ASK MILES CONSULT & CONSTRUCT... WHAT’S NEW IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND DESIGN INDUSTRY FOR 2022?
H
appy New Year to all my readers! It is without a doubt that the previous year has been very difficult for all of us. There have been occasions where we just wanted 2021 to end. My husband always tells me to never wish time away and be grateful for every moment. He is certainly right and hopefully, everyone will be able to make the most of 2022 by enjoying their time with loved ones travel. The best way to start is on a positive note and talk about all the exciting trends and predictions for the design and construction industry in 2022. The growing aversion to fast fashion translates to the home too. With home working being the “norm”, more and more people are wanting to renovate their rooms to make them look the part. People are keen to invest in timeless, beautiful quality items now more than ever. It’s all about treasured investments that tell a story and make a home unique, rather than fast furniture. It’s all about expressing yourself and bringing out your true personality.
While marble continues to dominate in bathrooms, kitchens and smaller-scale furnishings such as coffee tables and accessories, stone is having a big moment in furniture too, with warmer tones like travertine making a splash with a sophisticated, Italian-inspired elegance.
Biophilic Design
Sustainable Design
The Living Future Institute Australia (LFIA) has launched the Biophilic Design Initiative to provide education and knowledge sharing opportunities, to inspire built environment professionals, and reconnect everyone with nature to improve our daily lives.
There is a growing awareness of the impact synthetic fibres are having on not just our planet, but on our health too. A lot of people are unaware of what their flooring is made from - be it carpet or rugs - and have been unknowingly filling their homes with polyester, which is in fact plastic!
Biophilic Design is a requirement of the “Living Building Challenge”1 – the world’s most rigorous certification that calls for the creation of buildings that operate as efficiently and beautifully as nature’s architecture.
Sustainable interior design is about creating interior environments using design principles such as functionality, accessibility, and aesthetics with a focus on people and planet. Sustainable interior design is guided by environmental considerations to help reduce energy consumption, pollution and waste. A simple example is a natural rug in a room, which is a way of bringing nature into your home and also helping the planet.
The development of the biophilic design movement encourages a closer connection to nature in the way we’re building shared spaces. Bringing biophilic elements into the home is an efficient way to maintain that connection whilst indoors. We are seeing this in natural timber finishes and furnishings in favour of man-made, or synthetic finishes everywhere in the home. Kitchen and bathroom spaces, including vanities, walls and ceiling linings are adopting finishes in raw timber, stone and concrete. 40
LANCASHIRE & NORTH WEST MAGAZINE
Above: Travertine effect outdoor 20mm porcelain tile
Efficient use and future proofing of a space might include making doors wider than standard and floors flush throughout to allow future wheelchair access, orientating rooms so that they make best use of natural daylight or creating safe zones so that children can play while a parent works at a desk nearby. www.lancmag.com
