Green Scene

BY PHIL HAGEN

Associates III: Writing the Book on Sustainable Interior Design

The Associates III team.

So, you're running a successful interior design business and along comes an idea that will dramatically change your way of doing business, the dynamic of the whole industry and possibly even life on Earth. And your first instinct is to share it with the competition.

So much for company secrets. But Associates III, a 38-year-old interiors firm in Denver, knew that introducing the concept of sustainability one high-end home at a time wouldn't be fast enough even then, way back at the start of the 21st century, before the dawn of global warming. The "Hundredth Monkey" theory seemed a better application for their newfound "green" spirit, which centered on making more responsible, healthier choices in practicing interior design.

"Before this we were more aware that people were competing against us," says Kari Foster, Associates owner. "That's just the way the world is. But once we became a sustainable interior design firm, we realized that it's all about sharing as much as you can. When more people have that information, the more things can change quickly."

After getting its own act together internally — with all employees creating a sustainable work environment and process for themselves — and successfully designing a residential interior for a family with a hyper-allergic child, Associates III began its multimedia crusade to spread the green gospel. First they did a PowerPoint presentation at the EnvironDesign 4 conference in 2000, followed soon after by the popular "Turning Green" booklet, which Associates III published with ASID national. Then came the 430-page industry bible in 2007, Sustainable Residential Interiors (John Wiley & Sons, Inc.), co-authored by Foster, designer Annette Stelmack, ASID, and marketing director Debbie Hindman.

All of this sharing — not to mention the Associates III calendar full of industry seminars and info-sharing visits to individual firms (even direct competitors) — has led the interior design industry into a whole new era. While architects have LEED as a guiding light, interior designers and vendors now have Associates III.

"Somebody recently told me, 'If I could have figured this out for myself, I would have, so thank you for giving us a path and sharing the information,'" says Hindman. "That's the toughest part [in adopting sustainable practices], when you're on your own or in a small firm. So this is empowering people to do this on their own."

For that reason, they preach taking simple steps. "One thing we say is to not be overwhelmed," Foster says. "Start with doing one thing. What's one thing you can do with a current client? What's one product that you can specify differently next week? And call us if you need help. We realize it takes time."

Associates III got lost in the 1980s and '90s with everyone else — even though Foster very well knew the lessons of the first environmental movement of the 1970s, and had had a "take only what you need" upbringing by her immigrant parents. "We had lost perspective," she says of the firm's early days. "We were so busy doing, and while we always cared about the environment, it wasn't a focus for us."

That changed when some team members got a "spear in the chest" revelation from the EnvironDesign 2 conference in 1998, which featured such speakers as California architect Sim Van der Ryn, a pioneer in sustainable design, and Virginia architect William McDonough, also a leader in sustainable design as well as manufacturing.

"It was a pivotal point," Hindman says. "We all decided to embrace [environmental responsibility] on a company level, to walk the talk. It became a situation where people followed their hearts instead of being told to do this or work on that, so it had a very organic feel to it and was very empowering. Everyone was motivated and got into areas they were excited about. I think that was the key to propelling us forward so quickly."

Besides this burning desire, Associates III's emergence as a sustainable authority was enabled by the fact that it was a successful, mature company that had people (about a dozen, including a librarian) to propel it — as opposed to the many firms run by one, two or three designers. Even so, the task of writing an entire textbook on the subject was daunting.

"I think we were looking for a way not to do it," Hindman says with a laugh. "We knew the amount of time and expertise it would take, and we didn't feel like we could do it justice. But then we realized we had a responsibility to share that information, that this was so important for the interior design field. So we finally broke down."

Today Associates III is enjoying the wave of green enthusiasm that's sweeping America. "I'm so energized by this," Foster says. "I've been around 38 years, and I should be retiring! But it's so much more fun to be doing something you can feel great about."

Not only is she not retiring, she's leading the company into yet another era — one of all-or-nothing sustainability. In other words, this year Associates III has stopped taking clients who don't want green interiors.

"That was a big leap for us," Foster says. "It wasn't an easy decision, and we haven't had the best year. But the good news about that, the opportunity in that, is we've had time to build our library, to check on 'greenwashing' (is this product really green?) and to really learn in-depth."

"It's so important to have that time, to have those incubation periods," Hindman says. "It's given us a greater confidence level. So, now we're looking at another pivotal situation that's going to propel us to the next level again."

Associates III, Denver, CO; (303) 534-4444 or www.associates3.com.