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DESIGNING
FOR LIFE This issue of Perspective editorially defined as "Designing for good," gives us the opportunity to focus our attention on the assumed and potential meanings of health, safety, and welfare. We have all heard these words so often as we pursue interior design licensing activities; they are the basis for legal recognition, and historically represent the only criteria under which any professional licensing will occur. They have become so familiar, I believe we may take them somewhat for granted. Upon looking up "welfare" in my thesaurus, I found "good," "prosperity," and "well-being" as synonyms. Yet, a word frequently substituted, in the design context is comfort. I suggest we ought not relax our responsibility to embrace only comfort, but should maintain vigilance in defense of our client’s total well-being. Safety seems an easier concept to grasp. Physical hazards are fairly easy to identify in the built environment. Working under the guidelines of the American with Disabilities Act has heightened our sensitivity to the physical and mental demands to be met in designing safe, comfortable spaces for all persons. When we come to the word "health" we have an opportunity to expand our horizons. The interior designer’s responsibility to protect the public " health" is well defined, and generally thought of relative to video display terminals, air quality, repetitive stress injury, and obviously, the integrity of design and construction components and their placement to prevent injury to users of interior environments. These all relate to physical health – but let’s not forget mental health. It is likely to be the aesthetic elements of interior design that make the occupant "feel good". Have you ever seen anyone enter a visually appealing space and not respond to it? Success in healthcare is dramatically influenced by human response to pleasing environments. Why should we assume, or accept anything less from other interiors? Within a broader context we might also think about the "financial health" of our clients. That financial health is threatened by all the VDT, clean air, and fire safety issues. A single worker’s compensation claim is extremely costly, not only in cash out of pocket, but also in the man-hours required to process the paper, and resolve the complaint. Our clients can’t afford it – and neither can we. And a still broader look at client "financial health" would embrace an evaluation of whether the interior designer is thinking in the same decade as the client. Do we understand available technology and current work patterns possible through appropriate interiors? Are we, in our planning and problem solving, cognizant of the long range plan and strategic intent of our customers? Do we really understand their fundamental philosophy to the extent we can accommodate the built environment to their visions? Of tremendous concern is the "ecological health" of our planet. Even on irresponsible interior designer has great potential for depleting natural resources and damaging air, water, and soil. When we present ourselves as protecting the "health, safety and welfare" of the public,, are we? Are we conscientiously maintaining our beautiful Earth? Are all plans and specifications reviewed to assure minimum negative impact on the environment? Quality of life is truly the issue. Health, happiness, and sufficient financial resources are all necessary for humans to reach their potential. As interior designers we have profound effects on the future – a powerful and responsible position. I recently heard the word "integrator" applied to the role of the interior designer. I can espouse that position if the intent is to describe an artful technician, blending health, safety, welfare, comfort, function and beauty into the workplaces we create. |
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