BEST and Bermuda College will hold a free lecture on sustainable design by expert Eimeir Johnston on Thursday [Nov 21] from 1.00pm to 2.00pm.

A spokesperson said, “The community are invited to attend this free lecture on Thursday, November 21 to discover how to create environments, interiors and products that are intuitive and make sense for the people who use them. Eimeir aims to create timeless, human-centred, natural and honest solutions that delight in their use, feel and look.

“Eimeir has been delivering design solutions to clients in the UK, Bermuda, the US and beyond for close to 20 years. Her multi-disciplined design background started at the Dublin Institute of Technology [TU], where she gained a first-class honours in Interior Architecture and Furniture design.

“A passion for natural materials and sustainable design solutions led her to further her education and includes a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design LEED AP qualification and a MSc Postgraduate Certificate in Environmental Design of Buildings from the Welsh School of Architecture at Cardiff University.

“Her work has been published in books, newspapers, magazines, and online and has received awards from the Bermuda Architectural Association and the City of Hamilton among others.

Amy Harvey, the Earth and Environmental Science Senior Lecturer at the Bermuda College, said, “Sustainable design is something that we as Bermudians were historically doing before it had a name. We designed our houses to face a certain way to let the summer breeze through before air conditioning was a thing. Our roofs are perfectly pitched to allow for water catchment. We used local supplies to build our homes.

“With overconsumption of goods and a move to cheaper products that often are plastic based or have a plastic film it is important to be intentional about the types of materials we use to build our houses as well as furnish inside once finished. Certain products can give off gases that can actually lead to sick building syndrome.

“Also, if possible we should be trying to minimize the ecological footprint of our homes by using renewable energy sources. We can even reduce energy costs by using biophilic walls which help to cool while also helping to filter the air. Larger apartment complexes or office buildings may even have rooftop gardens which can also reduce the heat given off from buildings.

“This can reduce the urban heat island effect too. There are so many innovations available and we look forward to hearing more about how these can be applied in Bermuda.”

Read more here: https://bernews.com/2024/11/sustainable-design-lecture-on-november-21/