How Green does your Garden grow?

In a time when many interiors trade shows seem to be slipping (except, of course, for that grand dame NeoCon in Chicago), Greenbuild’s star is on the rise. In five short years attendance has grown from 500 to 13,000 and manufacturers from all over the spectrum invest in displays in the expo hall.

As we’ve mentioned previously here on Tricycle Ink, this year we were invited by the USGBC and the two major interior designer associations (ASID and IIDA) to design a space where designers can connect, relax, regroup and be simultaneously challenged and inspired. Co-designed by Gensler and Tricycle, the Interiors Networking Garden was a minimal materials space that was as much interactive art installation as lounge area.

The garden featured repurposed elements ranging from a reused plywood floor to waste bins and a lamp made of carpet samples otherwise destined for landfill… as well as other eco-savvy elements such as chairs made of bamboo plywood, an “area rug” made of SIM print samples, and a repurposed tabletop resting on carpet sample book legs.

And, custom-created just for life at an expo, the designers made a “No Swag” zone where giveaways from the expo floor could be dropped for recycling or donation to design schools,rather than being dropped in waste bins or cluttering up designers' desks....

Michael Hendrix, our creative director, said of the experience: “It was great to collaborate with the Gensler team and learn that our design philosophies are aligned: concept is king, waste is unnecessary, green can always be beautiful, and convention is all too often boring.” And Melissa Mizell, Gensler’s lead de-signer on the project and self-proclaimed Mean Queen of Green, added: “Our vision for the booth was to emphasize the human side of sustainability, rather than the product side.

More notes from Greenbuild to come. First, we've got to go eat some stuffing and sweet potato pie!

Photos by TheButlerBros.com