The American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) remains dedicated to prioritizing and promoting sustainable approaches in the design industry. ASID is proud to collaborate with the Chemical Insights Research Institute (CIRI) to explore the health and safety impacts of environmental factors like extreme heat and wildfires on the built environment. The report, “Impact of Design Brief: Climate Impacts on Building Resilience & Human Health,” provides interior designers and industry leaders with a resource to help them when working on projects in areas of greater risk from extreme heat.
The interior design community can improve outcomes with such measures by implementing:
- Use an integrative design process: Early in the design process, bring the owner, design team, subject matter experts, contractors, and other key stakeholders together to establish goals, set priorities, and identify occupant risks.
- Proactively evaluate potential impacts: Prioritize the materials, finishes and furnishings that minimize risks to human health to reduce indoor pollution and achieve better resiliency.
- Convey strategies and assess outcomes: Communicate to ensure alignment, engage stakeholders and demonstrate results for greater transparency and trust.
The collaborative report by ASID and CIRI, “Impact of Design Brief: Climate Impacts on Building Resilience & Human Health,” analyzes the effects of environmental issues on building materials and the resulting human health risks. Increases in extreme weather events, such as wildfires, and everyday temperatures have changed the way materials behave and created new challenges for designers. In addition, climate-related disasters and everyday weather affect the built environment through increased exposure to chemicals and particles. By raising awareness and expanding the terminology surrounding indoor air pollution and building resiliency, the report encourages the interior design community to prioritize risk reduction from climate-related impacts.
If you’re interested in accessing ASID and CIRI’s report you can download it here. To learn more about how interior designers, of all sectors, can support healthier spaces and help diminish wildfire health risks, visit the Clear the Air: Wildfires and Human Health website.