004).

Creatures in Captivity and Ethics

by Poppy Valentine

Prisons. Factory States. Low-Wage Workers. Child Sex Trade. Animal Abuse for: Clothing, Entertainment and Food. I... more Prisons. Factory States. Low-Wage Workers. Child Sex Trade. Animal Abuse for: Clothing, Entertainment and Food. I really could go on with other outlets of injust captivity, but this covers some major ones.

Formulation and process conditions for biodegradable/edible soy‐based packaging trays

by Eugene Mohareb

Designers between the user and the ecosystem

by Outi Ugas

Co-authored with Cindy Kohtala.

This article is based on our study on designers’ thinking about sustainability. One preliminary finding suggests there... more This article is based on our study on designers’ thinking about sustainability. One preliminary finding suggests there is a notable gap between those designers that choose to operate socially sustainably and those environmentally sustainably. Considering design as a way to interact between human society and the ecosystem, not only the user and the product or service, would give design practitioners a stronger footing as business globally moves more towards a people-planet-profit model of operating. The study and the results are published in the LeNS Conference Proceedings, Bangalore, September 2010.

Clarifying the role of design within the Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development FSSD

by Outi Ugas

Co-authored with Cindy Kohtala. Published in the Sustainability in Design: NOW! Conference proceedings, Greenleaf Publishing, ISBN 978-1-906093-54-9

Despite advances in design-for-sustainability research and education, it is not always evident that design practice is... more Despite advances in design-for-sustainability research and education, it is not always evident that design practice is willing or able to integrate sustainability goals and principles into design business strategies, nor to engage in wider systems thinking beyond the agency–client relationship. With the aid of a small survey conducted in Finland, this study explores the knowledge and competence challenges and opportunities in driving a design-for-sustainability competitive edge in local commercial design practice, especially when supported by a robust framework such as the Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development (FSSD). One preliminary finding suggests there is a notable gap between those designers that choose to operate socially/economically sustainably and those environmentally/economically sustainably. Considering design as a way to interact between human society and the ecosystem, not only the user and the product/service system, would give design practitioners a stronger footing as business globally moves more towards a people-planet-profit model of operating.

Mind the Gap III. Food for thought – cross continental, cross institutional, cross cultural and cross disciplinary online teaching and learning collaboration

by Noemi Sadowska

Co-authored with Griffith, S. J.

A paper presented at the 9th International Conference of the European Academy of Design: The Endless End 4-7 May 2011, Porto, Portugal

Mind the Gap is an ongoing learning and teaching collaboration between design students based in Sydney, Australia and... more Mind the Gap is an ongoing learning and teaching collaboration between design students based in Sydney, Australia and business students based in London, UK. The collaboration stemmed from a meeting of two academics, both teaching in the areas of design management and sustainability. One out of an Australian university design school and the other out of a UK based business school. They decided to extend and enrich their students’ learning experience through an interactive online forum where students could discuss common topics relating to their respective courses.

In the first iteration (Autumn 2008) the main challenge was to get the students to discuss issues across the cohorts rather than in parallel. The second iteration (Autumn 2009) built on the experiences of the first with the goal of the discussion informing project outcomes. The third iteration (Autumn 2010) has developed a more complex approach generating discussions that culminated in the identification of opportunities for design for social innovation. This interaction comprised of (1) a discussion between the cohorts on general issues of sustainability, pleasure, and urban food supply; (2) identification of possible design projects and the generation of a brief for the UK students by the Australian students; (3) a proposal being formed by the UK students to enact the brief.

This paper discusses the teaching and learning insights and outcomes of the third Mind the Gap collaboration (Autumn 2010) and outlines recommendations for the fourth. The data and accompanying analysis stems from student interaction observations, interviews with students and lecturing staff, project outcomes and comparative reflection based on the ongoing nature of this endeavor. The paper concludes with a recognition as to how much this ongoing collaboration reflects changing norms in design education to include interactive shared learning, open source knowledge, and social media in order to find the in-between space in which creativity often thrives.

SUSTAINABILITY AND INDUSTRIAL DESIGN EDUCATION: THE CASE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF INDUSTRIAL DESIGN AT METU, TURKEY

by Senem Turhan (Tural)

Knowledge and Skill Chains in Engineering and Manufacturing: Information Infrastructure in the Era of Global Communications (IFIP International Federation for …

by Jan Goossenaerts

Knowledge and Skill Chains In Engineering and Manufacturing

by Jan Goossenaerts

Defining and Applying Sustainability: Connecting Sociocultural, Economic and Biological Concepts

by Patricia Clay

co-authored with Julia Olson.

Interdisciplinary industrial ecology education: recommendations for an inclusive pedagogical model

by Archana Sharma

Industrial ecology education is being developed and delivered predominantly within the domains of engineering and... more Industrial ecology education is being developed and delivered predominantly within the domains of engineering and management. Such an approach could prove somewhat limiting to the broader goal developing the industrial ecology as an integrated knowledge base inclusive of diverse disciplines in contributing to sustainable development. This paper hypothesizes that industrial ecology could be optimally delivered across broader disciplines if it were to be delivered as a supplemental knowledge among disciplines that engage with sustainable development education. Based on this hypothesis, a pedagogical experiment is devised and presented here. The paper is descriptive, reflective and exploratory in approach; the challenges embedded in interdisciplinary delivery of industrial ecology knowledge towards the aim of sustainable development are projected and addressed through recommendations on an inclusive pedagogical model. The intention is binary of contributing towards advancement of industrial ecology as an integrated body of knowledge, and, of introducing the concept of industrial ecology to the discipline of landscape architecture.