Using recycled materials in interior design

Real Estate Weekly, Sept 21, 1994 by Randy Gemer, Marsha Keskinen

It's politically correct to be "environmentally conscious." Without exception, most of us are concerned about protecting the environment. Municipalities have successfully implemented recycling programs for paper and bottles from homes and businesses. How concerned is business? Are business interiors being designed to use recycled materials?

At KPF Interior Architects, which specializes in the planning, design and adaptive re-use of interiors through all phases of production, construction and move-in, a number of clients have asked that we consider incorporating recycled materials.

In a recent project in New York City, KPFIA used a combination of materials, both natural and recycled, to create an environmentally sound environment. The juxtaposition of old with new creates a surprising tension.

The reality of working in New York City intruded, and a number of original ideas were abandoned due to high costs, manufacturing and/or delivery schedules, or research that deemed them too risky, but the end result achieved some breakthroughs. As Dr. Asher Derman, an environmental consultant we retained, advises: "One should never be ashamed of what was not accomplished, but be proud of what was achieved."

The client purchased five floors in a new office condominium with floor to ceiling windows and unobstructed views on all four sides. More than fifteen sites were analyzed before the selection was made. In the layout KPFIA designed, glass clerestories and office partitions were utilized throughout. We recommended the use of glass partitions to take advantage of available, natural light. This allows for long-term energy savings as less artificial lighting had to be installed. Most offices do not require overhead fixtures. The building provided ceilinghung heating units. At our suggestion they were replaced with slim Swedishengineered baseboard units which are quieter and more energy efficient.

A design feature, using recycled material, are striking doors made of recycled copper set in wood frames. Each office has a five-foot wide sliding wood barn door. The door has cherry wood stiles and rails with infill panels of pressed and seamed copper panels salvaged from local junkyards. Each panel, inside and outside of the office, is unique. Accumulating these panels was not an easy task, as anyone familiar with the garbage business can imagine! Scrap metal was found, purchased, flattened, sorted and reformed. The main reception desk is also surfaced in seamed copper scraps. KPFIA chose American cherry wood because it is plentiful, domestically farmed, and is striking alongside the client's existing teak and walnut furniture.

Another junkyard find was a well-painted copper cable which we thought would look superb as a horizontal-stair railing element between floors. On investigation, this copper cable was too rare and therefore expensive, and not taut enough to be acceptable. Instead, we used galvanized aluminum.

For carpeting, KPFIA specified sisal, which is made of coconut husks. Research, however, indicated that sisal carpet would not be appropriate for general office use because of its construction, maintenance and cost. Wool carpeting dyed to match the color of sisal was used as a substitute. In the pantries and storage areas, linoleum was installed. This provides a totally natural floor covering made of linseed oil and gum on a burlap backing. We have used linoleum to replace VCT (vinyl composition tile) in other KPFIA projects as well.

In the course of this project, a few disappointments occurred. Our plan to use recycled hollow metal doors and hardware proved impossible to implement because the only supplier in our area closed down. Our client discovered that it had some Saarinen side chairs, Knoll lounges and 1950s style teak desks and bookcases that we had hoped to re-use, recognizing both the economic and emotional value of these classic pieces. Unfortunately, we could not get enough support from furniture system manufacturers in terms of refurbishing guarantees and cost incentives to reuse this furniture.

In the end, there were no hard cost savings realized for taking this path. Rather, there were operational cost savings in that energy consumption for the company has been considerably reduced. Secondly, a less tangible but longer term savings comes from the increased productivity and decreased absenteeism as a benefit of the staff's better working conditions vis-a-vis cleaner air, ample natural light and less toxic off-gassing of interior furnishings.

Logically, there should be a cost savings for re-using materials. Interior designers, we are convinced, will in the future have an easier time obtaining and refurbishing previously-owned materials. If the real estate, design and construction communities work together to encourage the economics of these ventures, demand will undoubtedly create a competitive marketplace.