Allison Arieff is currently an editor-at-large at Sunset magazine and writes the “By Design” blog for the Opinion section of The New York Times. In 2000, Arieff helped found the architecture and design magazine Dwell and was the editor-in-chief from 2002 to 2006. She is a featured speaker at this year’s West Coast Green conference being held Sept. 25–27 at the San Jose Convention Center. Arieff will speak on creating communities and will also be participating in the panel Luminaries in Green 1. She took the time to speak with us about sustainable design, building green, and greening everyday purchasing decisions.

1. Please talk a little bit about how you became interested in sustainable design and green living/building topics?

When Dwell started back in 2000, we devoted one page of the magazine to sustainability. There just wasn’t all that much good-looking green design to be found. That began to change as the magazine grew and developed. More and more smart and stylish sustainable homes and products were submitted, and so more and more pages were devoted to covering it. It was great to see this pretty rapid shift from yurts and hippie shacks to the sleek, modern designs of architects like Michelle Kaufmann, David Hertz, and Escher GuneWardena.

2. You are one of the featured speakers at this year’s West Coast Green Conference. What will you be speaking on and what do you hope attendees will take away from their time at West Coast Green?

I’ll be speaking about community, in particular innovative ways to create it. Especially today with gas prices what they are, the emphasis needs to shift and, I believe, is shifting to walkable communities where you can get a quart of milk, bring your child to school, get to the park, etc., all without getting in the car. So the question is, how can architecture and planning help bring people together?

3. What are the biggest benefits of building or decorating green? What are some of the lesser-known benefits?

Well, I think there will be a time when we won’t even speak of a building being “green,” as that will just be the normal way to do things. Green building is better for the environment for many reasons—less waste, less contribution to landfill, less impact on the land—but also better for your health: nontoxic materials, no off-gassing of chemical compounds. People perceive green as costing more, which isn’t necessarily the case. In fact, building green can significantly reduce energy usage—and energy bills. People also feel that green looks a certain way, but the fact is, we have the capability to design anything in a sustainable way.

4. If someone is looking to make only one green decorating change now, what would you suggest?

Lots of things you can do, big or small. Need to paint a room? Use a no- or low-VOC paint. Looking at lighting? Think about the fact that recessed lighting often means up to 20 lightbulbs could be turned on with one switch—so make sure to turn off the lights! Renovating? Make sure you don’t contribute a big pile of debris to the landfill. Not only can you donate used building materials—like old windows, cabinets, doors, etc.—you can get big tax credits for doing so. If you’re going to do a gardening-landscaping project, think about using drought-resistant plants that require less water and maintenance.

5. What are your favorite green home products?

My favorite green home products are Ecover dishwashing liquid and Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day laundry soap.

6. What common green gimmicks should consumers be wary of?

I hate to say it, but even if products are green, they are still products. Buying more stuff has more of an environmental impact and only contributes to the problem of global warming. Marketers act like buying a green product is going to save the planet, when, in reality, we should all aim to limit our consumption a bit. If you’re in the market for new furniture, buy items that you’ll enjoy for a lifetime. Even for smaller purchases, like bedding, there are a million greener options available.

7. What innovations on the horizon are you most excited about?

Green/living roofs that reduce heat gain—i.e., can actually make a city cooler in the summer—reduce water run-off, restore bird and butterfly habitats. Plus they look fantastic. Also, the new one at the California Academy of Sciences, in San Francisco, is an ideal example, but they can be used on just about any building. More efficient/streamlined solar systems—i.e., solar tape that you can simply lie flat on your roof—are also an exciting new innovation.

8. What does the future look like to you?

We’re heading toward a situation where green is “normal.” In the not-too-distant future, we shouldn’t even have to distinguish between green and not green. Homes, cars, products, and food will be sustainable because that’s the best way for them to be built/designed/grown. Maybe that sounds a little idealistic, but I think it can happen. If we all focus on making tiny changes—and then more tiny changes—they will add up to have a big impact.

Allison Arieff’s Resource Recommendations

Television

The Sundance Channel’s documentary series Big Ideas for a Small Planet

Websites

Ideal Bite
inhabitat
GreenBuilding.com
TreeHugger
World Changing

Blog

Home by Sunset

~ Amanda Miller