Figure I.

Italian Trees final

Yes, Di Tullio is right — “we are running” to create design that helps
people move forward and change, design that helps bring people
back to natural behaviours. And yes, Cinzia Ferrara responded,
let’s run using the strengths that have held us in good stead for
so many decades. Ferrara illustrated this when she presented
a project that (coincidentally) also refers to trees. BOTREE, by
design studio Ferrara Palladino e Associati takes the tree as direct
inspiration for new LED street lighting for Polytecnico di Milano.
In this project, it is the skilful application of traditional design
process that supports sustainability on a pragmatic level.

Ferrara discussed the challenge of working with new tech-
nologies — in this case high efficiency LED’s. While these LED’s
are heralded as the least energy intensive lighting source to
date, it is difficult to get adequate light coverage with them. The
inexperienced, or the impulsive, could easily deal with this by
adding a quantity of bulbs that would cancel out the energy-saving
benefits. Ferrara’s deep knowledge of illumination and reflection
was essential to arrive at a solution that achieved coverage with
a minimum number of LED’s. Subsequent prototyping and
testing refined and confirmed the final design. With this case study,
Farrara illustrated that the need for hard work, design process,
and careful analysis does not disappear with new technologies
or new theories. In fact, thanks to our newfound perspective that
decisions can lead to unintended consequences, careful attention
to design process is more important than ever.

Skillful homage to timeless design values also proves that visual
poetics don’t need to be left behind in a future of restraint. Figure
2 shows that the lamp standards of BOTREE are composed from
a simple system of components — there are only three lengths of
extrusion configured in multiple ways to provide an impression
of natural variety. This evokes the Ecodesign fundamentals
of minimal use of materials, wasted reduction, and efficient
manufacturing (Belletire, 2007) and dovetails beautifully with
20th century maxims such as: “Less is More” (Mies van der Rohe)
or, “Less but Better” (Dieter Rams). Figure 3 highlights Ferrara’s
ability to evoke character with a limited palette, demonstrating
again how ecological improvements are buttressed by traditional
design values.

Figure 2.
Lamp standards of BOTREE

al,

Figure 3.

Italian Trees process work

Di Tullio and Ferrara describe approaches that are as
complementary as their use of the tree is inspirational. If we are,
as Giorgio Di Tullio says: “...running to a place we do not know,”
then thankfully, Cinzia Ferrara shows us how the roots of design
knowledge can help us check regularly whether we are running in
the right direction. +

REFERENCES//

1. Burns, Cottam, and Vanstone, Winhall. (2006). RED Paper 02, Trans-
formation Design, Design Council, (Creative Commons) London, UK.
http://www.designcouncil.info/mt/RED/

2. Tischler, Linda. (2010). Parsons Launches Transdisciplinary Design
Program. Whatever That Is., Fast Company, http://www.fastcompany.
com/1559917/parsons-launches-transdisiplinary-design-program-what-
ever-that-is

3. Brown, Tim. (2009). Change By Design: How Design Thinking Trans-
forms Organizations and Inspires Innovation, USA: HarperBusiness.

4. Manzini, Ezio. (2006). Sustainable Everyday, Creative Communities,
Collaborative Networks, and Distributed Economies, Polytecnico do Milano,
http://sustainable-everyday.net/manzini/?p=9

5. Brink, Hamlett. (2009). The Living Principles, AIGA Center for Sus-
tainable Design, http://www.livingprinciples.net/

6. Belletire, St. Pierre, and White. (2007). Okala; Learning Ecological
Design, IDSA, VA.

NOTES//

Farnesina Design Collection: A showcase of the best of Italian Design
prepared by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Vancouver 2010
Winter Olympics.

SUSTAINABILITY 21