Sustainability and Health | Growing Awareness about Certifications: The way experts approach their craft and materiality in architecture and interior design has changed significantly due to the increased awareness of sustainability, eco-friendliness, and indoor air quality concerns. This change is prompted by a growing awareness of our effects on the environment and public health in addition to business and regulatory pressures.

Growing Awareness about Certifications: Sustainability and Health

With the rising awareness of indoor air quality (IAQ) and the emphasis on sustainable practices, there is a surge in demand for certified building materials and we see more and more manufacturers and brands trying to obtain the certifications which in a way also makes their products little more differentiated.

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In order to go further into and gain a better understanding of the complexities of sustainable design, ON THE FLOOR (OTF) is initiating a collection of articles focused on material certifications that indicate environmental friendliness, sustainability, and the quality of indoor air.

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Some of the certifications which are widely accepted Globally are:

1. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design): A comprehensive framework for sustainable building practices.
2. GreenGuard: Certification for products with low chemical emissions, improving indoor air quality.
3. Cradle to Cradle Certified: Focuses on product lifecycle sustainability and circular economy principles.
4. FSC (Forest Stewardship Council): Ensures products come from responsibly managed forests.
5. SCS (Scientific Certification Systems): Certifications for various sustainability standards, including recycled content and responsible sourcing.
6. Indoor Advantage and Indoor Advantage Gold: Certification for low VOC emissions, ensuring healthier indoor environments.
7. California Section 01350: Standard for testing and evaluating VOC emissions from building materials.
8. Living Building Challenge: Promotes regenerative design and construction for net-positive impact.
9. UL GreenGuard Gold: Stricter criteria for low chemical emissions, suitable for sensitive environments
10. BIFMA e3: Sustainability standard for furniture products.

Two widely accepted certifications from Indian institutions as well:

1. GRIHA (Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment).
2. IGBC (Indian Green Building Council).

Both provide different scores / ratings to the materials.

“All these certifications provide a framework for healthier, more sustainable built environment. If you ask me, it is not just rewarding for the users of buildings but for the design professionals as well as manufacturers too!” says Dinesh Vyas, Co-founder, OTF.

We will be bringing series of articles about certifications and shall try to cover all certifications’ nuances and important take aways.

The idea of this series has come up from two young designers who emailed us. You can subscribe to this website for getting updates and write to us message@onthrfloor.in

The first three articles in the series would cover – LEED, GreenGuard and GRIHA.

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