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We are joined today by Greg Stanfield, Founder and Principal of Sustainable Building Consultancy Field Green Design.
We really enjoyed learning about the ways that they are reducing waste and applying sustainable and non-toxic materials to design.
Greg has kindly given us some time for this interview, in which we are going to explore the sustainable building and architecture sphere, and how he aims to influence the homes of the future.
Please give a warm welcome. 
Hey Greg! Firstly, can you tell us a bit about your background and how you got to this point in the journey?
My background is quite varied, with a lot of twists and turns. On finishing college, I started a role in a Building Consultancy, during which I attended university, studying for my undergraduate degree. During my summer breaks, I travelled and worked over in New Zealand, where I got the travel bug. Upon graduation, I spent 3 years skiing and surfing around the world, where I saw first-hand the effects humans are having on the planet. This led me to go back and study a Masters in Architecture, specialising in Environmental & Energy Studies.
From here, I spent time in Scandinavia working on a sustainable building farm, which opened up an opportunity for a job designing bespoke homes in the United Kingdom. This led to me getting a job in British Columbia, specialising in designing Passive Houses. Since graduation, I have been working on Field Green Design, and I’m now spending my time designing residential developments to the Passive House standard, using Building Biology principals.
What are the first three things that you personally consider when you start designing a home?
The first thing is the budget, as this affects everything from the outset. The budget does not necessarily affect how healthy and efficient a home can be, however, it does affect how to approach a project. Other things to consider are the site and the immediate surroundings, as well as the building occupants, and any health issues – these will influence the design and materials which make up the building.
Can you tell us perhaps, what are the best things you can do to a house-build for sustainability, and what are the worst things you can do?
The best thing to do for environmental sustainability is to use materials with low embodied energy, as well as producing a building which uses the least energy possible – these will both result in the building reducing the overall carbon emitted. Also, have a full life cycle assessment undertaken.
For social sustainability, the effects of materials on human health should be looked at, as the occupants long-term quality of life will be greatly influenced. Ultimately, environmental, social, as well as economic sustainability need to be assessed to create a truly sustainable building. The worst thing to do is to carry on designing houses using materials and methods that are not given a second thought to, ultimately increasing carbon emissions, and negatively affecting people’s health.
Unfortunately, as materials and methods cannot be quantified, like the numbers of bedrooms, or the look of a kitchen or bathroom, people do not spend much time thinking about how they affect the occupants of the building and the planet's inhabitants.
What are some trending sustainable materials and how would you use them?
At the minute, Passive Houses seem to be getting more traction. My worry though, is that designers are specifying materials that do not only have high embodied carbon, and are bad for occupant health, but also will end up in a landfill and create further problems in the future.
There are materials out there that are available to mitigate these issues, however, people need to spend the time to learn about them, or get in touch with people that know, like us at Field Green Design.
What is ‘1% for the Planet’ and what’s your role?
1% for the planet is a global network of businesses, nonprofits and individuals working together to support environmental solutions. Basically, people and companies give 1% of their earnings to environmental non-profits, meaning they can continue to do their good work. I am a Founding Member, as I was one of the original to get involved. I split my 1% donations between the likes of Protect Our Winters & Surfers Against Sewage, as well as other charities that catch my eye. I also promote the concept to other individuals and business that may want to get involved.
Of course, we believe that sustainability is beneficial in both environmental and economic terms, but how do you translate that to potential customers?
I just lay out the benefit to the environment and the client’s health, whilst linking back to economic factors. For example, a Passive House which follows Building Biology principals does have an extra premium up front (around 5%), however, the increase in mortgage repayments could be offset by the savings on heating bills, meaning the overall monthly repayments are actually quite similar. When this is laid out and calculated, people generally see this as something that’s worthwhile, economically, environmentally and socially. People’s biggest worry is obviously the finances, however, up-front planning and budgeting can reduce problems further down the line.
We've read that the industry is trying to move away from the term ‘pre-fab’. What are your thoughts on this, and offsite or modular construction in general?
The term ‘pre-fab’ to me doesn’t matter, as the way we are building is drastically changing, especially from the ways immediately after the war. I think ‘pre-fab’ will become more and more popular in the future, as walls, floors, and roofs of houses are getting so thick that it’s more cost and time effective to build these offsite, and then put together on site.
What major challenges are you facing right now?
I think like you, people see environmentalists as ‘hippies’, and that they are not in the real world. This is slowly changing though, especially as things become more mainstream; the government's targets are helping. I think it will take a few years yet before it becomes more popular, although I have to say, with millennials becoming the people that are building and buying houses, and social media, things are definitely going in the right direction. We just have to get the builders on board next, which is another challenge.
Where would you like to see Field Green Design in 5 years’ time?
I would like to see Field Green Design as a mainstream practice, working with the general public, as well as assisting architectural practices and construction firms on how to create healthy and efficient homes. This is not so that we are making lots of money, but rather to reduce the health impacts buildings can have on people, and to reduce the effects buildings have on the planet. Buildings are said to be more polluted than the outside air, as well as being some of the greatest emitters of carbon, so for me, it is crucial that this is changed.
What advice would you give to other sustainability entrepreneurs who want to start a business or project of their own?
Setting up your own business is a little bit daunting at first. But if you start small and dream big, with some hard work and dedication you will make the positive changes you want!
Good luck, and hope to see you out there soon!
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