Title: Investigate how sustainability affects interior environments.
Course: Introduction to Interior Design (19263-36) > Section: Investigating Influences on Interior Design

Investigation may include

- the materials used in interior environments
- current environmental concerns, such as air quality, water quality, soil and forest preservation, and energy conservation
- the ways that environmental concerns affect interior design and construction of residential and commercial buildings, including trends in the use of sustainable design
- various interior environmental hazards, such as mold, mildew, lead paint, radon, asbestos, and formaldehyde, and the health effects of each on the individual.

Process/Skill Questions:

Thinking

- How should environmental concerns affect interior design and construction decisions?
- What are environmental hazards?
- What are sustainable design concepts?

Communication

- What are the best ways to communicate the reasons for using sustainable design?
- How could an interior design professional communicate the importance and benefits of employing sustainable design concepts to a client when doing so would add to the cost of a project?

Leadership

- What are goals for creating sustainable designs of interior environments?
- What should be done to inspire in others a clear vision of the importance of sustainable design of interior environments?

Management

- How can one learn about the latest trends in sustainable design?
- What strategies can be used to plan a sustainable design of an interior environment?

Teacher Resources:

- U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)
- International Well-Building Institute (IWBI)