Sustainable & Low Impact Design Defined

Sustainable & Low Impact Design (also referred to as "green design", "responsible design", or "smart growth") is the art of designing physical objects to comply with the principles of economic, social, and ecological sustainability. It ranges from the microcosm of designing small objects for everyday use, through to the macrocosm of designing buildings, cities, and the earth's physical surface. It is a growing trend within the fields of architecture, landscape architecture, engineering, industrial design, and interior design.

The essential aim of sustainable design is to produce places, products and services in a way that reduces use of non-renewable resources, minimizes environmental impact, and relates people with the natural environment.

The primary objectives of sustainable design are:

• • Improving the quality of life—people's health, livelihood, and vulnerability—as affected by environmental concerns;
• • Improving the quality of growth—by supporting policy, regulatory, and institutional frameworks for sustainable environmental management and by promoting sustainable private development; and
• • Protecting the local, regional, and global environment—to address climate change, water resources, and bio diversity.