Intro to Sustainability

Hey everyone! I’m so excited to leap into this blog and begin focusing on my field of study for the next few years as I construct a foundation for the rest of my career. While I’ve always been interested in environmental science and the arts, it was only recently that I saw the opportunity to combine the two. Ask anyone and they’ll tell you my life has been fairly art-centric since a young age. But I’ve also always held a strong respect for our earth and those among it. To me, environmentally sustainable interior design is a junction for me to find solutions to anthropogenic pressures while incorporating my passion to create beautiful works of art. While I’m still learning about the industry, I plan to share my experiences and knowledge of sustainability through this blog. Above all, I hope you will enjoy reading posts as much as I love writing them, and maybe even change your perspective on a few things along the way.

What is sustainability?

The most common misunderstanding when explaining my concentration to others is the general association of sustainability and “green” design. The clearest explanation I’ve found comes from an article on science direct which states that,

“Green design refers to a focus on people issues – their health, safety and welfare; whilst sustainable design encompasses a more global approach – the health, safety and welfare of the planet, so that it is possible for this generation to meet their needs without jeopardising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

Therefore, sustainability is a holistic study on the relationship between humans, the earth, and its capacity to thrive while supporting the evolution of beings. Applying this concept to interiors- an ideal design strives to minimize negative effects on both sides.

Behind the Blog

So how does the name Hello Honeycomb fit into a sustainable interiors blog? While there is the obvious connection between the hive and the beloved SCAD bee, it goes a little deeper. As you know, beeswax is a natural substance created by a combination of a special gland of a bee and their saliva. While sustainable design has an obvious interest in natural materials, it also specializes in functionality. Most often, just one item must perform multiple tasks in order to increase the benefits from a single object. Not only do cells act as a storage for honey and larva, but it also acts as a medium of communication for bees. Lastly, interiors must make an effective use of a limited space to reduce waste. The formation of the hive is comprised of hexagonal shapes of varying sizes for different needs. These cells fit together perfectly, making it quite compact. While I’m not saying we should all live in human hives- if every designer applied the same amount of consideration as the honeybee, we’d be living on a much better planet.

Until next time,

Victoria Wulf

Love the featured image? Check out this completely self-sustaining home on decoist >