Interface hosts climate conscious event for architects and designers
In response to UK Parliament, Architects’ Declare and RIBA announcing a climate emergency, Interface® brought architectural professionals together with an environmentally conscious evening event to discuss the industry’s response – and the need to turn pledges into action.
Interface's recent ‘Climate Dine With Me’ dinner
The ‘Climate Dine With Me’ evening, which featured a range of expert presentations from the scientific and built environment communities, was held at the prestigious Garden Museum in Lambeth – a converted church full of greenery in the heart of London. The speakers included presentations from: British Antarctic Survey Climate Scientist, Ella Gilbert; Hattie Hartman, Sustainability Editor at The Architect’s Journal; Maria Smith, from architectural and engineering firm, Webb Yates; and Jon Khoo, Regional Sustainability Manager at Interface.
In the Garden Museum’s historic Clore Learning Space, speakers and guests discussed the urgency of climate action required and the different methods A&D practitioners could adopt to be more sustainable such as applying circular economy principles. Each presentation offered a unique perspective of the climate crisis, and how the industry can actively address the challenge.
Following the talks, the event featured a three-course carbon neutral meal by Suzanne James – an award winning and sustainable catering company which implements a ‘Reduce, Reuse, Recycle’ philosophy at all stages of food preparation. The meal contained the first chickpeas commercially grown in the UK. Co-collaborator, Alexie Sommer, who supported Interface to conceive, design and curate the evening introduced the dinner by encouraging the guests to invest in design’s ability to realise positive visions of the future.
Interface’s Jon Khoo said: “The prospect of climate change is incredibly daunting, but it does provide individuals and companies with an invaluable opportunity to come together and act in a more positive way. At Interface, we are always looking for new, innovative approaches where we can boost collaboration in our network and provide some climate optimism. This event, for example, was created to bring leading minds together, so we can all benefit from greater knowledge sharing and learn from experts who are truly helping make a positive difference in the fight for a more sustainable future.”
Climate Scientist Ella Gilbert added: “Climate change presents us with an opportunity: if we think creatively and work together, we can find solutions to the current crisis and create a better world while we’re at it. The design community is great at out-of-the-box thinking, so has huge potential to have a positive influence.”
In 2019, Interface announced the success of its Mission Zero® pledge, ahead of its original 2020 target. Based on 25 years of effort and commitment in pursuit of sustainability, the commercial flooring company provided a roadmap for other companies to follow in its recently released “Lessons for the Future” report.
To find out more about the report, as well as further information on Interface’s Climate Take Back Mission, click here
See highlights from the evening below:
