Learn how to transform an existing restaurant into a sustainable operation. This presentation outlines various ways restaurant owners can use interior design strategies to become more efficient with their energy, water, food waste and building materials.
2. It has been stated that 40% of food in the United States is thrown away – mostly in a food service
environment – and that burdens all food delivered with up to 80% more environmental impact. This
statistic alone is incredibly daunting, which is what inspired me to renovate and redesign a restaurant
into a more sustainable establishment in Monterey, California. My approach to this renovation is
to focus on air circulation, water, energy, material and waste reduction in both short and long term
occasions.
My design philosophy will revolve around continual life cycle assessments (LCA), where I will consider
a broad range of environmental impacts a product can have throughout its entire life cycle. This
includes raw material extraction, sourcing, transport, use and disposal.
8. COMPROMISES
“Take, for instance, the paper versus plastic bags debate. Retailers such as Whole Foods and even
entire cities such as San Francisco have banned the non-biodegradable plastic variety in the name
of saving the environment. But according to Schenck, who sits on the executive committee of the
American Center for Life Cycle Assessment, a non-profit organization that seeks to build capacity and
knowledge of LCAs, that’s not necessarily such a good thing. An LCA conducted on non-recycled paper
bags shows that because they require the cutting down of trees for materials, are heavier to transport,
and release greenhouse gases when they decompose in landfills, they can actually be worse for the
environment than plastic bags, which are made from an already-existing byproduct of petroleum, are
lighter to transport, and don’t release greenhouse gases in landfills.”
- Rita Schenck, Executive Director of the Institute for Environmental Research and Education
For my restaurant vision, I plan on taking several concepts demonstrated by the Mixt Greens and Red
Stag case studies. While I appreciate the guidance that the varying green restaurant certifications
provide, I do not find the point rating system to be entirely cohesive. I would like my concept to be
more “full circle,” where the system’s big picture is greater than the individual parts.
19. Throughout the restaurant renovation process, my goal was to consider the entire life cycle of
each product, operation and function as it relates to air circulation, water, energy, material and
waste reduction. With the ultimate goal of “zero waste,” I believe my efforts were a great first step
towards a more eco-effective design. With an integrated design approach, I tried to include different
stakeholders such as working with a landscaper for the living roof, the restaurant operator for kitchen
design decisions, electrician for proper placement of energy-efficient lighting, architect and air
circulation specialist for proper window placements, staff members for proper training and more. More
importantly, I wanted to include these stakeholders in all meetings, from the very first day all the way
until the end of the project.
Today’s conventional restaurant industry is still learning what it means to be sustainable. However,
a major benefit of renovating this restaurant space is that it will be spreading awareness of the
sustainable movement. The more we continue to “practice what we preach” as well as showcase the
benefits of living sustainably, the greater the chance we’ll have at creating a better, healthier world for
all living people, animals and plants for all of time.