They are starting small, first with tee shirts declaring their mission, and then a book group, but Arlena Hines and Krista Robinson are on the move to make the Interior Design Department at Lansing Community College an example for their industry as well as for their campus.
Hines and Robinson have integrated the work of William McDonough and Michael Braungart, captured in their 2002 book, “Cradle to Cradle,” into every class in the 250-student program.
McDonough is like the father of green, says Hines, lead faculty for interior design and fashion technology. But making the text required reading not only for design students as well as a faculty book group is just one step of many.
Throughout the summer, Hines and her staff reviewed all their courses and changed the descriptions to include green outcomes. Now integrated into every course are the considerations of sustainable methods and systems of ecology, economy and equity.
In the cradle-to-cradle scheme, materials are designed to make landfilling unnecessary, says Robinson. “No longer can you just think about how something functions. You have to consider its life cycle.”
Every aspect should be weighed including how workers and the community are treated in selecting a product, Robinson says.
Thanks to Hines' and Robinson’s efforts, LCC is fielding a team to design the interior of a home for a Greater Lansing Housing Coalition competition. Armed with $300, the team will furnish a kitchen and dining area, living room and master bedroom suite while adhering to its cradle-to-cradle ethos. They will do it by adding little that is new.
Source: Arlena Hines, Lansing Community College
Gretchen Cochran, Innovation & Jobs editor, may be reached here.
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