Extreme Weather's Impact on Interior Design Unveiled in New Research by ASID and CIRI

The American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), in collaboration with the Chemical Insights Research Institute (CIRI) of UL Research Institutes, unveiled groundbreaking research shedding light on the effects of extreme weather and climate events on the built environment and its occupants. Titled "ASID Impact of Design Brief: Climate, Building Resiliency & Human Health," the research marks the first of two free resources from ASID and CIRI, delving into the intersection between science and interior design.

Analysis of Extreme Weather Brief

The newly released extreme weather brief examines the current state of the environment from a chemical landscape perspective. It proposes strategies to integrate climate better, building resiliency, and human health considerations into evolving design practices. It explores how weather events impact the built environment and interior design, the effects of extreme weather on human health and building resilience, and provides insight into designing for the future.

Future Directions and Collaboration

Following this, ASID and CIRI are set to release a second brief focusing on the effects of heat in the coming months. According to ASID's "2024 Trends Outlook Report," two-thirds of Americans have experienced extreme weather events, and the impact of climate events on the built environment is becoming increasingly apparent. The research offers interior designers the opportunity to address these challenges and positively and proactively impact occupant health.

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Insights and Collaborative Efforts

"Our recent research demonstrates that weather changes, like prolonged elevated temperatures, are changing how materials behave in the indoor environment," said Dr. Marilyn Black, VP and Executive Director of CIRI. "CIRI is excited to share our research knowledge with ASID so interior designers and manufacturers can be leaders and stewards for advancing healthy and sustainable living and working spaces." The collaboration between ASID and CIRI provides invaluable data to inform designers in their practices. It reveals insights such as the significant impact of poor indoor air quality on human health and the challenges posed by internal stressors on building resilience. Beyond extreme weather events, designers must also consider smaller, daily occurrences that can impact indoor environments. The report concludes with forward-facing strategies for improving building resiliency, including integrative design approaches and proactive evaluation of potential impacts.

The brief is now available for interior designers, industry professionals, and the general public. It offers essential insights into the evolving relationship between extreme weather and interior design.

ASID research fellow Dr. S. Dawn Haynie and Holley Henderson, Director of Strategic Partnerships and Education at CIRI, will present the findings of the CIRI brief at upcoming industry conferences, providing further depth and context to the research's implications.

Through this collaboration between ASID and CIRI, there is a sign of willingness to embrace innovative and effective measures that may be utilized to counter the effects of severe weather conditions in built structures. Thus, it is critical for professional interior designers who work in the scientific field to understand that it is possible to solve numerous problems related to creating safe, healthy, and sustainable interiors by combining research for science and design. The findings emerging from this investigation will not only apply valid insights into modern design practices. Still, they will also contribute to identifying a direction by which contemporary climate-related issues can be aptly addressed. Given the new conditions in the global climate, the necessity of incorporating different areas of knowledge in developing integrated methods and strategies for building reliability cannot be overestimated.

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