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In the studio with Ab Rogers Design
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The Many Facets of Sustainable Design
Architect Ernesto Bartolini and interior designer Alexander Phan consider how to design and build for a brighter future without compromising on visual or physical comfort.
Where once the term sustainability may have been employed as little more than a buzzword, today it is, by necessity, the central tenet of all good design. Sustainable design encompasses many things, from circular systems of production to the preservation of energy and the reduction of waste, but in simple terms, to quote architect Jason F. McLennan, its goal is to “eliminate negative environmental impact completely through skilful, sensitive design.” This requires a high degree of responsibility, collaboration, innovation and, in many instances, funding to accomplish, and is an undeniably daunting task. But for architect Ernesto Bartolini, a director of Ab Rogers Design and a leading member of the Meanwhile design team, it is also an exciting challenge.
“As architects and designers, we need to think differently,” he says. “We need to contribute to making our cities and our planet a better place – and right now we have a great opportunity to do so.” Previously, environmental awareness was viewed as an ideal, he explains, but nowadays it is increasingly deemed a requirement. “Before, the push for sustainability was coming from the bottom, from visionaries taking their own steps towards change. Now, it's coming from the top, too, from the investment side, and we are in the middle. We need to deliver it.”
So how does one set about that task? “First, we need to be positive, because the potential is incredible. We are going to reinvent everything!” Bartolini enthuses. “Of course, we have to keep our feet on the ground to stick within budgets, but we must always be thinking forward.” This requires paying attention to every single design detail, he stresses, as well as contemplating the ways in which users live within their spaces, prioritising their wellbeing and that of the planet simultaneously.
Unsurprisingly, high among the list of priorities in both instances is selecting the most suitable materials – ones that are not only responsibly sourced and produced, with a circular lifespan, but which also look good and will continue to do so for years to come. “When it comes to choosing materials for our spaces, we want to deliver a product that is aspirational, that people will love and feel at home in,” says Bartolini. “But we also want it to stand the test of time and to cater to this moment of cultural change where aesthetic values are also evolving.”
"We're constantly trying new solutions, and thinking from all angles."
How to find items that reflect who you are
When it comes to identifying pieces you’ll truly cherish, Phan says, it’s important to follow your instinct. “Objects and books are always an extension of yourself and your personality so if you’re particularly drawn to a piece, don’t hold back on it’,” he enthuses, adding that “even the most horrific-looking thing on your shelf can make for a good conversation starter!” This doesn’t mean making a rushed purchase, however – “things bought on impulse generally don’t stick around,” he observes. Instead, it’s about taking time to reflect on what you feel attracted to and why, be that an object’s backstory, its appearance or its associations (Phan himself collects and frames postcards from every trip he goes on). And once you’ve chosen your selection of shelf ornaments, commit to them: “Your space is your space!” Phan stresses. “Pick out the things that you love, bearing in mind that you can mix in something a little more neutral to offset the bolder objects.”
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A material that plays a particularly important role in Meanwhile designs is timber. “It's a natural material that brings warmth and tactility to a space,” the architect expands. “On top of that, it's a renewable source – all these studies have been done on forests and how we grow trees that have allowed us to regenerate timber – and it can be reused or disposed of without creating too much pollution.” It is also a material that ages well rather than appearing scratched or damaged. “Users are at the centre of everything we do. We want them to really engage with our buildings, and for the impact they leave to have a nice effect, to form a memory.”
It is for this reason, too, that Meanwhile’s interior schemes include a number of vintage and antique pieces. “These designs have been around for decades or perhaps even centuries, and if they’ve lasted all those years already, you know they’ve got so much more life within them,” says Alexander Phan, Meanwhile mainstay and interior designer at Nicola Harding & Co., a practice renowned for its atmospheric and homely merging of old and new. “This also lends a timelessness to an interior, which means you can’t date it. I think with new builds, particularly everything tends to look brand new and pristine. It gives off a flat-pack look and feel, which soon becomes outdated. Plus, if everything’s made of the same type of timber, say, it’s hard to replace anything down the line without it looking incohesive.” Often, Phan continues, the Nicola Harding & Co. team will breathe new life into vintage pieces by adapting them to meet the needs of the space. “In the director’s office at Meanwhile, there’s a very lovely 1930s French Art Deco sideboard that we’ve modified to include a little fridge for drinks,” he says with a smile.
Of course, material innovations are also vital in the quest for sustainability, and happily, this is an industry that’s rapidly growing. “We are lucky that every three months, more or less, we have new materials to play with. And every time they're more sustainable, there’s more choice, and the backstory is more interesting,” says Bartolini. “Whenever we meet a representative of a material or fabric, they immediately highlight not just its aesthetic qualities but also its cycle, where it comes from—the bamboo forest in China, for instance—the people that harvest it, what their rights are. The value of the material goes beyond how it looks and feels; there’s a much nicer and more important narrative behind every choice we make now.”
In this vein, Meanwhile is always looking to work with pioneering craftspeople with inspiring brand models. The team recently enlisted Goldfinger, a London furniture maker that crafts elegant furnishings from reclaimed and sustainable materials, to create a series of bespoke desks, as well as joining forces with Shame Studios, purveyors of exquisite rugs woven in Nepal and Morocco from recycled PET. “It’s plastic bottle yarn, essentially,” explains Phan. “We collaborated with them on special rug designs for Scape. Their rugs are much more low-maintenance than wool rugs, easier to clean, harder to stain, and just as durable, but they look, feel and behave just like wool ones.”
Using alternatives that look just as good as fine-quality fabrics like organic cottons and linens, which Phan notes often aren’t particularly enduring and frequently end up in landfill, is paramount. “There’s a Danish fabric house called Kvadrat, who we work with on everything from curtains to upholstery, and they’ve been focused on sustainability for decades now,” he says. “They make such durable, high-performing fabrics that incorporate the look and feel of wools and cottons, so you think, ‘Oh my god, that must be 100% linen,’ when in fact it’s 90% plastic, 10% linen. The technology is phenomenal!”
Technological advancements are, in general, vital to the success and comfort of Meanwhile spaces, as well as to their sustainability. “Every Scape room is fitted with a special device that takes air from outside and filters it without wasting energy, allowing good air quality for every resident,” says Bartolini. Meanwhile also relies on energy-saving LED light bulbs to minimise its environmental impact. “On top of ensuring plenty of natural light, we only use LED lights, which are amazing because they can produce warm or cold light and don’t produce heat,” the architect explains. “And we always try to have dimmable light so people can decide what lighting level they want at any time of day. Flexibility is extremely important so that our spaces can accommodate the needs of all kinds of different users, which also ensures longevity.”
Equally, experimentation and a quest for constant improvement are at the heart of every Meanwhile endeavour. “We're constantly trying new solutions, and thinking from all angles,” says Bartolini. “For example, we try to design in ways that encourage people to use less water or to recycle more of their waste by making it easier. It's an integral strategy that our buildings are trying to put together.” One of the team’s latest quests, meanwhile, is their most experimental yet: their very first passive house design in east London’s Blackhorse Lane. “A passive house building is one that uses very little energy to heat and cool,” Bartolini explains. “It posed a lot of challenges, we had to rethink the mechanics of everything, but it’s very exciting because we believe we can give people a building that consumes less energy, creates less pollution, and will cost less to live in, ultimately. These kinds of buildings will make a positive contribution to our future cities, and that’s what we should be striving for.”
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