Sustainable solutions

The new and improved LEED rating will include a number of technical improvements focused on enhancing energy efficiency, reducing carbon emissions and addressing other environmental and human health outcomes. LEED 2009 will also incorporate regional credits, extra points that have been identified as a priority within a project's given environmental zone.

This may serve to further ingratiate the system with the UAE's design and supplier community, which has sometimes argued that LEED is not entirely relevant to this region.

"With any new system there are always issues and pitfalls, especially with those that are adopted from another country without considering the idiosyncrasies of the local environment," explained McIlwraith.

"As a rating system, LEED is effective in the sense that it is the first national rating introduced by an organisation to the UAE to provide guidelines and measures for green buildings, and for a sustainable future. As such, it should be seen as the leader and authority on the subject," she added.

"Any rating system is good, as it allows developers to set a benchmark for themselves," Oceanic Trading's Patel agreed. "A rating system should definitely be employed.

When it comes to choosing which one, any number of ones that already exist will do, but they should be adapted for the local
climate. I don't feel that any particular one is ideally suited for how people live here and how the climate is here. And that's exactly what Estidama in Abu Dhabi is trying to do."

The problem, McIlwraith continued, is that designers do not always have a holistic understanding of what LEED really means - and often see it as the last word in sustainability rating.

"From a supplier perspective, issues arise when the designer doesn't completely understand what LEED is. Based on their knowledge, we are getting requests for only LEED-certified products, which automatically excludes our products since they are predominately from New Zealand or Australian companies.

"We are working on ways to overcome this. As a first step we are working towards attaining recognition at the appropriate levels of accreditation and regulatory bodies from other countries, which will open the market to more competition and wider product selection," she maintained.

A number of the products supplied by Our Divan are sustainable, particularly since wool is a common feature and offers a whole host of ‘green' characteristics.

Loop, a high performance textile collection designed by Mokum, includes a wool solid called Sateen, which is a sustainable fabric made in accordance with EU Ecolable regulations. In addition to offering an extremely soft finish, it is biodegradable and features wool fibre and fabric processed in an environmentally friendly way.

Our Divan also supplies Maxwell Rodgers Fabrics, which offers the Eco-Wool product range, certified by Environmental Choice. The range is fully recyclable, uses wool from organic farms and boasts an eco-accredited supply chain and energy-efficient processes.

In addition, the company supplies products by Carpets and Rugs of New Zealand (CRONZ) and furniture from David Trubridge, a specialist in green designs.

Also intent on greening the furniture industry is Spain's Andreu World, which works with raw wood that comes from forests registered with FSC, an independent, non-governmental, not-for-profit organisation established to promote the responsible and ethical management of the world's forests.

This eco-friendly approach is a trend being adopted by most furniture manufacturers at present, maintained Sara Mengesha, a decorator for The One. "I believe there is a genuine interest in looking after our planet; people are more caring about their environment nowadays, so they use organic materials and recycle more than ever before. I think this factor has had a major affect on current trends," she commented.

The One's autumn/winter collection has paid homage to organic, eco-friendly influences, particularly in the case of the Radiant Retreat line. "In Radiant Retreat, we used natural textiles, lots of wood and light colours. We have also introduced an organic cotton bedlinen range," Mengesha revealed.

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