DOI
https://doi.org/10.25772/HSXR-RR96
Defense Date
2008
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Fine Arts
Department
Interior Design
First Advisor
Camden Whitehead
Abstract
GreenLife is the name of the retail interior design project that embodies this thesis. Using interior design as a medium to influence customers,I sought to create an environment that promotes a connection to nature and an awareness of creative possiblities within the context of a store. It addresses the problem of personal social responsiblity by using shopping, a dominant activity in the western world, as a tool for change. As a project, GreenLife attempts to answer three questions: How does design inform cultural experience? How can a connection with nature inform consumerism? Can a store transcend its purpose from filling materialistic needs to become a place of fulfilment? I theorize that if offered a desireable alternative to products that create excess waste and harm our surroundings, an individual will choose the green option, because it will satisfy both a materialistic want and an emotional desire to feel good by personally contributing to help our environment. If these options are presented with a sense of beauty, fun and exploration, it can change how we culturally perceive social responsibility, removing guilt and making it a matter of course. GreenLife is a store designed as a model home with all products set up in a testable format. The interactive nature of the design is intended to provide education and a sense of security within a pleasureable experience, allowing people to confidently choose to live green in their own homes, and to thoughtfully consider the possiblities in other aspects of their lives.
Rights
© The Author
Is Part Of
VCU University Archives
Is Part Of
VCU Theses and Dissertations
Date of Submission
June 2008