#01

image source: www.flickr.com

march
chow:hill sustainability quarterly 2010

ee
updates
out there
projects + people
connections
community
small steps
resources
 image source: LeRamwz www.flickr.com

transformation of our environments in

We take responsibility for leading the
interiors

the pursuit of a sustainable future

This issue has a focus on interiors.

pdate ‘The essence of interior design will always be about people and how they live. It is
about the realities of what makes for an attractive, civilized, meaningful environment,
not about fashion or what’s in or what’s out. This is not an easy job.’ Albert Hadley,
The Story of America’s Preeminent Interior Designer

‘ Always design a thing by considering it in its next larger context - a chair in a room,
a room in a house, a house in an environment, an environment in a city plan.’ Eliel
Saarinene.

company responsibility
Our team now has somewhere in the order of 80% of the content prepared for our
CSR (Company Sustainability Report) and have received from HUSK (our graphic
designers) the first draft of the layout and graphic design of the document. The draft
is in review phase as we continue to gather remaining performance data across
our business, gather stakeholder opinion and write further commentary. Our next
milestone is the ‘ 90% ‘ issue at the beginning of May ahead of completion and
presentation of the report to our staff and issue to stakeholders at the end of May.

To find out more see Maurice

masterspec
Our Chow:Hill-specific Environmentally Sustainable Design (ESD)
Specifications and Guideline are nearing the end of their preparation phase
and are programmed to be launched in late May. The development of these
specifications reflects Chow:Hill’s desire to develop project outcomes at a
level of sustainability above the industry norm and to position ourselves at
the forefront of environmentally sustainable design practice.

To find out more see Maurice

ut there
image source: tochis www.flickr.com

Berlin Factory Renovated Into

Stunning Recyclable Live/
Work Space
The Palomar5 “Camp” is an incredible project that brought 30 thinkers
under the age of 30 from 30 different disciplines together for six weeks to
foster innovation outside of the corporate world. To enhance their idea,
Palomar5 called on the innovative minds at 45 Kilo and the ZWEIDREI
group to design a completely green live/work space for the event. The
environment was constructed inside an old empty factory building in
South Berlin. It fostered creativity for six weeks and then was broken
down and completely recycled.

Source: http://www.inhabitat.com/2010/01/28/berlin-factory-renovated-into-stunning-
recyclable-livework-space/

Flat Pack Prefabs

Could Provide Relief
in Haiti
by Ariel Schwartz, 01/29/10

‘The tragic earthquake in Haiti has provoked a number

of architects to think about how they can help with
disaster relief. One recent example we looked at was
the SEED project, which uses shipping containers as
temporary housing. Now architect Andres Duany has
designed a fireproof, waterproof, and moldproof flat-
pack temporary house that could easily be shipped to
the ailing country.’

Source: http://www.inhabitat.com/2010/01/29/flat-pack-prefabs-could-
provide-relief-in-haiti/
rojects & people
image source: Claudelands site photo Stuart Mackie

claudelands interiors
Initial concepts were derived from people, stories, culture and land associated
with the site and its surrounds. In particular, Te Papa Nui (Flat Land), also
known as Jubilee Bush, was identified as a rich source of inspiration. Interior
architecture’s mission was, first and foremost, to bring the outdoors in.

The project technically isn’t targeting a Green star rating but the design team,
including interior architecture, has taken a sustainable approach.

Within the prevailing economic conditions during the documentation stage

the biggest challenge was translation of the concept into the simplest details
and achieve practical solutions within a reasonable budget. This included
consideration of the end-user’s future operations and maintenance. Part of our
goal is to disprove the myth that sustainability carries a hefty price tag.

Eco-friendly products and materials play a major role in the selection of finishes.
A number of the products specified carry the Environmental Choice NZ certificate
providing the end user with the very best in environmental accreditation.

Low-VOC (volatile organic compounds) paint, carpet tiles with 100% PVC free
backing and made of recyclable contents, linoleum homogenous floor covering
and even ceiling tiles with low and no added VOC. braemar
In the end, one can say a little effort towards sustainability makes a big interiors
difference.
Vibrant colour focuses on fun in the
Source: Frances Montero Family Lounge. Storage for kids toys
and books was created in a ‘city wall’
of coloured building shapes, with
door and window cubbyholes and
coloured cubes set into the adjacent
wall. These colours are picked up in
the carpet tiles, curtains and furniture
in the seating area of the lounge
where the adults can relax.

Source: Fiona Buchanan

 resene
Resene believes it has identified the secret ingredient that will allow
it to produce the world’s first sustainable paint.

onnection In August the paint-maker was the inaugural winner of What’s Your
Problem New Zealand? a competition set up by the Crown Research
Institute Industrial Research.

The prize was $1 million of research, and Resene has wasted no time
in getting its project under way to develop a waterborne paint that is
based on resins made up of 80 per cent sustainable ingredients.
targetti
New Green Generation
The company will only say that the ingredient will be non-cropping (it Program! A new eco-
won’t compete with food crops for space) and is likely to come from sustainable lighting
existing industrial waste streams. products range which
enriches and completes the
Although there was a great emphasis on renewables here in New family of the Targetti CCT
Zealand, overseas the paint was likely to be a niche product, the FLASH recessed fixtures.
team said. But with around nine billion litres of interior paint sold
worldwide each year, even 5 per cent of the market would be a Its packaging is 100%
envirospec significant volume. recycled and recyclable
and even the brochures
EnviroSpec is an advanced The sustainable paints currently available were about twice the price presenting the products are
consultancy that specialises of ordinary paint, and the Resene project was aiming to sell its new certified by the mark FSC,
in environmental specification product at about 80 per cent of that price point - and offer a better which identifies products
markets and certification product. containing wood coming
programmes. It is fast becoming from forests properly and
New Zealand’s leading Source: We have secret to sustainable paint – Resene by Maria Slade responsibly managed,
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10620914
organisation when looking according to strict
for eco-friendly products and environmental, social and
services or when looking for economic standards.
the tools and guidance that will
make your Green Star NZ project Source: http://www.targetti-
poulsen.com/news_archive_dett.
run smoothly. php?nId=0000000040
image source: Top Tech Writer US www.flickr.com

We are currently working

with EnviroSpec to update
our Masterspec technical
specification. For more
information contact Maurice.

Source: http://www.envirospec.co.nz
 intersections
ommunit Auckland office recently hosted
a very successful function with
co-hosts The Poi Room and
SEED Gallery - sharing a diverse
mix of clients and taking the
opportunity to exhibit the best of
each of our recent creative works
in the field of art and design.

The event had at it’s theme the

sustaining of local business
and, particularly for each of us,
businesses actively engaged in
design and creativity.

show us your city

It may be provocative to suggest Auckland is more ‘urban’
or has better stories to tell than Hamilton and Tauranga
but this appeared to be the case in our recent competition
where the finalists - and winner Frances Montero - all came
from the our Auckand office.

We thought it a great concept and will be looking at future

opportunities of a similar nature. For those interested, the
prize included a harbour cruise, zoo tickets, movie tickets
image source: blmurch www.flickr.com

and coffee vouchers. A sample of Frances’ entry is shown

on this page.
 image source: Cameron Cassan www.flickr.com
mall step
drought
‘Rodney, Papakura, Manukau and the Waikato have all joined Northland
as official drought zones while Otago is being closely watched and
Nelson has imposed water restrictions.
Agriculture minister David Carter declared the areas as medium-level
drought zones on Thursday which now triggers government relief
measures.’
Source: Published: 6:06AM Friday April 09, 2010. Newstalk ZB
Ta k e - A w a y S i n k
Offering the possibility of bringing water for
cleaning vegetables to watering the plants,
without the need of an extra bucket, this cool
sink by German designer Jessica Nebel is a
flexible device that encourages reusage of
http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/official-drought-area-increased-3453850 water. Being light-weight it can be easily taken
from one place to another. The Take-Away
sink also helps you carry your laundry to the
washing line/clothes horse after washing it by
hand without the need of an extra bucket.
conservation Source: Fiona
Dry conditions in the summer of 2007/08 saw Hamilton approach
the maximum levels of water it could source from the Waikato River.
Treating and reticulating these extremely high volumes of water is a
significant financial cost and ongoing use of these amounts is simply
not sustainable, therefore a total ban on domestic garden sprinklers was
introduced that summer to help reduce the city’s water consumption –
the first time in more than 20 years that such as measure was taken.
Here are some helpful hints for reducing water consumption indoors:
• Use your washing machine for full loads only. Each time you run
your washing machine, you use about 100-200 litres of water.
• Install water-saving shower heads or flow restrictions. Many shower
heads put out 20 litres of water a minute, while 10 litres is enough.
• Install or convert to a dual flush toilet. This allows you to use only
half the water when needed.
• If you have a water meter, carry out regular checks for leaks.
• Commercial properties: purchase urinal control valves. These can
save between 86% - 96% of previous annual water consumption.
Source: http://hamilton.co.nz/page/pageid/2145826979/Conservation
 design ecologies modular cardboard office
image source: Gregory Williams www.flickr.com

‘Design Ecologies is a groundbreaking Parisian designer Paul Coudamy designed this interior for an advertising agency
collection of never before - published made almost entirely out of 40mm thick honeycomb cardboard. All of the pieces are
essays and case studies by today’s most modular, so the office can be reconfigured as needed. An interesting feature is the
esource innovative ‘green’ designers. Their design
strategies—social, material, technological,
and biological—run the gamut from the
intuitive to the highly technological.’

‘Contemporary architects are under

increasing pressure to offer a sustainable
meeting box, a confessional sort of nook that offers easy privacy. This project had a
one month timeline and a limited budget.

Source: see Fiona

future. But with all the focus on green

building, there has been little investigation
into the meaningful connections between
architectural design, ecological systems,
and sustainability. ‘

... until now.

Source: Book - design ecologies

sustainable potentials in architecture
blostein,beth tilder,lisa kraft paper seating
Paper seating by Molo , based in Vancouver, Cananda. made entirely from kraft paper
to input, comment or with 50% recycled content. All elements utilise a flexible honeycomb structure to fan
debate please contact open into stools, benches and loungers.
the editorial team...
Bridgit, Maurice, or Source: see Fiona
Simone

websites
Check out the following interesting websites
provided by Frances

http://www.regreenprogram.org/

online platform to provide the information

you need to embark on your next remodeling
what sustainable gy
project; from green case study projects to
things have you been h n olo
an interactive tool that can identify just the

ec
up to or come across? tec

olo
right green application

gy
we'd love to hear
and or the kids in us: from you for the next
http://www.inhabitat.com/2009/10/30/ issue of seed...
incredible-lego-kitchen-renovation/ culture