Sustainability Spotlight
In our recent blog, ‘What Does the Future Student Bedroom Look Like?’, we touched on the increasing focus on sustainability within student accommodation design. This has become more prevalent, especially to Gen Z students when considering their accommodation, not only because they are conscious of reducing environmental impact, but also as it can play a part in improving their wellbeing. Successful designs of both living and communal spaces can help to promote physical activity, social interaction, and improve mental wellness, which all add up to creating healthier living environments. The use of sustainable products within these spaces can further instil a sense of responsibility towards the planet and empower students to make a positive impact on the environment - enhancing their own wellbeing.
As well as the core construction of the building meeting essential sustainability criteria, we as interior designers are responsible for selecting the best possible products that are manufactured embracing sustainable practices. As we said - there are so many suppliers out there, creating some amazing and innovative materials - you just have to know where to look! So, today we thought we would spotlight three of the latest innovations we have specified recently as these all have a really interesting story to tell.
Our first sustainable product is from a company called Vepa, who we luckily had a chance encounter with at Clerkenwell this year - we arrived at their showroom via Rickshaw, but that’s a story for another day!
Vepa are a forward-thinking, innovative company focused on circular design and have a fantastic range of products. We recently included some of their seating into one of our designs because of its unique sustainability story and affordability, which is amazing! We are always on the lookout for new chairs, especially ones that can be used in multiple settings as this helps to increase the flexibility of a space.
Not only does this chair look and feel good, but it also sits well within many design styles with its natural, matt brown finish, and it can be fully recycled after its life. In fact, it can be shredded and remade into a chair again without having to add any chemicals – very clever! It is made from the residual waste of fibres from hemp processing, which is used as raw material to make the seat shell of the chair and is clearly a very sustainable option. Vepa say,
‘The advantages of hemp are that it grows without artificial fertilizer or pesticides, hardly requires any water and is grown in the Netherlands. In addition, hemp is super strong and absorbs CO2. Resulting in a negative CO2 footprint to produce the chair. Therefore, more CO2 is absorbed than is emitted.’
Vepa’s range of products are definitely worth a look and a read – each has a unique manufacturing story including using recycling PET bottles, bluewrap (wrappers for keeping medical instruments sterile) and Amsterdam canal plastic.
Our second product for this spotlight feature is Toby by Vescom.
Vescom Toby fabric in situ
So many of our student accommodation projects have amenity spaces on the ground floor. Often these are large open plan spaces flanked with windows looking out onto a courtyard space (or not so ideally) a busy road/built up area. Finding window treatments to create privacy, whilst still letting in light, can be achieved with window manifestations or blinds – but sometimes this can give a contract feel to the room. With the ever-increasing developments in the interior design of student accommodation following in the footsteps of co-living and hospitality aesthetics, an alternative approach is required to soften the edges and create a higher end, more design led atmosphere. This is where sheer curtains come in!
Toby by Vescom is available in a range of subtle colours and is a beautiful, transparent sheer curtain fabric, which has a crafted texture with its incorporated bouclé yarn. This is an almost 100% recycled product spun from recycled PET bottles. Vescom explains,
‘Sustainable in manufacture and material, Toby is woven in Vescom’s 100% CO2-neutral weaving mill and incorporates almost 100% recycled polyester FR bouclé yarn. The yarn is made from post-consumer PET bottles, which are melted and granulated, transformed into a fluffy fibre and, finally, spun into yarn – akin to the process of spinning wool fibres into yarn.’
Again, a great sustainability story! This fabric is amazingly soft and tactile – which works perfectly to create privacy, whilst letting in light and adding a depth of interest to any communal space, whilst fulfilling the demands of a contract fabric with its flame retardancy and durability. Vescom also manufacture upholstery fabrics and wallcoverings which are recyclable, made from recycled products and are beautiful! You can check them out here:
Design @nelsonandlong ft Vescom Toby sheers
Our third and final product is Forbo Marmoleum;
It is really exciting and inspiring as designers, when you find a new flooring product which looks great, is durable and has an incredible sustainability rating. Student bedrooms can often look formulaic in the fundamentals of their design - especially when it comes to flooring. So often, a wood effect LVT is seen as standard – nothing wrong with this at all as there has been so many amazing developments in the texture, colour and acoustic properties of these products that they can work incredibly well, both aesthetically and practically.
Marmoleum from Forbo is a range that has most definitely caught our eye. Boasting Marmoleum’s sustainability credentials – made from 97% natural raw materials and climate positive cradle to grave. This essentially means that the volume of CO2 absorbed by the raw materials used to create linoleum as the plants, trees and crops are grown exceeds the amount of CO2 that is emitted while making the product – and it is fully recyclable to boot - which is incredible! You can read more about it here:
Marmoleum - Tailor made pattern
The new cocoa range has an added waste product from another industry – Forbo say;
‘By using a waste product from another industry, we are collaborating to reduce waste, improve recycling and contribute to a better environment. By adding Cocoa shells to the traditional Marmoleum ingredients we have created an innovation in construction and aesthetics. The result is a new and exciting surface texture that is both natural looking and contemporary in feel.’
The colourways are muted and natural too, which provide a perfect backdrop to a calming space and provide a great alternative to a wood effect, which can sometimes be tricky to match up with other finishes.
We are constantly researching sustainable solutions in furniture and finishes here at N+L, we will have more to share soon as it is a subject we are passionate about! We believe the future of student accommodation lies in creating amazing, happy spaces that foster communities and provide transformative living experiences. Prioritising eco-friendly practices and wellbeing for the next generation of students makes our job so rewarding!
N+LX