From 3 to 5pm on the 8th of June, at the Fullerton Hall of the Museum of the Art Institute, a series of experts will have their say on the sustainability issue. The speakers invited represent a complete cross-section of design industry, from designers to experts in materials, consumer and producer associations, architects and analysts from around the world.
Each speaker will offer their personal view on the issue of ecological responsibility. Along with these keynote speeches there will be the presentation of a Harvard MIT case-study analyzing Italian kitchen manufacturer Valcucine, a company characterized by its dedication to environmental issues. Following the opening addresses the floor will be open, giving room for a wider discussion involving all the speakers and addressing problems relating to raw materials; the lifecycle of a product; ‘sustainable’ design approaches in industrial design and architecture.
The speakers participating are:
Karim Rashid - arguably one of the world’s leading designers. Working across a broad spectrum of fields: from architecture to product design; from fashion to graphic design. Rashid’s career is characterized by a series of collaborations with leading brands and critical acclaim. He represents the interests and concerns of the commercially successful ‘democratic’ designer and the considerations that must be made in the creation of ecologically responsible design.
Gianni Cantarutti – Internationally acknowledged author and consultant specialized in the use, sourcing and management of timber. Cantarutti is the founder of Culturalegno (Wood Culture), a non-profit cultural association for the promotion, analysis and safeguarding of timber and its treatment.
Marco Steimberg - Associate Professor of Architecture at the Harvard Design School. Steinberg's research focuses on strategic design development within the industrial design/architecture disciplinary boundaries. He heads the Product Development in Architecture concentration within the school’s Master of Design Studies program. Steimberg is also principal of the Helsinki based NB architecture, a design practice providing architecture and product-oriented research and strategic design services.
Leo Breedveld – is the founder of 2B, an environmental consultancy focused on introducing Life Cycle Assessment theories in various fields. His work is aimed at an optimal decision support in relation to sustainable development. Breedveld has worked in various sectors such as eco-design, eco-label, industrial ecology, environmental marketing and environmental education. He is an active member of various environmental associations, like BestUp (Italian circuit for sustainable living); EnergoClub (renewable energy and energy saving initiative), EU-VRi (risk management platform), SETAC and ISIE (scientific LCA forums). Breedveld is a lecturer in LCA at the University of Venice.
Susan Inglis – in the last 20 years Inglis has worked across boundaries and borders around the world to supply connections and production capabilities that leverage the power of the global business platform. Today Inglis develops, sources, and manages production of high volume wood case goods, home accents, and textiles. She is professionally affiliated with the Fair Trade Federation, The Crafts Center, Women in the Home Industries Today, and she is executive director of the newly formed Sustainable Furniture Council.
Marco Bettiol - research fellow in Economics and Business Management in the faculty of Political Science at the University of Padua. Bettiol has also received a grant from the University of Berkeley to study Knowledge Management and Innovation. Bettiol’s research is primarily focused on design and creativity as a key asset in adding value to small and medium sized businesses and industrial areas. He has studied the issue of Knowledge Management in different production areas in Italy, with particular attention to the role played by the professional community in the process of acquiring and disseminating knowledge.
Elva Rubio – graduate of the Universities of Georgia and Miami with a master’s degree in architecture. Rubio has served as senior vice president of ISI/Epstein and Sons and today maintains her own firm as well as serving as design director at the architectural firm of Gensler Chicago. Rubio lectures at the School of the Art Institute, the Illinois Institute of Technology, and the University of Illinois at Chicago. Her work is characterized by its creative use of materials and concern for energy conservation. In 1997 Rubio received the Distinguished Building and Interior Architecture awards from the Chicago chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA).
The discussion will be moderated by Bruce Tharp – lecturer from the Faculty of Architecture, Interior Architecture and Designed Objects at the School and Art Institute of Chicago. Before joining SAIC Tharp worked as a corporate anthropologist and design researcher for Haworth, a global contract furniture manufacturer. Themes present in his work include sustainability, parent-child relations, and inclusive/universal design. Tharp is currently engaged in a range of design projects, including universal/inclusive design, interactive design, sustainable design, and domestic objects.
The mission of the round table discussion is to create an opportunity for members of the public to gain a valuable insight into the considerations shaping design in the years to come. The issue of sustainability demands attention and acceptance, and forums for the exchange of ideas represent a vital opportunity for design professionals to come together, to ask questions, seek answers and sketch out the road ahead.