NBP Interiors | Interior Designer in Jaipur
The world of retail and its connection with consumers is often a controversial subject. Retail is about selling in large quantities, and in order to do this, manufacturing and mass production is at the heart of the business. This uses vast amounts of materials and the Earth’s resources in terms of energy and creates carbon emissions that are harmful to the environment. Many manufacturers are beginning to address these issues, using materials that are organically grown and processes that are less harmful, but there is still a long way to go before these issues are resolved. The built environment as a whole is associated with waste. Retail interiors are ripped out and replaced with every new tenant, or changed every five to seven years for a new concept. Also, during the building process, materials are wasted if not used and often end up in landfill rather than being recycled. As designers, part of our role is to consider the materials that are specified in terms of their ability to be reused or to last, or if recycled materials can be used instead. The designer and team of contractors can work together to eliminate waste and consider an alternative use for materials that are left over or changed.
NBP Interiors – Interior Designer in Jaipur
In terms of energy consumption, electrical and mechanical engineers look carefully at the efficiency of
their installations as part of the design process and produce documents that outline to the client the correct
way to use the equipment. It is often the misuse of buildings and such equipment that can lead to energy
waste. BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) is a voluntary
measurement rating for green buildings. Now widespread across Europe and the rest of the world, it was initially established in the UK. Its equivalents in other regions include LEED in the USA and Green Star in Australia. In terms of retail, their remit is to carry out assessments on new buildings; major refurbishments,
tenant fit-outs; and management and operations assessment on existing buildings.
NBP Interiors – Interior Designer in Jaipur
They can look at the general
display and sale of goods, food retail and customer service retail. The assessment aims to identify a score that measures the building or fit-out against a set of criteria that will identify any major concerns. Designers now
work within the BREEAM guidelines, which in turn help them consider environmental issues.
An analysis of retail and its responsibility to the environment can be broken down into three areas
of consideration: the building shell, the interior components and the building’s energy consumption.
Interior shell – Interior Designer in Jaipur
When considering the interior shell of a building, the key to being sustainable is to think through the interior structure and the choice of materials used. The first consideration should be whether the structure needs
to be altered at all; is it useable in its current state? If not, care should be taken so that only minor alterations
need to be made. Any structural work, the building of walls (including those that are not supporting), the floor finish, and the ceiling finish is considered part of the interior architecture. Older properties, in particular, may have seen
NBP Interiors – Interior Designer in Jaipur
many structural adjustments in their lifetime so it is important to get the interior shell right structurally so that
it should not have to be changed for a very long time. The key to this is to make the interior structure simple so
that fixtures and fittings can be adapted around it. By considering the lifespan of the interior shell, the implemented design can have longevity, reducing the amount of building work over time and hence protecting the environment. The materials used on the floor can also be adopted in this way. A terrazzo floor, for instance, could last 20 years if laid properly, as it is both neutral in appearance and durable. Using timber for flooring also means that reclaimed materials can be reused. This may mean a marked or dented
floor but it will again be durable and neutra
NBP Interiors – Interior Designer in Jaipur
The ceiling plane is an important element of the interior scheme as it houses many of the necessary electrical and mechanical components that make the space function (such as lighting and air conditioning). The architecture of the ceiling plane again can be considered as a fixed element that must be flexible enough in its design to meet the changing interior concept. The trickiest part will be the positioning of light fittings, as they may have to be moved to suit a new scheme. In terms of sustainability, the more the existing interior can be kept intact the better. Minimizing building work is essential.
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Interior components – Interior Designer in Jaipur
The components that furnish the interior – the fixtures and fittings that will drive the interior concept and
layout – are often replaced on a five to seven-year basis. This is because they simply wear out and may not
meet the concept guidelines for a new interior scheme. Some can be refurbished and reused or adapted
to suit a new scheme; others are thrown away and replaced. The key to reducing their environmental impact is
through the materials. They could be constructed from recycled material or objects, for instance, or reclad to
suit a new design scheme.
Energy consumption – Interior Designer in Jaipur
The amount of energy it takes to run a retail unit or building is vast. The building is often climate controlled.
The lighting consists of sometimes hundreds of fittings that are on for up to 12 hours a day, some 24 hours
a day. Tills, music systems, and cooking facilities all use large quantities of electricity and, in food retail, gas supply
The retail environment Materials – Interior Designer in Jaipur
Hundreds of materials are available for use in the retail environment. Some are innovative whilst others are commonly found in every space. In terms of sustainability, certain materials can be used to lower the build’s carbon footprint, although it is important to point out that this is still very much a grey area. Interior designers work predominantly with materials, gauging how they look, feel and enhance the interior environment. The materials or sample board is first produced as part of the concept design and is discussed with the client. For every design project, the material specification is formulated as part of the design scheme. The specification provides a detailed document of every material, the supplier and cost, as well as its ecological status. Some materials have structural qualities that are used in the construction stage of the interior. Some materials lend themselves to creating the interior look through the fixtures and finishes. A diverse range of flooring solutions is available. They need to be durable as the amount of traffic moving through the interior space is high. It is also advantageous to think about the cleaning process and how materials will stand up to polishing machines and suchlike over time. In this chapter, the most common materials found in a retail environment are explored
Timber – Interior Designer in Jaipur
Timber is a versatile material that comes in a range of shades depending on the timber selected. It can be used as interior wall cladding, for fixture and furniture construction, or as a floor finish. It has warmth and is full of imperfections, which can add character to a space. Softwoods, mainly pine, are most commonly used for timber-framed fixture carcasses, with an outer skin applied for finishing. Hardwoods such as oak, ash, beech, walnut, cherry, and maple are more commonly used for flooring. The use of MDF and chipboard is mainstream in many retail environments.
Steel – Interior Designer in Jaipur
Stainless steel, aluminum, and powder-coated mild steel are commonly used in the retail environment. Steel can be used structurally, in a shopfront as a glazing frame, as part of the fixture and furniture design, as system upright posts between wall bays, as a decorative cladding to walls, or as part of the signage construction.
Glass – Interior Designer in Jaipur
Glass is incredibly diverse and structurally strong. The retail customer’s first experience of the interior and product is through the glazed shopfront window. This glass is laminated (layered bonded glass) for strength and safety. Glass is used for shelving, cabinet displays, and sometimes screens. Glass can be colored using a gel, textured, or frosted. Glass can be recycled.
Laminate – Interior Designing Company
Laminates are constructed by layering and fusing kraft or printed papers and resins, with a decorative layer on top, coated in melamine. They are hardwearing and often used as surfaces for counters, wall and door finishes as well as floor finishes mimicking timber. Laminates can be decorative and can be used in innovative ways to create feature walls and displays. They are easy to clean and are durable.
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Vinyl and rubber – Interior Designer in Jaipur
Vinyl flooring comes in sheet form or tiles in a variety of colors and finishes. It is used in sheet form mainly in the
back of house area of the store and ancillary areas, as it is relatively cheap and hardwearing. Vinyl tiles are
available in a range of finishes and can imitate timber or stone. Rubber, like vinyl, comes in sheet and tile formats but can be expensive. It comes in a range of exciting colors and, when sealed, can be water resistant.
Textiles – Interior Designing Company
Different types of textiles are used widely in retail design, from upholstery and fitting room curtains to carpets. Sometimes, the retail designer will work with an upholsterer to custom-clad pieces of furniture. Leather and specialist upholstery fabric are the most commonly used. Carpets are sometimes specified for retail environments and can be produced to a specific design or pattern. They come in a variety of finishes, either in man-made or natural fibers. Carpets tend to wear out quickly with heavy traffic and need replacing on a regular basis
Concrete, terrazzo, quartz – Interior Designer in Jaipur
These hard-wearing materials are used predominantly for floor finishes, but sometimes as wall cladding. Concrete can be polished to give it sheen, colored with a pigment, or molded to a form of texture, making it very versatile. Concrete, once refined into terrazzo, can be mixed with aggregates such as marble or granite to create a conglomerate, which means that different stones are mixed together. Some conglomerates have quartz added for sparkle. Concrete can be ground down and recycled but this process creates harmful emissions.
Stone, slate and marble – Interior Designing Company
These are traditional, natural materials that can be mixed with concrete to create a conglomerate, or used on their own for flooring, cladding or surface finish. They are hard wearing and have longevity. Each piece will have its own
natural flaws. It is important to mention that some stones such as limestone and sandstone can be very porous and stain easily. Vast amounts of water can be used when quarrying, cutting and polishing the stone, which wastes
valuable resources.
Ceramic – Interior Designer in Jaipur
Ceramic tiles are hardwearing and a cost-effective choice. They come in a variety of finishes and often mimic the look of real stone. They can be used on the floor, walls or as a mosaic pattern, and are waterproof. The finish can be matt or gloss.
Paints and wallpapers – Interior Designing Company
Walls and ceilings are clad in a specific material, painted or wallpapered. A cladding can easily be from a reclaimed material. Some paints are kinder to the environment in terms of their production and emissions and wallpapers can be made from recycled paper and patterned or textured in a range of ways. Wallpaper is once again fashionable and is now widely used both commercially and residentially
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