Looking at decorations and furniture for my apartment for next year is so exciting! I absolutely love walking around craft stores or antique malls looking for my next biggest find. After going to class and learning about biophilia and how to incorporate it into design, I knew that I was going to revolve my décor choices around that. Having plants in my room and finding art pieces that use “local geography” are just a few of the things I plan to do. Having visual connection with nature, having plants in my room or keeping the blinds open on the window, can help me focus and become more mindful. Having that peaceful atmosphere where I can feel connected to nature can help my meditation and journey to sustainability. Incorporating biophilic designs, can help me think about my impact on nature and my carbon footprint. If I feel more connected to nature in my own room, who’s to say I won’t feel that same way when I am out shopping or driving? Constantly thinking about my environmental impact and carbon footprint can help improve my intergenerational relationship thinking. 

Another thing I plan on doing for my apartment, is going to a thrift store or even an antique shop to look for furniture. Looking for used pieces that have their wear and tear is very relaxing, but also eye opening. There is so much potential behind every piece that I may find. Just like Leyla Acaroglu stated in her TED talk, we need to design for disassembly. I should not have to go buy a new chair from Target or Ikea, when I could simply take an old dresser that I want to get rid of and turn it in to a chair. Taking apart a piece of furniture and creating something with a new purpose that also looks highly fashionable, should be the norm. Do you realize how much waste we could eliminate if everyone reused their own furniture? Leyla also taught us that landfills produce a lot of methane because they are so tight and compact; but if we design for disassembly we can reduce waste and reduce the amount of waste that goes to landfills. By creating a seating (and storage) area out of an old dresser, I am reducing my carbon footprint and becoming more mindful of my impact on mother nature.             

After learning about my carbon footprint, I have been very conscious of my actions. Do I need to drive to Walmart, or can I walk? Should I throw away this old t-shirt, or should I turn it into a unique pillow? I think about the energy that I am using every day, including the amount of water I use when I shower or the number of things I have plugged in. Energy consumption is ruining our atmosphere, and I have no intention of contributing more than necessary. By researching my topic for my investigative report, I learned how big of an issue energy consumption in buildings really is. There are many solutions that are being proposed by governments all around the world, but some of them are aiming too high. And just like it was stated in this week’s reading, many solutions will be costly, both for the government and for home owners. But, if you include biophilic design into the architecture of the building, then the cost will pay itself off by lowering utility costs, and improving air quality and production.