‘The technical things are not the only important things here (in sustainable design)… The humanity of the system (design and construction process) is also really important for proper sustainability and I think this is how we have to work going forward – we have to go right back to the source and think what will make things better for them instead of telling them what to do. The idea (of sustainability in design) is to think about the whole system – to put yourself in the middle instead of at the end. We (designers and architects) have to integrate the human, the humane, the health, the community and nature. I think design is an interesting place in that system – it can’t solve everything, but it has to understand where it sits in the chain and act accordingly.’ – Ilse Crawford presenting ‘Nice to have, not need to have’ at Sveriges Arkitekter.

Ilse is a renowned British journalist-turned interior and furniture designer who founded the design studio Studioilse. She is also the founder of the Department of Man and Well-being at the Design Academy Eindhoven.