SCAD Hong Kong's Professor Rodrigo Buelvas shares insights on design trends and practices that will make a difference for the new year.
There was a time when all things sparkling seemed to be the ultimate definition of luxury and opulence.
But as the design world increasingly shows interest in solutions with conscience and an innate desire to reconnect with nature, trends dictate a gradual shift into celebrating a more down-to-earth aesthetic. Here, Rodrigo Buelvas, professor of interior design at SCAD Hong Kong, elaborates on this direction.
Go Local
“Nature has provided us with some of the most valuable resources and materials that can then be utilised for creating,” Professor Buelvas shares. “For many years, we’ve incorporated materials that require major manufacturing processes and transportation, impacting negatively on the environment and increasing the overall cost. But today designers are working hard to look for alternative solutions to reduce the negative impacts.” With this shift in sourcing and purchasing behaviours comes an inclination toward using local materials, branded by Professor Buelvas as “the new luxury.”
The beauty of using renewable local materials lies in the authenticity that rawness can lend to a space, not to mention its exceptional durability.
See also: Asia Tatler Sustainability Forum At Soneva Kiri: The Who, What And Why