Final Project

Final Project:

This final project was to select materials for a small office building that were all harmonious together. The added criteria was that at least some of these materials be environmentally friendly and sustainable. I have selected some natural materials such as bamboo and hemp for flooring and fabrics as well as some manmade materials such as stainless steel for counter and table tops that can be recycled and reclaimed to satisfy this criteria. The end result is a sleek and modern space that still retains a feeling of being connected to nature.

Rendered Floor Plan:

Materials Key:

Materials Selection:

Material: Bamboo Flooring

Product number, color number, etc: Natural74 Veritcal, GFCBGBFVERNAT74

Cost: $4.30/sqft

Space used: Flooring Throughout

Sustainability: (recycled content, etc) Bamboo is a LEED certified material and is sustainable because it requires no irrigation to grow, self-replenishes very quickly, and has very low VOC emissions compared to carpet and other wood floors.

  

Installation: These bamboo floors should be left in the area in which they are to be installed for 72 hours prior to installation in order to acclimate and adjust to the space. They are then installed just as regular hardwood floors are, on top of a subfloor, either nailed or glued down plank by plank.

Maintenance: Just as with regular hardwood, these floors should only be cleaned with a dry or slightly damp mop in case of spills.

Calculations:

            Required Sq Footage: 700 square feet

            Calculations: $3010 Total Cost

Material: Paint

Product number, color number, etc: Benjamin Moore Aura Paint, Satin Finish 

Color: Woodland Hills Green

Cost: $35/gal

Space used: Walls Throughout

Sustainability: (recycled content, etc) Low odor, Low VOC: VOC <48 g/l after tinting, very durable, only requires two coats for even the darkest colors

Installation: Same as regular paint, applied to walls with roller, sprayer, or brushes

Maintenance: Walls can be washed with a rag and warm soapy water, as needed

Calculations:

            Required Sq Footage: 2295 square feet/10 gallons

            Calculations: $350 Total Cost

Material: Ceiling PaintProduct number, color number, etc: Benjamin Moore Aura Paint, Satin Finish Color: November Rain

Cost: $35/gal

Space used: Ceilings Throughout

Sustainability: (recycled content, etc) Low odor, Low VOC: VOC <48 g/l after tinting, very durable, only requires two coats for even the darkest colors

Installation: Same as regular paint, applied to walls with roller, sprayer, or brushes

Maintenance: Walls can be washed with a rag and warm soapy water, as needed

Calculations:

            Required Sq Footage: 650 square feet/3 gallons

            Calculations: $105 Total Cost

Material: Countertops

Product number, color number, etc: Stainless Steel

Cost: $90/sqft

Space used: Countertops and Desk Surfaces throughout office building

Sustainability: (recycled content, etc) Finished product is nontoxic. Can be recycled and found salvaged.

Installation: Stainless steel countertops are cut out of sheet metal and bent to the shape needed. They are then affixed to a plywood base that is attached to the cabinet or base using a strong glue or epoxy. This can be done with an environmentally friendly adhesive to increase the green factor.

Maintenance: Countertops can be wiped down with warm water and can also be cleaned using a specialized stainless steel cleaner.

Calculations:

            Required Sq Footage: 66.5 square feet

            Calculations: $5985 Total Cost

Material: Window Treatments

Product number, color number, etc: Hemp/Flax, ‘Jade’

Cost: $46/yd

Space used: Window Treatments throughout office building

Sustainability: (recycled content, etc) Hemp requires very little water to grow and does not require pesticides to stave off insects. Flax is the same way and is also becoming more readily available and is becoming very inexpensive to produce and turn into fabric.

Installation: This fabric will be hung as drapery panels on a curtain rod on either side of the window frames, hanging from the top of the window down to the floor.

Maintenance: Can be taken down and hand washed/air dried as necessary. They can be vacuumed to get rid of dust in between washings.

Calculations:

            Required Sq Footage: 6 yards

            Calculations: $276 Total Cost

Material: Fabric for Furniture

Product number, color number, etc: Herringbone Hemp, Khaki

Cost: $39/yd

Space used: Material for seating throughout office space

Sustainability: (recycled content, etc) Hemp is a sustainable material because when it is growing it strengthens the top soil, takes much less water than many other natural fiber plants and does not require earth damaging pesticides to repel insects.

Installation: This material will be applied to the seats and backs of chairs using tacks and staples just as any other upholstery fabric would be applied.

Maintenance: This material can be spot cleaned with warm soapy water as needed.

Calculations:

            Required Sq Footage: 13 yards

            Calculations: $507 Total Cost

What I've Learned in this Course

         

           Overall I’ve been very pleased with my experience in this course. I feel like there was a lot of useful information presented that has provided me with a good foundation for determining different types of materials and what their proper applications are from an Interior Design standpoint. I’ve learned a lot about the various types of fabrics and what their applications are, a lot about flooring, walls, countertops, etc.

            Completing the swatch book was one of the most useful parts of the course because it helped us all learn how to tell different fabrics apart from each other. I know now also what kinds of fabrics are best for upholstery vs. drapery or lining of some sort. Not only did I learn what to look for in different fabrics, I learned the names of all of them. This is really essential as an interior designer because no one is going to take you seriously if you don’t know what the names of things are. It will make you seem like you don’t know what you’re talking about. It also is important for ease in making orders and specifications for projects. It allows you to be clear and concise and leaves little room for confusion. Also in the course I learned about durability of fabrics and double rubs and how the higher count means higher durability. This is useful when picking out fabrics for areas that get a lot of use or especially for commercial projects.

            This course has also taught me quite a bit about different flooring materials. Our field trip to Leftwich Chapman I found particularly informative and interesting. I learned from Mr. Leftwich about different types of wood flooring and the different grades and price ranges of them. I learned that the most expensive woods are ones that are solid hardwood or have thicker veneers on them. They also end up being very heavy. A good way to easily compare quality and price without knowing much information is to compare the thickness and weight of samples. The thicker and heavier it is, the better the quality and usually more money it costs. On that field trip I also learned about different types of carpets and the advantages of each. There was also some products they had there that were relatively new technology and new to the market which were supposed to be much more durable but at the same time just as soft as some other types of carpets. A new product I learned about was luxury vinyl. I had no idea that there was such a growing range of products in this category and how good some of them can look. They are a more reasonably priced material than many others but can usually create a very similar and sometimes even more durable look.

            Another interesting thing to learn about was different types of countertops. I typically thought of countertops as being granite, marble, or laminate. From this course I learned that there are many other options when it comes to countertop materials. I learned that quartz is one of the strongest and most durable countertops. I also thought it was neat to learn about all the ways concrete could be used as a countertop and how it is growing in popularity. I thought it was very cool to go to Collins tile and see all the different types of stones they had as well as how they were cut and polished.

            I’m really glad that this class is part of our curriculum. I feel like it might be even more useful during our first year to give us an even more solid foundation. Also I think it would be cool to break it up into several different course. It would be really beneficial to have a class just dedicated to fabrics, and another just to flooring and so on. There are so many different materials out there and while I learned a whole lot in this class, I also know that we barely scratched the surface of what is out there.