Deep Green Metropolis and SURROUND

Discover industry tools and resources for circular design, as Avi Rajagopal and Samantha Sager discuss actionable steps we can take toward tackling the challenges discussed throughout this season of Deep Green. How can we make an impact on an individual level? How can we educate ourselves and those around us? What organizations can we turn to for guidance? Incredible tools, research, and innovations are helping the industry move in the right direction but to meet the moment we will have to shift away from our culture of consumption and redefine the roles of architects and designers in shaping a sustainable future. Hear from Rajagopal on his hopes for the journey forward.  
 
Chapters 
Review of the principles of circularity 
How can we pursue circularity as individuals? 
How can we pursue circularity as a community? 
Industry resources and tools 
Rethinking the designer’s role 
 
Resources 
Salvage Superstar: Renovation Angel 
Rheaply Brings Ingenuity to Recycling Building Materials 
Arup’s Circular Buildings Toolkit 
Two Platforms Help Designers Specify Low-Carbon Interiors 
Build Reuse  

Deep Green is produced by Samantha Sager, Wize Grazette, Lauren Volker, Rachel Senatore, and Hannah Viti, and is part of the SURROUND podcast network. Special thanks to Avi Rajagopal, Editor in Chief of METROPOLIS, for his insights. Recorded at the podcast studio by Vornado in the Penn 1 building in Manhattan. 
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Learn how we can deepen the connection between the built environment and the natural world, as Avi Rajagopal and Samantha Sager discuss the third principle of circular design: regenerating nature. Navigating the complexities of where materials are derived from, how they are made, and what happens to them at the end of their useful life is crucial as architects and interior designers work to support a more circular economy. What defines a biobased product? How do we responsibly source these materials? Is a biobased plastic always biodegradable? Hear from Rajagopal on the ideas and experiments coming out of the industry designed to return more materials go back into their natural cycles and loops on this planet. 
 
Chapters 
The third principle of circularity: regenerating nature 
What does biobased actually mean? 
Biobased vs. Biodegradable 
Success story: a completely biodegradable chair 
Responsibly sourcing biobased materials 
Infrastructure and composting 
 
Resources 
PROWL Urges Designers to Consider the Afterlife of Products 
Model No. Furniture 
Natural Habitat: A Tranquil Retreat in Cold Spring 
 
Deep Green is produced by Samantha Sager, Wize Grazette, Lauren Volker, Rachel Senatore, and Hannah Viti, and is part of the SURROUND podcast network. Special thanks to Avi Rajagopal, Editor in Chief of METROPOLIS, for his insights. Recorded at the podcast studio by Vornado in the Penn 1 building in Manhattan. 
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Explore the intricacies of material recycling, as Avi Rajagopal and Samantha Sager pick up where they left off last week, focusing on the second principle of a circular economy: circulating products and materials at their highest value. Are all materials suitable for recycling? How can we make sure that recycled or reused materials perform to the standards of commercial settings? How can we better design products and buildings for their end of life? Hear from Rajagopal on some innovative ways our industry is circulating products and materials, recycling more responsibly — and giving nature a much-needed break. 
 
Chapters 

Circulating products and materials at their highest value 

Recycling obstacles (incentive, policy, and more) 

Success story: Nylon 

The hierarchy of recycling strategies 

Designing for disassembly  

 
Resources 
METROPOLIS Climate Toolkit  
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation 
METROPOLIS July/August 2023: This New Upholstery Line Features Yarn Made From Marine Plastic 
 
Deep Green is produced by Samantha Sager, Wize Grazette, Lauren Volker, Rachel Senatore, and Hannah Viti, and is part of the SURROUND podcast network. Special thanks to Avi Rajagopal, Editor in Chief of METROPOLIS, for his insights. Recorded at the podcast studio by Vornado in the Penn 1 building in Manhattan.
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What obstacles does our industry present to the dream of a circular economy? Join METROPOLIS’s Editor in Chief, Avi Rajagopal, and producer Samantha Sager as they begin to explore these challenges, beginning with how we can eliminate more waste and pollution from our processes. A&D culture is shifting away from building new (for the first time in 2022, retrofits and renovations accounted for more money in architectural buildings than new construction!) but are we adapting buildings as sustainably as possible? Are we preparing them for future adaptations or just passing the buck? Are we considering the interiors? What about the communities that live around these projects? It’s easy to say, “Oh, let's reuse a building,” but in practice it tends to be a pretty tough and complicated process. Hear from Rajagopal on the steps our industry is taking to reuse more responsibly—and live a little bit closer to harmony with nature.

Chapters
What are the principles of circularity?
Principle 1: eliminating waste and pollution
Unpacking adaptive reuse
Future-proofing our buildings

Resources
METROPOLIS Climate Toolkit
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation
METROPOLIS July/August: “3 Adaptive Reuse Projects Prioritize Flexibility for the Future”
LMN’s Tenant Improvements Embodied Carbon Study

Deep Green is produced by Samantha Sager, Wize Grazette, Lauren Volker, and Rachel Senatore, and is part of the SURROUND Podcast Network. Special thanks to Avi Rajagopal, Editor in Chief of METROPOLIS, for his insights. Recorded at the podcast studio by Vornado in the Penn 1 building in Manhattan.
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Unpack the environmental impact of the building industry and the hurdles we face in reducing our carbon footprint with METROPOLIS’s' Editor in Chief, Avi Rajagopal, and producer Samantha Sager. They discuss how the sector is responsible for 40% of global carbon emissions and 30% of worldwide waste, and is the second largest consumer of plastics, putting the industry at the heart of the problem of the climate crisis. A must-listen for those passionate about sustainable interior design and architecture, this episode underscores the urgent need for change: a move away from our trend-driven culture. Join us this season as we explore the challenges our industry presents to the dream of a circular economy. May you be inspired to advocacy and action. 

Chapters

The building industry and climate change

What is embodied carbon exactly?

The consequences of a culture of trends

The building renovations craze - and its implications 


Resources
METROPOLIS Climate Toolkit 
“Why Interior Designers Must Fight Climate Change”
LMN’s Tenant Improvements Embodied Carbon Study

Deep Green is produced by Samantha Sager, Wize Grazette, Lauren Volker, and Rachel Senatore, and is part of the SURROUND podcast network. Special thanks to Avi Rajagopal, Editor in Chief of METROPOLIS, for his insights. Recorded at the podcast studio by Vornado in the Penn 1 building in Manhattan.
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A new season of Deep Green is on its way!
On this season of Deep Green, we’re doing things a little bit differently: METROPOLIS Editor in Chief Avi Rajagopal is going to be sitting in the hot seat, and with him will be producer Samantha Sager. Join us as they have an honest conversation about the environmental impact of the building industry and the unique challenges the sector presents to the dream of a circular economy. May you be inspired to advocacy and action.
Deep Green is produced by Samantha Sager, Wize Grazette, Lauren Volker, and Rachel Senatore, and is part of the SURROUND podcast network. Special thanks to Avi Rajagopal, Editor in Chief of METROPOLIS, for his insights. Recorded at the podcast studio by Vornado in the Penn 1 building, Manhattan.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices