Mastering Sustainable Restaurant Interior Design: A Guide to Creating Eco-Friendly Food & Beverage Spaces

sustainable restaurant interior concept (a.i. generated image by biofilico)

The Importance of Sustainable Restaurant Design

As consumers become increasingly eco-conscious, food and beverage businesses are under growing pressure to adopt sustainable practices. This shift resonates particularly with environmentally conscious diners, a growing segment that values nature-based, planet-friendly initiatives and fosters loyalty towards those establishments that prioritize sustainability.

Sustainable restaurant design plays a pivotal role in this movement, serving as a cornerstone for reducing the industry’s carbon impact and promoting eco-friendliness. This guide delves into the importance of sustainable design in food and beverage spaces, offering insights into materials, energy efficiency, and future trends.

Reducing Carbon Footprint and Environmental Impact

Restaurants, traditionally, have significant environmental impacts due to their high energy consumption, waste production, and resource use. Adopting sustainable design practices can drastically reduce these impacts and contribute to a more sustainable future for the industry.

1. Minimizing Carbon impact: Sustainable design starts with choosing materials and processes that minimize carbon emissions. This can include everything from sourcing local materials, which reduces transportation emissions, to incorporating energy-efficient appliances that cut down on energy use. Additionally, selecting materials free of harmful chemicals can further reduce environmental impact. By focusing on these elements, restaurants can significantly lower their carbon footprint, aligning with global efforts to combat climate change.

2. Waste Reduction: Designing spaces that prioritize waste reduction is crucial. This can be achieved through several strategies, such as incorporating reusable or recyclable materials, implementing waste sorting systems, and designing for durability to avoid frequent replacements. Restaurants can also reduce food waste by designing kitchens that support efficient storage and preparation processes.

3. Promoting Eco-Friendliness: Eco-friendly design goes beyond reducing direct impacts; it also involves creating spaces that inspire and facilitate sustainable behavior among staff and customers. This can include providing recycling stations, using compostable or biodegradable materials, and educating patrons about the restaurant’s sustainable practices.

4. Sustainability as a Key Term: In the restaurant industry, sustainability encompasses a broad range of practices aimed at reducing environmental impact, enhancing social responsibility, and promoting economic viability. It includes everything from energy and water efficiency to waste management, ethical sourcing, and community engagement. By integrating sustainability into the core of restaurant design, businesses can meet the growing demand for responsible dining options and set themselves apart in a competitive market.

Sustainable Materials in Interior Design

The choice of materials is a fundamental aspect of sustainable design in restaurants. Opting for locally-sourced and recycled materials not only supports environmental goals but also adds character and authenticity to restaurant spaces. An interior architect plays a crucial role in selecting these sustainable materials and integrating them into the design.

Locally-Sourced and Recycled Materials in interior design

1. Reducing Transportation Emissions: Using locally-sourced materials for furniture and finishes helps to minimize the carbon emissions associated with transportation. This practice supports local economies and reduces the environmental footprint of the design process. For example, sourcing stone, wood, or textiles from local suppliers cuts down on the energy needed to transport these goods over long distances.

2. Supporting Local Artisans and Businesses: Integrating locally-made furniture and decor fosters a sense of community and authenticity within the restaurant. It connects the establishment to its locale, providing a unique identity that resonates with customers. This approach not only reduces environmental impact but also enriches the dining experience by showcasing local craftsmanship and culture.

3. Recycled and Repurposed Materials: Incorporating recycled and repurposed materials is another effective way to enhance sustainability. Reclaimed wood, recycled metals, and upcycled furnishings reduce waste and resource consumption. These materials often carry a story or history, adding a unique and meaningful layer to the restaurant’s design narrative.

4. Emphasizing Sustainability in Design: Sustainable restaurant design emphasizes the importance of selecting materials that are not only eco-friendly but also aesthetically pleasing and functional. Designers can explore innovative materials like bamboo, cork, or recycled glass, which offer durability and a distinct look. These choices reflect a commitment to sustainability and appeal to environmentally-conscious consumers.

Energy-Efficient Lighting and Appliances in interior design

Energy efficiency is a critical component of sustainable restaurant design. By incorporating smart lighting systems, energy-efficient appliances, and maximizing natural light, restaurants can significantly reduce their energy consumption and operating costs.

1. Smart Lighting Systems: Smart lighting systems allow for precise control over lighting levels, reducing energy usage and enhancing the dining experience. These systems can be programmed to adjust lighting based on time of day or occupancy, ensuring that lights are only used when needed. LED lighting, known for its long lifespan and low energy consumption, is a popular choice for sustainable restaurants.

2. Energy-Efficient Appliances: Investing in energy-efficient kitchen equipment can dramatically cut energy usage. Look for appliances with Energy Star ratings or other certifications that indicate superior energy performance. High-efficiency ovens, refrigerators, and dishwashers not only reduce energy bills but also lessen the restaurant's overall environmental impact.

3. Incorporating Natural Light: Maximizing natural light in restaurant design reduces the need for artificial lighting and creates a welcoming, vibrant atmosphere. Large windows, skylights, and strategically placed mirrors can enhance natural light penetration. This not only saves energy but also improves the overall dining experience by creating a connection with the outdoors.

sustainable restaurant interior concept (a.i. generated image by biofilico)

Interior Design for Sustainability

Creating a sustainable restaurant involves thoughtful design choices that promote flexibility, efficient use of space, and integration of natural elements. These strategies not only enhance functionality but also align with sustainable principles.

Utilizing a restorative design framework can further this goal by incorporating circular economy principles to minimize waste and pollution, lower carbon footprint, and ensure that all elements can be reused, donated, or recycled at the end of their lifecycle.

Space Planning and Flexibility

1. Multi-Purpose Furniture: Using multi-purpose furniture is a smart way to maximize space and minimize waste. Pieces like extendable tables, stackable chairs, or modular seating can adapt to different needs and configurations. This flexibility is especially valuable in dynamic environments like restaurants, where space requirements can change frequently.

2. Collapsible Seating and Movable Partitions: Collapsible seating and movable partitions allow restaurants to reconfigure their layout to accommodate different group sizes and events. This adaptability reduces the need for extensive renovations or additional furniture, saving resources and maintaining a streamlined space.

3. Efficient Space Planning: Efficient space planning is key to creating functional and sustainable restaurant interiors. This involves optimizing the layout to ensure smooth traffic flow, adequate storage, and comfortable dining areas. Efficient use of space reduces the need for excessive heating, cooling, and lighting, contributing to overall energy savings.

Green Walls and Vertical Gardens as part of a Biophilia interior design

1. Benefits of Green Walls: Green walls, or vertical gardens, bring numerous benefits to restaurant interiors. They enhance air quality by absorbing pollutants and releasing oxygen, provide natural insulation, and create a calming, aesthetically pleasing environment. These living installations also support biodiversity and can be used to grow herbs or edible plants, integrating sustainability into the culinary experience.

2. Interior Design with Vertical Gardens: Integrating vertical gardens into restaurant design involves selecting appropriate plants and ensuring adequate lighting and irrigation. They can be used as focal points, room dividers, or to soften architectural features. By bringing nature indoors, vertical gardens enhance the ambiance and underscore the restaurant’s commitment to sustainability.

Measuring and Certifying Sustainability

To truly commit to sustainability, restaurants can pursue certifications that recognize and validate their efforts. Certifications like the Sustainable Restaurant Association (SRA) standard provide a framework for measuring and improving sustainability practices.

1. SRA Certification: The Sustainable Restaurant Association offers a comprehensive certification that assesses restaurants on various sustainability criteria, including sourcing, society, and environment. Achieving SRA certification signals to customers and stakeholders that the restaurant is dedicated to sustainable practices and is actively working to minimize its environmental impact.

2. Other Sustainability Certifications: In addition to the SRA, there are other certifications that restaurants can pursue, such as LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) or Green Key. These certifications provide guidelines for energy efficiency, waste management, and sustainable building practices, helping restaurants to systematically improve their sustainability performance.

3. Benefits of Certification: Certification not only provides a credible endorsement of a restaurant’s sustainability efforts but also offers practical benefits. It can enhance reputation, attract eco-conscious customers, and often lead to operational savings through more efficient practices. Certification processes also provide valuable insights and benchmarks, guiding continuous improvement in sustainability.

The Future of Sustainable Interior Design in Restaurants

The shift towards sustainable restaurant design is more than just a response to current consumer preferences; it represents a fundamental evolution in the industry.

As sustainability becomes increasingly integral to business success and environmental responsibility, the future of restaurant design will continue to innovate and expand in exciting ways.

1. Technological Advancements: The integration of advanced technologies will play a crucial role in the future of sustainable interior design for restaurants, bars and cafes. Innovations like smart building systems, energy-efficient HVAC systems, and advanced water-saving technologies will enable restaurants to optimize resource use and reduce their environmental impact. Additionally, the use of solar panels as a renewable energy source can decrease reliance on non-renewable energy grids, integrating creatively into roofing designs or patio structures to provide shade while generating clean energy.

2. Biophilic Design: Biophilic interior design, which seeks to connect people with nature, will become more prevalent in sustainable restaurant interiors. Incorporating natural elements, like plants, water features, and natural materials, not only enhances the aesthetic appeal but also promotes health and well-being. As research continues to highlight the benefits of biophilic design, its adoption in restaurants is likely to grow.

3. Circular Economy Principles: Embracing circular economy principles, which focus on reducing waste and making the most of resources, will become a cornerstone of sustainable restaurant design. This involves designing spaces and processes that prioritize reuse, recycling, and regeneration. Restaurants might incorporate furniture made from recycled materials, design kitchens that minimize food waste, and source ingredients from regenerative agriculture practices.

4. Community and Social Impact: Future sustainable restaurant design will increasingly focus on community and social impact. This includes supporting local suppliers, engaging with community initiatives, and creating inclusive and accessible spaces. The concept of a restorative restaurant, which aims to create places that give more than they take and integrate sustainability into design, will benefit communities by enhancing social sustainability and building stronger, more loyal customer relationships.

5. Adaptable and Resilient Design: Designing for adaptability and resilience will be crucial as restaurants face evolving challenges, from climate change to shifting consumer behaviors. This includes creating spaces that can easily adapt to different uses, incorporating materials and technologies that withstand environmental stresses, and designing with long-term sustainability in mind.

In conclusion, mastering sustainable restaurant design is a multifaceted endeavor that requires careful consideration of materials, energy use, space planning, and community impact.

By embracing these principles, restaurants can not only reduce their environmental footprint but also create inviting, functional, and resilient spaces that meet the demands of today’s eco-conscious consumers.

The future of the restaurant industry is undoubtedly green, and those who lead the way in sustainable design will be well-positioned to thrive in this evolving landscape.

A review of the top aparthotel brands in the UK

Here we look at some of the leading aparthotel and serviced apartment brands in the UK at the moment, covering their interior design, any ESG or sustainability features, and their residential features as well as hospitality offer.

Room2 Aparthotel UK

Room2 hometels serviced apartments

Room2 is an aparthotel and serviced apartments brand that focuses heavily on sustainability, reflecting its B Corp certification and Gold rating from Green Tourism green hotel standard, awarded explicitly to its Chiswick location.

These recognitions convey a sense of Room2's deep-rooted commitment to environmental and social responsibility, setting what is an undeniably high standard in the UK hospitality industry, right now this is the brand to beat! 

Room2 Chiswick proudly stands as the brand's (and the world’s) first Net Zero hometel, setting a precedent for future properties. Its parent company, Lamington Group, aims to achieve net-zero carbon emissions across all properties by 2030.

This commitment involves innovative strategies such as utilizing low-carbon cement alternatives like ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS).

Supply Chain

One of the highlights of Room2's sustainability efforts is their adherence to a comprehensive procurement policy, ensuring that suppliers actively contribute to environmental conservation and uphold ethical standards.

This policy encompasses various criteria, from reducing ecological footprints and promoting circular economy practices to endorsing ethical solid policies such as fair wages and prohibiting slavery and human trafficking in supply chains.

By prioritizing suppliers with certifications like B Corporation, Cradle to Cradle, and FSC, Room2 supports businesses committed to sustainable practices while minimizing their environmental impact.

At their restaurants, the brand also prioritizes healthy, plant-based menu options sourced locally, supporting guest well-being and local farmers.

Biodiversity

The brand actively contributes to environmental conservation efforts, from plant propagation and green roofs to plenty of live plants in reception and beekeeping.

Waste management

To reduce pollution, Room2 is committed to minimizing single-use plastics, like refillable cleaning products and toiletries (made from organic, vegan ingredients).

They are serious regarding recycling, with in-room recycling bins and food waste converted into energy or fertilizer.

Furniture & Fittings

Furniture at the Chiswick location is crafted within a 10-mile radius using natural, recycled, or reclaimed materials, with thousands of trees planted to offset carbon emissions.

Other fun ways this aparthotel has been mindful of its furniture selections is by procuring carpet made with a portion of upcycled fishing net plastic, a welcome desk upcycled from old soap bottles, lampshades made from orange waste and mycelium, as well as two sofa bed cushions made of biodegradable plant material.

Local Community

Beyond environmental initiatives, Room2 demonstrates a commitment to social sustainability by providing fair wages, offering attractive employee benefits, and implementing programs that reward employees' sustainable behavior.

Room2 takes their efforts beyond the walls of their own property by engaging with the local community through events like showcasing art galleries featuring works by talented local artists. They have also partnered with SPEAK, a local charity, to provide food and stays at their hotel to the homeless. 

Green energy

All of their energy comes from onsite solar cells or offsite wind and hydro stations. Technical innovations, such as lab rooms monitoring energy usage and A-rated electrical appliances, further contribute to Room2's energy efficiency efforts. 

Wellbeing

Room2's dedication to well-being is evident in its amenities, including their own holistic and biophilic coworking space called Missionworks nearby to the Chiswick site, an onsite gym, and accessibility guides.

The availability of electric bikes and scooters nearby through Forest shows the brand's dedication to promoting eco-conscious transportation among guests.

Beyond Apartments & Aparthotels, UK

Beyond Apartments & Aparthotels

Beyond is a relatively new UK aparthotel and serviced apartments brand, pushing itself to redefine sustainability within the UK hospitality market. With a clear focus on environmental responsibility and guest well-being, this brand has received well-deserved attention for its conscientious approach to operations.

Green cleaning

One aspect of Beyond Aparthotel’s sustainability efforts is its supplier vetting process. By partnering with eco-conscious companies such as Oxwash carbon neutral commercial laundry services, the hotel ensures its operations align with its sustainability goals.

Oxwash utilizes ozone technology for chemical-free laundry cleaning, contributing to reduced environmental impact.

Zero Waste

Beyond Aparthotel has also implemented initiatives to reduce its carbon footprint and promote circularity. With policies like zero single-use plastic and zero waste to landfill, the hotel offers refillable cosmetic and cleaning products, minimizing packaging waste.

Additionally, efforts extend to the kitchen, where plant-based, PFOA-free pans and recycled glassware are provided.

Supply Chain

Every detail is meticulously taken care of to minimize environmental impact, from the table and chairs upholstered in eco-leather to the high-quality, natural materials used throughout the space.

Being aware of the effects of indoor materials on air quality, Beyond uses breathable limewash paints by UK brand COAT with zero VOCs.

Another point for air quality would be the breathable 100% cotton sheets and hypo-allergenic bedding in all Beyond aparthotel rooms.

Through these thoughtful design choices, the hotel ensures a comfortable stay for its guests while prioritizing natural materials and eco-friendly alternatives.

Social Policy

Beyond Aparthotel’s sustainability initiatives extend beyond its physical spaces to include staff welfare and community engagement. Employees receive fair compensation and training opportunities, contributing to a positive work environment. 

Energy

Beyond Aparthotel collaborates with Treepoints to monitor and report on energy usage in its pursuit of sustainability excellence. Utilizing low-energy A+++ appliances and sourcing 100% renewable energy from Green Energy UK further solidifies its commitment to reducing environmental impact.

Beyond apartments also reduce their energy use with features like double-glazed acoustic windows and equipped with modern heating and cooling technologies.

As Beyond Aparthotels continue to evolve, we'll be watching this brand for further enhancements to its sustainable wellness strategy going forward.

native aparthotels serviced apartments uk

Native serviced apartments

Native Places is a UK aparthotel company admirably committed to the sustainability cause. It has already earned recognition for its eco-friendly practices and community engagement.

The company has been awarded ECOsmart accreditation and a BREEAM rating of 'excellent' at one of its locations, demonstrating its dedication to green building standards.

Eco cleaning & waste reduction

One way their environmental stewardship is demonstrated is through eco-cleaning protocols, utilizing toxin-free cleaning products, and implementing house cleaning on request to minimize ecological impact.

The brand is also committed to zero waste, eliminating single-use plastic to be replaced by refillable products like biodegradable Nespresso capsules.

Furniture purchases in the supply chain

Regarding furnishings, Native Places prioritizes natural materials and circular economy practices, utilizing recycled furniture and vintage pieces that are sourced locally. As for bedding, a special Mitre Eco Filling is stuffed into the pillows, which are made from recycled plastic bottles. 

Energy efficiency

Native Places takes a lot of measures concerning energy efficiency, like the use of A-rated electrical appliances, LED lights, motion sensors, heating timers, glazed windows, and keycard-activated electricity within the rooms. These initiatives reduce environmental impact, contribute to cost savings, and enhance guest comfort. 

They state on their sustainability page that they produce green energy, but further details are yet to be provided.

Community

Native Places fosters family and community connections by promoting interaction between guests and local communities through resident events. Another way the brand supports local economies is by sourcing pantry items and coffee from nearby stores and collaborating with eco-friendly suppliers.

Furthermore, Native Group engages in charity work, partnering with organizations like the Michael Carrick Foundation and Room to Reward in Manchester to create opportunities for children and recognize top charity volunteers in the city centre.

Staff wellbeing in a serviced apartments brand

Native Places encourages staff to bike to work through their Cycle Scheme program, which reduces carbon emissions and promotes employee well-being.

The brand's commitment to employee well-being is also evident through initiatives like their support for Hospitality Action, offering mental support for hospitality industry employees.

Locke Aparthotel UK

Locke aparthotels UK

Locke Living is a leading UK aparthotel brand committed to environmental responsibility and community engagement with a young, fresh brand. The company earned a BREEAM 'excellent' rating for their Turing Locke Cambridge location.

Starting in 2022, Locke has targeted at least BREEAM ‘Very Good’ or LEED 'Silver' certification at all their developments (new-builds and refurbishments).

Energy efficiency

Regular energy audits, heat-recovery air-conditioning systems, and initiatives such as purchasing Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) and installing solar panels all create a solid energy efficiency plan.

Another way they aim to indirectly reduce carbon emissions is by supporting sustainable transportation options, such as providing 200 cycle parking spaces and 20 electrical vehicle parking spaces. 

Water management in a serviced apartment

Key features here include rainwater harvesting, greywater reuse, and sustainable drainage strategies for their landscaping.

Green supply chain and sustainable procurement

In its procurement practices, Locke Living partners with climate-positive consultancy Dodds & Shute to source timber, furniture, and lighting from responsible suppliers.

The brand also prioritizes circular economy furniture by working with B Corporations and utilizing upcycled, recycled, and vintage pieces throughout its properties.

Locke is also planning a project that seeks out sustainable materials for employee uniforms, intending to repurpose dead stock from popular clothing brands with the help of local creative talent. 

Waste management

To reach zero waste and eliminate single-use plastics, all bathrooms feature full-sized refillable toiletries, and the brand uses biodegradable or reusable packaging wherever possible.

Additionally, Locke operates a food waste program and provides recycling bins throughout its properties.

Local Community

Locke acts as a community hub to promote social responsibility. Though their communal spaces are typically designed as co-working areas, they are also used for cultural experiences such as sustainability discussions and pop-up events on textile reuse and recycling.

They have hosted over 2,200 cultural events at its properties. Additionally, the brand has created two new food and drink destinations, contributing to the local culinary scene.

Locke encourages a healthy lifestyle among its guests by providing onsite gyms and occasional events such as yoga sessions and running clubs. They also offer a relaxing courtyard, which doubles as a wildlife habitat.

Staff wellbeing

Locke Living ensures that all staff are actively involved in social and environmental initiatives or fundraising efforts, fostering a collective action and responsibility culture.

Locke also promotes well-being amongst its staff, offering webinars for mental health support and employee engagement programs. On top of it all, they have diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies.

Stay City UK aparthotels

Stay City is an aparthotel with a vision of lowering its carbon footprint. While they may have yet to reach their ultimate sustainability goals, they claim to be dedicated to progress.

Single use plastics & waste management

One area where Stay City is making strides is in reducing single-use plastics. They aim to replace 95% of single-use plastics, excluding food and beverage items. Additionally, Stay City has implemented on-premise waste sorting at all their properties, ensuring that recyclable materials are properly separated and disposed of.

Staff wellbeing

Stay City also prioritizes the well-being of its team members. With access to mental wellness resources and plans to implement a team health and well-being program, they're investing in the health and happiness of their staff. 

Carbon emissions

Stay City takes accountability seriously when measuring and addressing its environmental impact. Their completion of the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) 2022 submission demonstrates their commitment to transparency and their willingness to take action to reduce their carbon footprint.

Stay City's efforts toward sustainability may still be a work in progress. Still, their dedication and commitment to making a difference are commendable.

stowaway aparthotel uk

Stow Away apartment hotels UK

Stow Away is an eco-friendly aparthotel in London, leading the way towards a greener future, from its eco-friendly amenities to its commitment to renewable energy.

Fundamentally, they deploy a stacked shipping container model so the whole building is essentially recyclable, they claim.

Using sustainable materials in their construction, Stow Away minimizes its carbon footprint and embraces a more environmentally conscious approach to hospitality.

Waste management

Stow Away has a unique approach to getting rid of single-use plastics. With no minibars, they eradicate wasteful products wrapped in plastic. In the bathrooms, Stow Away provides refillable bottles for shampoo and shower gel, ensuring that guests have everything they need without harming the environment.

In addition to reducing plastic waste, Stow Away works with First Mile, a waste management service, to recycle as much waste as possible from the hotel to the restaurant, with recycling bins placed throughout the property.

Energy consumption

When it comes to energy consumption, Stow Away is leading by example. Ecotricity, a British energy supplier, gets all of their energy from 100% renewable sources, ensuring that every aspect of the hotel operates in an eco-friendly manner.

Solar panels fitted on the roof power the building and transfer any excess electricity back into the national grid, further reducing Stow Away's reliance on non-renewable energy sources.

The hotel's Samsung air conditioning and hydro units recycle and recirculate energy between the heating and hot water systems. At night at the same time, low-energy LED lighting illuminates the space.

To encourage guests to do their part, Stow Away includes notes reminding them to turn off electricity when they leave for the day, promoting a culture of sustainability and conservation.

Hybrid Resi serviced apartments

Hybrid Resi is a UK aparthotel brand that offers sustainable hospitality to guests trying to find the perfect place to 'work from home.'

Sustainable transport

One feature of Hybrid Resi's dedication to being eco-friendly is its promotion of sustainable transportation options. Guests can take advantage of charging stations for electric vehicles and convenient bike parking.

Waste management

Regarding waste, they offer E-waste recycling days to demonstrate their commitment to responsible waste management and resource conservation.

Sustainable sourcing

Hybrid Resi prioritizes sustainable sourcing practices, working exclusively with suppliers who use sustainable raw materials and comply with environmental regulations.

One example is they chose a laundry supplier that utilizes cycling instead of diesel vans for delivery, uses special water-saving machines, and uses PlanetCare filters, which remove 90% of the microplastic from synthetic clothing fibers, stopping them from entering the environment.

This commitment ensures that products and services meet high ecological standards while supporting responsible manufacturing practices.

Social Responsibility

Hybrid Resi also strongly emphasizes social responsibility, offering competitive compensation and benefits to all regular full-time employees.

They work with suppliers who share similar values and adhere to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and modern slavery policies, ensuring ethical business practices throughout their supply chain.

Energy efficiency

The aparthotel brand also invests in energy efficiency measures such as energy retrofits, management system upgrades, and equipment upgrades. These initiatives reduce energy consumption and contribute to cost savings and environmental sustainability.

Water conservation

Additionally, Hybrid Resi implements water consumption initiatives, including water-efficient fixtures, irrigation controls, and drought-resistant landscaping. They minimize their environmental impact by prioritizing water conservation while promoting sustainable water management practices.

How Cruises are Shifting Towards Sustainability and Wellness

Cruises have become a popular mode of travel, and the industry is flourishing. But while cruise travel is in high demand, the pressure to be more climate-conscious is on, and cruise companies are feeling it more than ever.

Cruises are notorious for being environmentally impactful; research from the University of Exeter notes that the emissions from cruises equal that of 12,000 cars.

As such, many cruise lines are making changes to pivot toward sustainability to minimise their carbon footprint and environmental impact.

Whether that’s through reconfiguring fuel, phasing out single-use plastics, or incorporating biophilic design into the ships. Here’s how some cruises are shifting towards sustainability and wellness:

Celebrity Cruises

celebrity edge rooftop garden

Celebrity Cruises aspires to achieve the highest possible standards of environmental and community stewardship, making sustainability a priority in sailing. Key issues they aim to tackle include emissions reduction, waste, water, and sustainable sourcing. The cruise line also plans to reach net zero emissions by 2050.

The commitment to preserving nature and fostering community is showcased visually through the use of biophilic design in the ships. As explained in our “An Introduction to Biophilic Design – Nature, Wellbeing and Sustainability” post, biophilic design aims to reunite indoor and outdoor worlds through the use of natural materials, forms, textures, colours, patterns, light, and more.

Their Celebrity Beyond ship does just that by using elegant biophilic interiors in the ship’s muti-purpose indoor space, Eden. The rooftop gardens featured on multiple ships encourage community and connection with nature, fostering wellness and a focus on nature’s healing powers.

Explora Journeys

explora journeys

Explora Journeys specialises in creating an “Ocean State of Mind” where passengers can experience a connection with nature and the sea while curating a wellness-centred onboard experience.

The concept of ocean wellness ties into that goal of curating a connection with the natural world. As such, fitness, beauty, and well-being programmes are integrated into nature to foster that love of the natural world.

But it’s not just wellness Explora Journeys pursues; their commitment to sustainability is also apparent in their operations. Single-use plastics have been eliminated onboard and ashore, and they process wastewater to near tap water quality to be reused.

The MSC Group also plans to launch an LNG-powered vessel featuring hydrogen fuel cells, along with methane slip-reducing technology.

Royal Caribbean Cruises

symphony of the seas central park

Royal Caribbean Cruises has been pushing for sustainability in its ships for the past few decades, continuing to make strides in sustainability. This year, two of their newest ships will be the cruise industry’s first systems to turn solid waste directly into energy onboard. The cruise line is also committed to reducing food waste across the fleet by 50% by 2025.

Other than those efforts, Royal Caribbean’s use of biophilic design has made its ships unique among many other cruise lines. Their Symphony of the Seas ship boats, vertical gardens, and walls of plants bring nature into the cruise. It’s also home to a park that’s home to over 40 species of plants. Oasis of the Seas also has a version of Central Park.

The onboard neighbourhood garden covered with 12,000 beautiful living plants surrounds various restaurants and bars with both indoor and outdoor seating, making it reminiscent of the iconic New York Park. Integrating sustainability into communal spaces through design helps connect people to nature in an otherwise nature-free space.


For more on biophilic design and its use in sustainability and wellness, visit our Biofilico homepage for more insights.

the aficionados on sustainability at independent hotels

how are independent boutique hotels in europe integrating sustainability?

matt morley talks to the founder of the aficionados, iain ainsworth, to find out…

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In this episode I’m in London talking to boutique hotel expert Iain Ainsworth - Founder of The Aficionados a reference for travel culture and lifestyle that promotes neat edits of hotels, creators and craftsmen as well as its sister company White Line Hotels a marketing network for hoteliers. 

He was Executive VP of Design Hotels from 2004-2008 and Regional Director of Sales and Marketing for Concorde Hotels from 2000-2004 so he’s a hospitality insider through and through. 

I took the opportunity to take the temperature on sustainability in his corner of the industry today, so we cover everything from eco-friendly hotel amenities, sustainability certifications for hotels, the landscape hotel concept and various examples of sustainability initiatives from his member hotels in the Alps. 

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FULL TRANSCRIPT COUTESY OF OTTER.AI - EXCUSE ANY TYPOS

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interview with the aficionados

Matt Morley

Iain, thanks for joining us today. I'd like to start at a fairly high level overview. You've been in this game for a while you're an insider. How do you see sustainability taking shape or evolving amongst the hotels you're working with? Is it more of an informal organic process or are you seeing more structure coming into play?

natural sustainability in hotels

Iain Ainsworth

Hi, Matt, I think for me, the most overwhelming point is that for all of our hotels, it's a very natural process, it's part of their DNA. When we talked to them initially, 12 years ago about sustainability, they were like, well, what's new? It's always been part of what we do. And we only work with privately owned hotels - 99% of them are indigenous, from that village, from the valley, mountain or town.

So for them, it's pretty natural that they sourced locally, beside the fact that they knew Bert down the road, who was the timber maker, it's very natural thing.

greenwashing in hotels

Green labeling is not something that they they need. Sure, it's not just a marketing process, it does need some structure coming into it. And that's where we try and guide them and filter out what what they do, because for them, it's part of running a daily hotel, and they don't necessarily realize that what they're doing is remarkable.

You know, even for the older hotels, where you might think, to be up to the new standards is quite difficult. You can see the next generation are applying the newest technologies, but they're also going back to how their grandparents originally built the hotels.

renewable energy for hotels

In the Alps, for example, using renewable energy is pretty normal now, if you look at South Tyrol, most hotels have zero carbon emissions, because they are using a grid fostered by the local government. So a lot of them are very, very green, I hate the word green. But this just put them into into that philosophy, if you like, I just think it's a welcome blast of energy and enthusiasm that they have for being sustainable - without necessarily calling it ‘sustainability’.

hotel sustainability certifications

It is difficult within the hotel industry, as you know, and also between countries, to get certification is there's not one mandated policy that you can follow when you're building a new hotel. Equally, if you're renovating, it's very hard to tick all of the boxes. And there is no one's one central template for this.

sustainable hotel architecture

But on the other hand, I think that's quite good. Because then you get personally into innovation and new ideas. The other striking point with our hotels is the lead on architecture and design, again, maximizing the use of light, maximizing the conservation of heat during the winter. And also keeping cool in the summer.

Architects, particularly in the alpine regions are very up to date on sustainable approaches - again, it's part of the DNA of that of that region.

sustainability as part of the hotel culture

Matt Morley

It's an interesting point, isn't it? Because it's almost as if there are certain areas of Europe and in particular, in this case, geographies where you are heavily present with your member hotels, where it's almost part of the culture where it doesn't need necessarily to be introduced from outside and then sort of imposed from above, which is what we're seeing in places like London, and other huge cities where it hasn't been historically part of the local culture but now they're playing catch up, whereas someone like South Tyrol, it's really part of the fabric of society.

sustainable supply chains for hotels

Iain Ainsworth

Yeah, I mean, there's certain aspects they still need to look at like, like, like how do you minimalize the impact of what you're doing because at the end of the day, it's still tourism but I think when your family owned the farm down the road, your other family member is the hotel architect. Your other family are producing hotel linen which is a very natural and sustainable product, even the timber they use in the bedrooms, they will save sleep better because it's holistic and antibacterial.

natural health and wellness in hotels

So you have this natural health and wellness element as part of the building. For me, you know, it's very easy to talk about, you know, sustainability in Lisbon. But it's a very different approach there, you need to dig deeper because, unfortunately, some countries or larger urbanized hubs, when they go for the local furniture, it's not necessarily locals, they just take the design and then source it from further afield.

But we've got an old palace in Lisbon, it was the hardest thing finding an architect that would understand conservation, and reinvigorating the hotel history rather than wiping over it.

certification systems for sustainable hotels

Matt Morley

So you mentioned the idea of sustainability certifications. And we do see a number of them out there at the moment, as you say, it feels like perhaps there isn't quite one dominant leader that works across territories. Each has a slightly different twist, I noticed, but a lot of them are covering, broadly the same bases.

So for example, Son Brull in Mallorca - one of your member hotels - they've gone for Travelife certification, from your perspective, hotel marketing, do you think there's value in going for something like that?

sustainable hotel restaurant ingredients

Iain Ainsworth

Yeah, Son Brull, when they created the hotel some 15 years ago, it was a very sustainable approach to it, it's been a farm for nearly 300 years. So it was a monastery as well, and it came with 40 hectares of land. So as a hotel, you can either sell the land, leave it over to other farmers, or you can take it as part of your concept.

So in this case ‘farm to table’ dining for them is pretty natural as well, because they've got the farm on their doorstep. So they've always been a pioneer of doing things proper, I guess, they're Islanders, and they saw a lot of destruction of the island.

Also, you know, the movement of locals from farming into hospitality, which sort of saddened that one of the owners and a particular and he said, No, this is not right, we need to employ the farming community around us.

So they did it from their own hearts, as it were, but I mean, having certification from Travelife, for example, the gold certification, it's a good tickbox because again, you start to ask yourself, Okay, what am I missing? What else can I do and like all of the certifications, of course, you know, they're covering a very broad spectrum of hotel typologie and sizes.

The smaller ones, invariably are not going to be able to tick every box. But equally, they know, the larger ones are not going to be able to offer fresh lemons from their own orchard in the morning.

Compared to a hotel just saying that they’re green and eco, and sustainable., having a certification means for me that they are following strict sustainability guidelines. And they're fulfilling as many items on the checklist as possible.

It’s also an ongoing process, which I like, because it's not just okay, we've done an initiative, tick the box, close it. You know, it's an ongoing thing. And I think that, for me, is what certification is about. It's ongoing. It's always changing. It's always evolving. Technology, of course, is helping this in terms of collecting data from hotel operations.

sustainable hotel amenities

Matt Morley

One idea that we see a lot of hotels adopting is sustainable amenities, removing single use plastic bottles. You've written about various brands offering that type of product, from plant-based botanicals and organics and naturals - what’s going on there from your view?

Iain Ainsworth

Yeah, it was the straws and now we're going for plastic free amenities. And, you know, the elimination of single use plastics throughout the hotel, whether it's the amenity bottle, or mineral water bottles. The advantage small hotels have is that they can go to a local supplier again, and source materials from them.

I mean, the best elements for me are those pioneers like Susanna Kaufman, who have always used natural products. You know, she's very cautious about minimalist, use of plastic refill bottles.

We see new products emerging all in sort of a block form As soaps, shampoos, conditioners, so they have no plastic and no glass involved at all. And I think that's the way forward but it can also be a question of cost so we didn't want to mandate a certain type of hotel amenity and say they all have to be plastic free, because there are many unique opportunities out there with local suppliers. And also to keep that relationship with the small pharmaceutical companies that are making products for the hotels.

single use plastics in hotels

You can also look at stores like Muji, if you want bamboo slippers, sometimes you can draw inspiration from a High Street store that's gone sustainable, because it's still very hard as a small hotel to get a supply of slippers, that are environmentally friendly - people seem to feel they need these things for the one or two nights in a hotel!

The same goes for the hotel toothbrush, you know, you can find a bamboo option now. The problem is sometimes certain countries demand an array of amenities for their star categorization. Which is crazy for me because you know, I don't need a toothbrush in every room.

eco cleaning hotel operations

Also in into the next stage of this equation, which are the chemicals used in cleaning the rooms. Because after COVID, you know, during COVID There was this huge euphoria for chemicals instead of looking at natural ways of cleaning a room because this is equally as important for me as what's in the bathroom.

local procurement policy in hotels

Matt Morley

A hotelier does have an easy option and it is going to one of these giant hotel supply companies that offer bulk branded bottles that have not much to do with the real brand, it's all just licensed and an easy solution for hotel slippers, bathrobes, amenities etc.

So in a sense, the hotels that are seeking out the individual brands, there's a lot of work behind that there's a lot of extra legwork. Right, it's an it's more of an appeal process than the sort of the easy path. Right. So it's sometimes maybe not evident the guests that what's gone into that.

Iain Ainsworth

Yeah, and I still think some some guests judge your hotel on a brand that they know. Whereas I'm, you know, myself and I would say most of our subscribers that travel into our hotels are more intrigued by finding the local brands and then go and buy it, because you want to take it with you. So I think I think there's opportunity for hotel amenity distribution to continue changing.

Of course, you can buy big brands like Ren - a fantastic sustainable product, and you can buy them from a wholesaler. So there are alternatives there. But if I find somebody that's making a product 20 kilometers down the road, I'm gonna have my first conversation with them as a hotelier!

Health and wellness in Alpine hotels

Matt Morley

You mentioned the idea of the Alps as being quite strongly associated for many of us with with a healthy lifestyle. Someone like the Hotel Arlberg, Lech- they bill themselves as a wellness retreat, exactly what does that mean?

Iain Ainsworth

Well, for them they're a third generation of family, so grandmother's still involved daily, in the business. So their parents run the hotel today, they're keen to refurbish and upgrade. And it's always been changing, he started as cafe and then had a couple of rooms and, and today's become what it is, a fabulous Alpine retreat.

They always had a spa, but when they started to rethink about the spa, they looked really at how do you bring in the Alps inside? So that's where they created the blueprint of Alpine healthy living, and they started to look at the sound, fresh air, nature, it's about the products.

And one thing they noticed in the older rooms, there was always a scent of pine. And this was coming from the wardrobes actually. So they said, Okay, where can we get this old pine from that, you know, is well sourced, and they found a guy in the next village that salvages pine from the older Alpine houses.

Then they looked at the pigments of the local colors. So they started with colors and said, Okay, what are the colors that we want to be in there? But then they looked at, okay, how do you create this moss green color? Well, surely there's a herbal pigment growing up in the mountains that we could use. So then they created natural paints, which they bought into their spa as well. So I mean, spa for them was the starting point. But it's actually extended now throughout the whole hotel.

So there's a wellness concept throughout the whole hotel. They use chemical free paints that are made locally. They also use natural stone, which comes from about 20 kilometers away from the hotel. And they've also then started to look at the treatments that they have and which oils you can use. So they're looking at the old monasteries in the area and what therapeutic oils that they use derive from nature, of course.

And just working with architects very carefully and producers like we were talking about Susanna Kaufman of you how you can give me that total one off wellness experience, which is what I want As the consumer, but also with the added bonus of it being healthy and sustainable, and an ethos behind there that gives you that sort of joy for the Alps and healthy living.

the landscape hotel concept

Matt Morley

What about the Juvet property in Norway, what do you consider goes into a ‘landscape hotel’ concept today?

Iain Ainsworth

I mean, the Juvet landscape hotel was probably the one of the first ones that I encountered back in 2009. And for me, it's this total immersion into nature, but with no disruption to nature itself. So the word you know, the landscape hotel was the pioneer of the owner that had this dream of how can I create a living pods if you like or hotel without disrupting even the moss that grows on the rocks.

So their first thought was, Okay, what if we put these pods on stilts, and the stilts actually mimic the birch tree stem, so you sort of get this beautiful visual integration between the trees, trunks, and the rods that go into the into the rocks. And by doing that, then you can create a platform, which is what a lot of indigenous tribes did in wilderness areas, you know, is it's quite logical, actually to get the elevated from the ground, but it enables the flora and fauna that you fall in love with to continue to thrive and in fact, thrive even more, because you're giving a new habitat to grow along and thing.

I think the landscape hotels, for me, the biggest thing about them is the view. And so they tend to have huge panoramic windows. There's a lot of gimmicks coming in, you know, we're a landscape hotel, you know, and they put things up in trees and things like that. So I think you have to be very careful, you don't become a gimmick.

Matt Morley

And obviously also written about the green philosophy at Hotel Buhelwirt in South Tyrol. Clearly one of your favorite regions, and as I'm discovering, quite a hotbed for case studies in hotel sustainability and wellbeing. So in that instance, how did the architects pull through a concept of sustainability touching on things like construction and energy use?

energy use and building biology in a hotel

Iain Ainsworth

The architects, two brothers, and their real philosophy is environmental building biology. And so they're quite famous in South Tyrol for their work integrating a building into its natural habitat. In this case, it was an old guesthouse, which the owners had inherited from their parents, and they wanted to add to this but by doing so, in a way that, you know, is sensitive to their environment. And so they found the perfect architecture to do that.

You’ve got this very vernacular structure that sticks out of the rock side. And it has a purpose to it as well. I mean, they have always had energy efficiency on their minds, not only because of the cost of it, but to have as least impact as possible. Again, being in South Tyrol is great, because you know, the energy is hydroelectric - power plants provide a lot of the local renewable energy, and without any co2 emissions, so they've got that backup there.

But they've also invested a lot into technology into meter reading, they can see from their app, how much energy they are using each day, how many guests they have, how much energy is being consumed in the rooms? What do we do about pool heating? What do we do about heating in general areas? Again, technology is helping them reduce their carbon footprint.

plastic-free kitchens in hotel operations

But I have to say they are natural enthusiasts for their environment that they live in. And again, they have the farm down the road, they're completely organic, they went a step further in the kitchen, banning all plastic in the kitchen. And when we start to think about our own practices at home, you know, with plastic containers food wrap, we use it to preserve food.

So again, they've gone back to pickling, how do you conserve, how did our grandparents conserve food without using refrigeration, or plastics, so they've taken it to a whole new level. And I would say cutting out plastic in the kitchen is even a bigger challenge than say, in the bathroom amenities, because there is a replacement already there.

Matt Morley

Really fascinating examples. I feel like we could go on for an hour or two more, but I'm going to be respectful of your time - what's your preferred medium for communications?

Iain Ainsworth

Obviously, we're on LinkedIn as a company, and we're also on Instagram. But I'm quite old fashioned. I'd like to hear from people. So anybody wants to pop as me an email, maybe you can put a link in for that love to hear from people, contributors, experiences.

And they say, you know, we as a company as well, we're still learning how to harness all the sustainability aspects that we have 93 hotels now and about 110 makers.

So we're always looking for feedback, suggestions, ideas, of how we can better inform people of what what's going on.

CONTACT @ THEAFICIONADOS . COM

Circular Interior Design: Sustainable Restaurant Object Space Place — Biofilico Wellness Interiors

Sustainable restaurant design with David Chenery

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circular economy

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restorative restaurants

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Sustainable restaurant design with David Chenery 〰️ circular economy 〰️ restorative restaurants 〰️

Welcome to episode 55 of the Green & Healthy Places podcast in which we discuss the themes of wellbeing and sustainability in real estate and hospitality.

I’m your host, Matt Morley, founder of Biofilico healthy buildings, and in this episode I’m in the UK talking to David Chenery of Object Space Place, a sustainable interiors company specialising in hospitality environments. The construction industry plays a crucial role in implementing circular design principles to minimize waste and improve sustainability.

Our conversation covers the Restorative Design Framework that David has developed with his business partner over the past five years, the role of circular economy principles in restaurant design, designing out waste and lowering embodied carbon while still delivering memorable customer experiences, as well as the pros and cons of sustainability assessments for restaurant spaces.

David is an interior architect by trade, a considered thinker and someone with a rapidly growing client list that may suggest an inflection point in the UK restaurant industry’s relationship with sustainability.

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Matt Morley

David, welcome to the show. It could be really useful for anyone considering a similar shift in their own career to understand how you integrated sustainability into your restaurant interior design work? What was that process of going from being ‘just’ an interior architect / designer into someone with a real focus on sustainable restaurant interiors?

A transition to sustainable restaurant interior design

David Chenery

It’s certainly not that there was one particular lightbulb moment, it definitely was more of a gradual process, slowly feeling more and more uneasy and more and more uncertain. We’ve been going for 11 years now and we started out designing a lot of hospitality.

Then over the years, even though we always tried to do things with integrity, we cared how we treated people we were working with and about designing things with proper materials, avoiding materials on a red list and so on but we never really got to grips with what ‘good’ restaurant interior design would actually look like. This gradual process involved adopting a circular approach to emphasize flexibility, sustainability, and efficiency.

We started working with the Sustainable Restaurant Association about five or six years ago, and we just really started interrogating those questions and started thinking, What does a good restaurant mean?

what is restorative restaurant design?

Andrew Stephen, the CEO of the SRA at the time, threw out a question to us - he’d always wondered what a restorative restaurant would look like, how would that actually be designed? And whilst he gave it to us as a throwaway question, for us, it really stuck, to the point whereby we developed a whole design framework, what we called “the restorative design framework” around trying to solve that. The concept of a circular building, like The Circular Building by Arup in London, influenced our thinking on sustainable construction practices and the ease of disassembly for recycling and reuse.

In the first instance, we boiled it down really simple - to design places that give more than they take. So I guess the point to emphasize there is that we were overwhelmed by the complexity and not sure what this sustainability thing was, and is a SKA rating enough? Is BREEAM enough?

Matt Morley

The idea of almost being overwhelmed with the whole theme of sustainability, and perhaps not quite knowing where to start is something I hear from clients as well, they’re sort of looking for guidance. And by the time someone picks up the phone, I sense something has nudged them in that direction. And it might not be the core tenet of their brand, But there’s enough out there, enough prompts to make them think about how they can integrate sustainability into whatever they’re doing, for example, a boutique hotel group. What about in your sector of restaurant design, would you say the same as true there? Or are there more restaurants that have sustainability at their heart of their proposition?

a shift to sustainability in the UK restaurant sector

David Chenery

Well, I mean, it's one of the reasons we now call ourselves sustainable hospitality designers to begin with, we kind of shied away from that a little bit. Because if you stick your hand up and say you are sustainable, then you know, you're putting yourself in the firing line. And ultimately, you know, once you dig into it, and start pulling all those threads around sustainability, you realize that if you do anything in this country, the UK, you immediately have a carbon footprint, six to 10 times higher than anywhere else in the world.

So can you ever say what you're doing is sustainable. But we realized that to begin with, we had to educate our clients and bring sustainability into our projects. But the commercial reality is that building stuff is hard at the best of times. And unless someone comes to you with that sustainability agenda, it is very often going to get kicked to the side as you go along.

So we had to sort of stick our hands up and say we are focused on sustainable hospitality design, which therefore means we now attract the people that want to pursue that agenda. So I guess it's hard because we have pushed ourselves to live in this bubble. But I definitely think there's been a huge shift in understanding and even more so in in the last year or so.

We're now being approached by restaurant groups who don't make big claims around sustainability. But they might have, you know, 5 to 10 restaurants already and they're aware of as they continue to grow they want to do that in a way that is going to minimize their environmental impact. And they don't quite know how, like you suggest, but they're trying to find some people to help make it happen.

Matt Morley

So I see similarities there between, say, the office sector and hotels, where it's about a soft sustainability, so it's not absolutely defining them, like, say, a hard sustainability brand that's completely committed to the cause. And yet, they know that they need to make baby steps in that direction. But then that raises the question of, where does it start and end if it is a sustainable design that you're creating for a restaurant?

And clearly there are these rating systems, whether it's BREEAM for a new build, or SKA that you mentioned in the past around your interiors on the restaurant work. Did you initially rely on those certification systems more and step away from them over time?

sustainable restaurant design certifications

David Chenery

I think what we’ve realized when we created our own design framework, so that the assessment systems are rigorous, independent, and they make a lot of sense. And we had to learn to work in BREEAM, how to work in the SKA system, definitely.

It’s only through doing that, that you might start to see some of the the flaws, or some of the shortcuts or the kind of bureaucracy associated with them. If you have a one-off independent restaurant somewhere in the country, that won’t have a huge budget for such assessments so they’re just going to run it all directly themselves.

That’s a very different approach than trying to do something for someone like a Wagamama who’s got hundreds of outlets around around the country and has processes in teams and all this stuff.

So our framework acknowledges that. And we really will tailor it to the client we’re working with. Ultimately, we want it to be as sustainable as possible. But we know that different clients will come with a different level of ambition. So we might work with a chef like Chantelle Nicholson for Apricity, where she wanted to push as hard as she could, you know, we were really trialing the circular economy ideas in terms of the materials, we were measuring the embodied carbon to get that as low as we could, the landlord Grosvenor, were really behind us pushing that as hard as they could. Reducing construction waste by incorporating circular design principles and a lifecycle approach is crucial in this context.

So there was a lot of energy in that same direction whereas we might work with Gail’s bakeries, you know, who are beautiful, and they care about sustainability. And they care about the social side and the environmental. And they’re also doing about 30 sites a year. So there is a commercial reality to the speed and the cost of doing those.

So we are working as hard as we can within that commercial framework to make the best decisions. And that’s to be honest, what we quite enjoy is that we are constantly being challenged not to just live in an ideal dream world. But actually some of it is very, very ambitious and we can set a new benchmark in sustainability and sometimes it’s more about raising the bar slightly.

measuring sustainability in restaurant interior design

So I think assessments are really interesting when it comes to the measurement, this is really what we’re talking about the measurement of sustainability. I think there’s some interesting nuances to dive into there. The first one we’ve realized is that quantitative measurement, the idea of numbers almost always comes down to carbon, because that’s the thing we can reduce down to a number, the bigger the scale of the organization we’re dealing with, the more you need numbers, because it’s just really hard for everyone to grasp the qualitative, multifaceted layer of sustainability without numbers. So it’s, it’s not really a good enough representation.

Optimizing production processes for energy efficiency and waste reduction is crucial in the circular economy model, which seeks to create sustainable practices that allow for resource reuse and minimize environmental impact.

But carbon is really, really useful as a tool. You know, I always say that carbon is to sustainability, what calories are to a healthy diet, you know, I could eat 1000 calories a day, and I would lose weight. But if it was all chocolate, and I did no exercise, that is not a healthy diet. In the same way, carbon is an oversimplification of all the other stuff around you know, VOCs Indoor Air Quality and the social side of things which we can go into as well.

But if the planet managed to get down to dealing with that carbon, we’d be in a lot better place. So I do think that that’s thing with the conservative side. And then the other is you’ve mentioned with the assessment systems A good thing about those are that they are more qualitative They have much more, you know, many more features within facets within them that measure things like the air quality or looking at glare or their staff wellbeing, all these sorts of things. So that’s the way we sort of broke those two things down, when it comes to measurement, I think it’s kind of worth understanding the differences of those.

Matt Morley

And then to some point in that process, you felt comfortable enough to set your own working model of how you go about integrating these various themes and topics into something that you put your name to.

developing principles and a process for designing sustainable restaurant interiors

David Chenery

Absolutely. What we realized was, firstly, when we started looking at the assessment systems at the beginning, we think, how do we make this a sustainable design? What does that even mean? If we get SKA gold or BREEAM Excellent? And then coming across the circular economy and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation website in particular. That’s why I can’t get happy with this idea is because it’s still within the scope of one project. And we need to understand the ripple effects and the circular flows of everything else, and how stuff goes together.

So our framework then becomes about that, because we see that as a bigger understanding of the material construction design ecosystem. Using sustainable materials to adhere to circular design principles is crucial in this context. So I think that’s just a more intelligent place to start as well for us because it then leads us to ask a lot of different questions. And what we start to look at a design approach that is slightly different, based on a set of principles.

the problem with sustainability assessment systems

The danger of an assessment system is you end up with this huge checklist and a really complex spreadsheets. And you know, you’ve got to get however many points out of however many other points, and then you start getting tactical about what decisions you’re making, right? Because you got to get to the certain levels. And if we just get a couple more, we can get up to silver, and it becomes a different weird game, that clearly is better than doing nothing. But it’s not engaging with the core idea.

You know, and I think for us, we wanted to step outside of that and think, Well, if we really want to make a difference here, how are we going to do it. And the other realization is that it’s all very good saying, let’s get the lowest embodied carbon we can. But if you sit down with a blank piece of paper and try and work out let’s just design something low carbon it’s almost impossible, you can’t design to that it’s meaningless.

So we need a design strategy. The unsustainable extraction and consumption of raw materials contribute to environmental degradation and resource scarcity. And that’s why circular economy is so good for us. We’ve managed to prove that if we design out waste and pollution, if we design to keep materials in use for as long as possible, if we get reclaimed chairs and tables, if we sand the existing floorboards, if we expose the walls, if we use the right type of paint, if we cut the staircase up and make it into a wall cladding, that guess what we managed to reduce the embodied carbon of that of typical fit out by 45%, just by doing that for a high end restaurant in central London.

So that connection for us was kind of a key moment of saying, well, we can design this way we have this strategy of designing out waste, of thinking about principles. But the point in developing the framework was, it gives us a way of working. And I think without that, that’s where so many designers feel a bit lost, because we don’t know how to interrogate those decisions and ask enough questions.

If someone can give you an EPD, that says, this has three kilograms of CO2, and another one says this one’s got four. If that’s all you know, then you’re just going to pick the three, even if it comes with all kinds of other compromises on the sustainability, or huge water usage, or all kinds of all kinds of stuff. So that’s why we had to develop a framework and we certainly don’t have all the answers, I wouldn’t sit here and say, we have it all down. The point of having the framework and the point of us applying that to these projects is that we are learning every day.

consultants for a sustainable restaurant interior project

Matt Morley

Maybe that opens discussion then around how far your role goes in terms of the design of the space? Typically when I’m looking at say an entire healthy building project, whether it’s new build construction or refurbishment, I’m often on a call as one of 10+ different consultants from a QS, to MEP, to project management, lifts and so on… but with a restaurant are you operating effectively as a One Stop solution or are there others that you might bring into the mix with you?

David Chenery

Again, it’s a question of scale - a one off independent restaurant with a focused brief, lean budget, then yes we might do most of that sustainability work.

If we didn’t have a sustainability consultant, we often with a social enterprise called Bio Regional who can do assessments for carbon, SKA or bespoke metrics that we’re developing around the circular economy.

And then on the MEP side, we are definitely not MEP consultants. So particularly operational carbon, that energy efficiency piece, we would look to partner with someone like MESH (net zero carbon building performance) then a landlord or or contractor may have their own people they will bring along, but on smaller projects, what we’ll find is you will tend to have specific conversations with, say, the HVAC contractor, or the plumber, or the electrician, to see what we can do with them to get things better. And if it goes slightly a notch above that, then we will have an MEP consultant, similar to ourselves, who will give input on that. The significant climate impact associated with the production of office furniture and the potential reduction in emissions through circular economy practices like refurbishment and repair should also be considered.

But that does really depend on the scale of a project and your average high street restaurant of 3000 square foot is probably unlikely to have that person. So you know, that’s probably where we develop our knowledge, particularly often they’re contractors or installers within the industry, that can have a similar mindset to us.

If I go into my garden here, and I pick a pear off the tree, I don’t need a carbon lifecycle assessment or a sustainability consultant to tell me that that’s a good choice. You know, there are some straightforward, common sense principles that we can apply.

The Pareto principle applies suggests 80% of the impact will come from 20% of the decision. So you know, if we’re looking at the water systems, we know even just from looking at the SKA systems that if they are the same 5-7 things you do in terms of water management, such as low flow taps, and WCs, leak detection systems, you do those right and you’ll get most of the impact anyway.

Circular design principles and end-of-life in a sustainable restaurant

Matt Morley

In the past I’ve studied green and health building certifications from LEED, to WELL, FITWEL, and so on following the checklist. And then at some point, you just start, you just start freestyling without needing to hold on to the sides of pool, let’s put it that way. Then you start to combine elements or leave certain bits out, knowing that you’re getting 20% of the value.

So what about end-of-life phase with your restaurant designs? How do your clients manage that?

David Chenery

Well, I guess since we’ve been focused on doing this, fortunately, nothing we’ve designed has had to be taken apart. So you have to say that that’s theoretical in a way and it’s just a really important acknowledgement as a designer that most restaurant fit outs will last about five years whether it’s because the concept has failed or they want to make changes or simply update the look and feel of the space. Even the average building gets fitted out 20 to 30 times in its lifetime.

So, yeah, we haven’t had to be challenged on that yet. But we are aware when we’re designing, you know, whether it’s a counter going in or material finishes on the floor? How is this going to come out again? Can we use particular materials that are in as useful a format as possible? Can we avoid cutting tiles?

Last week, I was looking into an issue for Gail’s, the difference between a timber floor and a tiled floor. Now at end of life, those both become quite difficult. You know, we spent two hours talking to a tile manufacturer about how realistic is it actually that we’re going to get these tiles up, and then once that tile adhesive goes down, are those coming up in pieces, or are they going to be able to be reused? Again, if you can get them up whole, they’re still going to have all the adhesive on the back. And it’s going to be such a labor intensive process to take that off, it’s probably unrealistic to use that for anything other than aggregate, which isn’t really good enough.

We need to as an industry find a better solution for that timber again. Likewise, if we’re looking at a herringbone floor, now that can stay in longer, you can re-sand that, you can refinish it, you can re-stain it, it’s going to have a lower carbon footprint, if you take the carbon sequestration into account and having carbon negative score effectively. But again, you’re not because that has to be glued down in a commercial setting, you have to glue that timber down no matter what you do, because it’s going to move over time. So therefore, you’re not going to be able to take that floor up, even if that’s in 30 years time, for example, without and be able to reuse those elements quite easily. So some of those questions I don’t have the answer to at all.

In many cases, if you do something of quality, you’re maximizing the chance it can stay in there for a long time. But yeah, it’s it is a challenge, I really do think it is, you know, we need to understand how materials come apart. Again, we need to design for disassembly, so that elements can be taken apart using mechanical fixings wherever we can, rather than glue - that is a general principle. But you know, in, in commercial or hygienic environments, like restaurants where we’re talking about cleaning down every day that that can be quite difficult as we come up against standard best practices. Additionally, it's crucial to regenerate natural systems while addressing the tension between resource extraction and environmental protection.

Matt Morley

I think that sort of transparency and honesty is, is really the only position any of us in this game can take because you know, we’re all always learning, but simply doing the best we possibly can at any given time. Right? And as long as it’s a sort of circular but forward motion, we’re heading in the right direction.

restaurant design trends and sustainability

What about restaurant design in general, when you look at what’s happening in the industry, particularly in London, but around the UK, Are you broadly optimistic of where it’s going?

David Chenery

I try and kind of cultivate quite a stoic mindset but we will do everything we can to make it better. I think that depends on which side of the bed I’ve got up in the morning. I think I’m nervous how everyone has rebounded straight back into growth mode After COVID. I think people are just trying to build things. And I don’t know if we’ve necessarily learned the lessons we could have done. But I’m happy that initiatives like Net Zero Now and the Zero Carbon Forum are getting more traction. I’m happy that, you know, the SRA is, is getting good traction with its members.

Right now, I honestly believe it’s probably like a five year problem. And I don’t think you can be running your business, for the benefit of your stakeholders and shareholders. with them front of mind, if you’re not tackling this issue of sustainability, because you’re just not building a resilient business,

So if you don’t dial back in and actually look at your business model and look at your supply chain, and look at how you run your buildings and your energy usage and all of that stuff, you’re just going to have a tougher and tougher time in the years to come. I don’t believe The whole industry has got that and agrees with that. I think there are a number of people who still want to think it’s business as usual but maybe a little bit more green. - we need to move faster than that! By incorporating circular design principles, the restaurant industry can promote a more sustainable future, significantly reducing environmental impact and fostering a healthier planet and society.

David Chenery's current sustainable restaurant interior design projects

Matt Morley

What have you got going on at the moment? What do you have in your pipeline?

David Chenery

We’re certainly fully booked until September at the moment, which is great. I mean, there’s Gail’s - a great client for us. And we’re doing a number of new sites for them - we just opened one in Epping recently. These projects aim to be resource efficient by minimizing environmental impact and maximizing the longevity and adaptability of materials. There’s actually a hair salon project we’re working on as well.

We’ve been approached by some other people like L’Oreal to help them apply our framework to a hair salon. So there’s a flagship I’m working on with them at the moment, which I’m not actually allowed to talk about But that will be quite high profile in central London. And then alongside that, we’ve got some some independent restaurants, we’ve got a six tenant food hall we’re working on.

But also we’re doing a number of more consultancy pieces now, as you can probably imagine. So some of the larger groups, were talking to them about how we can bring these principles and this framework to their sites, whether we end up designing them ourselves or not. So that’s quite an interesting conversation, how we can educate internal property teams on carbon literacy or this disjunction between net zero targets and daily operations.

Matt Morley

Very good. Well, it sounds really positive. So people are looking to follow along or see your news and updates. What’s your chosen format?

David Chenery

Yeah, LinkedIn is definitely best. That’s definitely the place to find me.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidchenery-sustainablehospitalitydesign/

What is Circular Design?

Definition and Importance of Circular Design

Principles of Circular Design

Benefits of Circular Design in Interior Design

Applying Circular Design Principles

Flexible Spaces for Adaptability and Reuse

Best New Biophilic Hotel Resorts Using Biophilic Design Interiors — Biofilico Wellness Interiors

biophilic design by Jean Nouvel

Rosewood Sao Paulo luxury hotel with natural materials

https://www.rosewoodhotels.com/en/sao-paulo

This 93 metre high tower in Brazil was designed by Ateliers Jean Nouvel (AJN) and completed in 2022. It houses the Rosewood Sao Paulo hotel with 104 rooms and 124 branded Rosewood suites, as well as a spa, fitness centre and penthouse complex.

The Rosewood Sao Paulo hotel is an example of how biophilic design is reshaping the hospitality industry by meeting evolving guest expectations and creating a unique and immersive experience.

Bordering Matarazzo Park, this 54,100 m² project combines elements of biophilic design with its parkside location to offer a hotel experience connected to nature despite being in a giant metropolis.

Terraces are planted with the same tree species as present in the park to create a sense of visual continuity as well as providing additional privacy for residents and hotel guests inside.

Previously this was the site of the Condessa Filomena Matarazzo Maternity Hospital, thanks in part to the landscaping by Julien Benech from Paris the transformation into a sustainable luxury tower is now largely defined by its nature-centric aesthetics. Biophilic interior designs foster unique and memorable guest experiences by creating a connection to the natural world through elements like wooden materials, living walls, plants, natural lighting, and indoor water bodies.

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Biophilic hotel design with natural light

TreeHouse Hotel London, UK

https://www.treehousehotels.com/london/gallery

The TreeHouse Hotel shares some of the 1 Hotels DNA as it forms part of SH Hotels & Resorts, an affiliate of global private investment firm Starwood Capital Group led by Chairman and CEO Barry Sternlicht. So it’s no surprise to see certain similarities between the two biophilic hotel brands, albeit with a number of clear points of differentiation.

Most notably, the Treehouse brand has a smaller format, and perhaps a more ‘eco premium’ positioning, while 1 Hotels is really all about ‘eco luxury.’ This arguably makes the brand more nimble and able to adapt to a wider range of locations, such as its forthcoming Downtown Miami, Brickell site designed in collaboration with Rockwell Group and SHoP Architects in the JDS Development Group’s 1 Southside Park.

A Treehouse Hotel Manchester is also under development, scheduled for opening in 2023. In the London outpost though, it’s all about those large bay windows letting natural daylight flood in from the cityscape outside. Internal glass walls further pull sunlight into the interior of the building increasing the amount of natural light occupant exposure. Interiors are courtesy of the team at Audrey Sterk Interiors.

The rooms are designed to be cozy and welcoming like a childhood clubhouse. They use a color palette of grays, blues, brown and whites. Color palettes are a key interior design element that can evoke a sense of connectivity to nature and reflect the personality of the destination. There is a large quantity of wood used throughout the rooms within the closet, door, window, and bed frames, desks, tables, chairs, and shelves. This brings the tangible feel of nature into the interior of the building through biophilic interior design. A variety of natural materials such as wood, wool, and cotton are used to create a natural and sustainable atmosphere.

A rain shower is also included in each room within a large open spaced tile shower. Each room is playfully accented with iconic London memorabilia and accessories such as cartoon mushroom pillows, plants, and the Paddington Bear with Red Hat Blue Coat. This makes the environment of the room playful, ensuring a disarmingly informal setting for such a city-centre location.

A range of biophilic elements of design are present such as birch tree wallpaper accent walls, leaf designed pillows, whicker lights, and a bar with a bare stone facade.

Moving to the roofscape, plants line a large majority of the area with extensive garden boxes and living walls filled with a variety of flora. A small jungle is created with a beautiful panoramic view of the city.

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The world's most biophilic hotel

1 Hotel West Hollywood, USA

https://www.1hotels.com/west-hollywood/gallery

Within the hills of West Hollywood, the 1 Hotel pulls nature inwards, placing it at the center stage of its biophilic interior design. Native species of plants line the outdoors alongside heavily planted gardens. Vines cascade down from the rooftop gardens giving depth of flora to the biophilic space.

The hotel’s design integrates the natural environment to prioritize sustainability and guest well-being. This helps city dwellers reconnect with natural surroundings, leading to benefits such as stress reduction and higher attention spans.

The hotel is USGBC LEED certified meaning it takes deliberate, measurable steps to ensure efficiency in carbon emissions, energy use, water use, waste management, transportation, building materials, occupant health and indoor environmental quality (EQ).

A sustainable building design meant that a series of sustainable hotel operational practices were also needed, from the elimination of single use plastics, to the provision of electric car charging stations, and onsite composting gardens.

Biophilic elements of design include living moss walls, reclaimed oak furniture and skylights. One notable element of design is a large dining / ballroom with thousand of small circular white lights. Looking up it’s like thousands of stars shining in the night sky.

The 1 Hotel in West Hollywood ensures sustainability in both its design and operations, promoting a vision of luxury 5-star hospitality that is aligned with the health of both people and planet.

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A new interpretation of biophilic design for resorts and hotels

Patina Ubud, Indonesia (2023)

https://patinahotels.com/ourfootprint-ubud

Designed by Brazilian man of the moment Marcio Kogan of Studio MK27 Architects and scheduled for opening in 2023, Patina Ubud was built within the forest landscape of Indonesia with a design emphasis on integrating the location’s natural beauty, a collection of buildings were positioned along a sloping terrain leading into a river valley.

A long infinity pool runs parallel to the Wos River. Expansive, floor to ceiling windows help illuminate each room with the serenity of the Indonesian jungles, bringing the outside world into the guest experience.

A wellbeing designfocus means that the 102 villas feature neutral, calming hues of browns, whites, and beiges. They are accented with colors of orange and green to bring together small elements of the space. Nature-inspired color palettes are used to establish emotional connections with spaces and create a sense of peace and calm.

Wellbeing interior design promotes positive emotional comfort and restorative sleep via a combination of colours, patterns, textures and wabi-sabi finishes.

Natural light entering the rooms allows the circadian rhythm to balance and intuitive lighting allows guests to set the level of ambient lighting they desire during the latter hours of the night. Each room is also provided with a yoga mat, aromatherapy, and calming breathing technique tutorials.

Healthy and sustainable materials are used throughout the interiors while food is sourced from local suppliers, and single use plastic is avoided completely, three meaningful examples of a green procurement policy in a resort context. The resort also incorporates natural and recycled elements, enhancing its sustainability and connection to the natural world.

Taking biophilic design to new heights in a luxury resort

Joali Being resort, Maldives

https://www.joali.com/joalibeing/

The Joali Being resort is an immersive, natural wellbeing retreat designed for mental and physical relaxation offering everything from customized nutrition programs to mental rejuvenation activities and interactive learning experience to leave guests ‘transformed’ in some small way.

Surrounded by the idyllic setting of the Maldivian beaches, this biophilic resort design fosters a deep connection to the natural world, promoting environmental sustainability and guest well-being. It is to be found on the island of Bodufushi, a 40 minute plane ride the main airport.

Each one of the 68 villas has its own piece of beach and a personal butler while an earth-to-table menu promises locally and sustainably sourced, fresh foods that support small farms as a way to integrate sustainable operations practices. Every meal is curated by the resort nutritionist with health and wellness in mind.

Living spaces are equally designed around maximizing guest wellness, primarily through biophilic design principles. Harmony and balance were the main priority, eliminating negative vibrations and enhancing energy flow.

Other components of this wellness design strategy include private pools, meditative musical instruments, and wellbeing games for mental stimulation.

So-called ‘transformational spaces’ were designed for reflection, movement and personal growth thanks to fitness rooms and meditation rooms in particular.

Full immersion programs were formed to rebalance and increase the mental wellbeing of guests through tailored movements to align specific health concerns such as digestive and weight rebalance and restorative sleep.

This wellbeing real estate development is a shining example of how to create a hospitality experience geared for guest wellness.

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An urban interpretation of biophilic architecture and design

Villa M, Paris, France

https://villa-m.fr/galerie/

The vertical garden exterior and contemporary steel structure of the Villa M Hotel in Paris designed by Triptyque Architects (Paris and Brazil) in collaboration with Philippe Starck makes a bold visual statement in a city full of historic architecture.

Nature is lifted into the sky by flora filled balconies overflowing with plant life. Biophilic design is immediately apparent from the exterior of the building but continues through into the interiors as well for a comprehensive, nature-inspired design.

Wood and marble are dominant in the interiors, with vibrant, organic colors promoting a sense of calm and comfort. Spacious rooms were created with a focus on guests’ sleep quality in particular.

Amenities for play, work, and health inspired by biophilic design include a restaurant and bar with its own planted garden. The rooftop space is filled with an array of fruit trees - the perfect place to relax and enjoy the skyline.

Finally, a genuine focus on fitness is a clear point of differentiation at Villa M, in addition to its wellness design interiors, they have doubled down on fitness facilities via a heavyweight boxing champion coach Tony Yoka, 250m2 of floor space including a boxing ring and a range of dance, yoga, martial arts and fitness classes both for hotel guests and external members.

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Living walls and biophilia in hotel architecturE

Parkroyal Collection Kuala Lumpur (2022), Malaysia

https://www.panpacific.com/en/hotels-and-resorts/pr-collection-kuala-lumpur.html

The PanPacific-owned Parkroyal Collection’s first hotel outside of Singapore debuted in summer 2022 and, in a similar vein to its predecessor, the eminently biophilicParkroyal Pickering, this too is a fine example of how to integrate biophilic interiors and prominent landscaping in a hotel development.

At 527 rooms, this is no boutique-size hotel meaning any biophilic wellness design interventions had to be replicated over a generous range of rooms and suites.

Overall it’s a self-described ‘eco-chic living’ solution in the Malaysian capital but its most noticeable feature is an exterior facade of 78 sky planters filled with luscious plants. These planters showcase more than 13,000 square feet of plants and trees from the exterior. Natural lighting mimics the circadian rhythm and promotes a healthy sleep cycle, providing a more sustainable lighting option.

Guests thereby have access to garden-like escapes in the center of a bustling cityscape. With a deliberate focus on the wellbeing of their guests, the hotel houses a holistic wellness floor that showcases the St. Gregory Spa, a modern gymnasium, fitness studio, and pool.

Alongside this, there is also an outside pool surrounded by wooden pergolas, greenery, and flowering plants. Biophilic elements of design are showcased throughout the building in the shape of potted plants, stone walls, plant pattern rugs, woven wicker chairs, and a green tiled bar.

Sustainable building design and operation is a large part of the sustainability goals of the hotel. Various steps were taken toward green building sustainable design.

Kitchen menu ingredients are sustainably sourced for all on-site bars and restaurants, while bathroom amenities are sustainably presented in biodegradable packaging. A filtered drinking water system and a food waste management system complete the picture.

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Further reading:

Sustainable boutique hotel grands in the UK

Blue Room sports bar design

The Blue Room, Porto Montenegro is a music venue and sports bar designed with a biophilic, nature-inspired style. It combines a local cafe with an . ongoing calendar of sports, cultural and lifestyle events.

Blue Room porto montenegro - concept development

This project was a warehouse conversion, giving us high ceilings and plenty of space to work with. The concept is a sports, music and entertainment venue within a marina village in Montenegro, making this a unique hospitality experience.

blue room bar - the brief

Our brief was to create a fun, fresh and informal venue that would appeal to a young, trendy audience. Our role involved complete creative concept development right from the start, literally working with an empty box to start with, and eventually delivering the Blue Room sports bar concept.

our role in creating blue room bar, porto montenegro

When creating the . biophilic design interiors for the Blue Room Porto Montenegro, first we designed the space plan, branding and initial 3D visualizations for the bar area, sports / games room, table tennis zone, dance floor an outside terrace.

biophilic interior design of blue room, porto montenegro

When creating the biophilic interior design of Blue Room Porto Montenegro, we brought the outside in with a ring of air-purifying plants around the top of the bar structure matched with a palm leaf print wallpaper on the back-bar and green-white stripes on the front of the bar for a cohesive colour palette. We also matched that with the furniture, procured from one of our specialist suppliers.

Blue room sports bar concept

In order for the Blue Room Porto Montenegro to have a tangible sports bar atmosphere, we sourced premium table football and table tennis set-ups for the new venue and off-set them against a row of tall palm leaf trees in a bright colour palette of terracotta, blue and green to match the selection of bar stools.

outdoor terrace

The external terrace involved indigenous landscaping, outdoor rugs, ar furniture, sofas and sun loungers to create a seamless transition from the interior dance floor and bar. Benefitting from a memorable sunset view over the adjacent sports field and beyond to the bay, this quickly became a Friday night hotspot in season.