Greenbuild to Feature “Networking Garden”

The space is both an art installation and a lounge area.

by Mairi Beautyman -- Interior Design, 11/15/2006

At sustainable building and construction tradeshow Greenbuild this week, the design community can gather at the annual event’s first-ever Interiors Networking Garden. Conceived by design, planning, and strategic consulting firm Gensler and sustainable design firm Tricycle, the venue is a gathering spot for attendees and members of the American Society of Interior Designers, the International Interior Design Association, and the U.S. Green Building Council.

Both an art installation and a lounge area, the space features custom green elements including a plywood floor with SIM from Tricycle digitally modeled carpet samples, a five foot floor lamp made of carpet samples otherwise destined for landfill, a hand crafted table, and bamboo plywood chairs.

The design team followed a sustainable plan that included minimizing the amount of waste generated by the project, modeling end of life reuse of materials, and choosing products (donated by local and national companies) that feature the same values.

Among the interactive features is an area for attendees to write Interior Design eco editor Penny Bonda green design questions on the windows.

And for those weighed down with too many giveaways, the Garden’s “No Swag Zone,” offers a place for unwanted items, which will be recycled or donated to local interior design schools after the show.

"Our vision for the booth is to emphasize the human side of sustainability, rather than the product side by allowing the booth to be transformed by individuals who visit the space," says Gensler designer Melissa Mizell. "Not only are people encouraged to linger and share thoughts, but also to make their mark on the space in a very literal sense."

The Greenbuild Conference and Expo will run November 15-17 at the Colorado Convention Center.