Designing Sustainable Systems Solutions HOW MIGHT WE DESIGN PRINCIPLES AND INFRASTRUCTURE AT THE FACILITY LEVEL TO PROMOTE SUSTAINABLE INTERVENTIONS? This ERIF grant-awarded research aims to create a bridge between existing frameworks, tools and methods for
the analysis of sustainability in production and consumption systems, and the design of sustainable solutions in complex spaces of innovation. The overarching goal is to reshape what we produce and consume and how, so that environmental and sustainability concerns are fundamental to product and complex systems design. This project will develop a framework to reduce the innovation gap (Whitney, 2015) at the nexus of the human
production and consumption in the context of global environmental quality. The short-term goal of the project is to establish a framework to (1) incorporate considerations of human behavior in environmental analyses of
food production-consumption systems, and (2) support decision-making processes towards sustainability in
Name / Surname
the design process and strategy definition for sustainable systems solutions (Niedderer et al 2016).
In the first year, this collaborative approach is being explored through action reserch at the facility level at The
Andre Nogueira
Plant, which is an industrial building located in the south of Chicago that serves as an incubator for local food and beverage businesses. The project aims scaling up the findings from this case study to larger and more
Research field/area
complex systems, such as a region or the food system, in later years. In addition to developing a research
Sustainable interventions and Design for platforms and infrastructuring decision-making
approach and methodology for this integration, the collaboration will also contribute to the PhD thesis. Major questions are:
1. How to incorporate consideration of natural resource demands and environmental concerns in the design process and strategy definition?
2. How to incorporate consideration of human behavior in the analysis of environmental concerns across the
Supervisors
production-consumption system?
Prof. Carlos Teixeira Prof. Patrick Whitney Prof. Weslynne Ashton
3. At the facility level:
a. What are user and environmental concerns of production-consumption system at The Plant?
b. How can consideration of human behavior and environmental impacts inform design of sustainable interactions at The Plant?
c. How can the Design process contribute to the implementation of Sustainable Systems Solutions?
“The Plant” and “Plant Chicago” The Plant is an industrial building on Chicago’s South yr1
yr2
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Side that is owned and operated by Bubbly Dynamics,
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a for-profit, social enterprise that is home to diverse group of food and beverages businesses.
Plant Chicago is a non-profit organization located
inside The Plant, whose mission is to incubate circular economies. Plant Chicago provides educational
programming, runs a year round farmers market, and
Supply Chain
conducts research around closing waste loops,
Outside
P Inside
Inputs
Outputs
particularly among tenants in the building.
Inputs
COMMUNITY
Value Network
INDIVIDUALS
ORGANIZATIONS FACILITY
IDEOLOGY
CULTURAL INVENTION
Principles SUSTAINABILITY GAP PRAGMATISM
Incentives
IMPLEMENTATION
HAVE RESULTS
Benefits Policies
Regulations
Infrastructure
Strategy
DO ACTIONS Measure BE VALUES
Manage
CHANGE AGENTS
Bibliography Niedderer, K., Ludden, G., Clune, S., Lockton, D., Mackrill, J., Morris, A., ... & Hekkert, P. (2016). Design for behaviour
change as a driver for sustainable innovation: Challenges and opportunities for implementation in the private and public sectors. International Journal of Design , 10 (2), 67-85.
Whitney, P. (2015). Design and the economy of choice. She Ji: The Journal of Design, Economics, and Innovation, 1(1), 58-80.