Designing for Sustainability:
A Process of Continuous
Improvement
“Enriching the experience in
the outdoors and creating a sense of place is what Landscape Forms is all about. Sustainability is
foundational to who we are today and what we aspire to become in the future,” says Landscape Forms’ CEO,
Marjorie Simmons.
Caption: We have partnered
with Loll Design to utilize HDPE materials made entirely from post-consumer and post-industrial waste
content for use in benches and tables.
As Simmons describes, integral to Landscape Forms’ stated
purpose to “Enrich Outdoor Spaces” is a strong dedication to sustainable product design and manufacturing
processes, and the continual examination of how products and processes act upon the environment is
requisite to achieving this goal. Design, Culture and Craft—the three pillars at the core of Landscape
Forms—are backed by a strong sense of environmental accountability that drives all aspects of the company.
Sustainability is considered at every turn, at every touch point, from the product design, to the
manufacturing process, to the development of employees and workplace culture.
"Our company’s decisions and policies will be made
through the lens of sustainability, from initial product concepts and development and manufacturing
processes and material choices to supply chain decisions and our day-to-day habits of resource use and
recycling,” continues Simmons. “Promoting sustainability in all that we do is the right thing to do. It’s
good for our planet, good for future generations, and good for our business.”
Caption: Our polyethylene
products, which includes Chill, are flame, stain and scuff resistant, are protected with UV inhibitors
and stabilizers, and are fully recyclable.
The most basic level of sustainable product design concerns durability—products that
are designed to live long lives and withstand the rigors of natural environment and heavy use is a more
sustainable use of resources than products that quickly become weathered or obsolete. And since its
founding, Landscape Forms has been synonymous with high-quality, purpose-built durable furnishings. But the
company’s approach to sustainability goes deeper. “Design is just one element in our approach to
sustainability,” says Chief Creative Officer, Kirt Martin. “It’s one part of a consistent thread that weaves
through everything we do, influencing our manufacturing processes and even our culture.”
As for how these efforts play out on a day-to-day basis, Landscape Forms Senior
Designer, Brian Revoir describes, “Our day-to-day approach to sustainability is based on continuous
improvement, continually looking for new materials and innovative ways to use them to improve efficiency and
reduce waste.” This approach to sustainable product design and manufacturing is inspired by the kaizen
philosophy—the pursuit of continuous improvement across all levels of the company. Kaizen principles seek to
advance and standardize processes in order to reduce waste and complexity and further leaner and cleaner
operations.
“We write a sustainability program for every product that holistically analyzes its
impact from cradle to grave,” continues Revoir. “It’s important to analyze not just usable lifespan of a
product, but also what happens before and during manufacturing and what happens after that usable lifespan
has elapsed.”
Caption:
Thermally modified ash is a domestically sourced wood species that is highly durable and is a perfect
material for outdoor furnishings, as it has a long lifespan, is low maintenance, and ages slowly and
beautifully.
For sustainability measures before and during manufacturing, Landscape Forms’
designers carefully consider how the get the most impact using the fewest components and how to most
efficiently manufacture these components in-house. Continually improving in-house capabilities and sourcing
raw materials domestically whenever possible contributes to greater transparency in environmental impact
across the supply chain. Landscape Forms’ designers further consider ways in which the usable lifespan of a
product can be reliably extended, incorporating aspects of modularity and adaptability enabling products to
reflect the changing needs of a site. And considering the end of a product’s successful life, designers
implement measures to ensure that the recycling of the materials is as easy and complete as possible.
In the spirit of Landscape Forms’ history as a leader in sustainable design and
manufacturing, efforts have redoubled under the leadership of CEO, Marjorie Simmons. The recently formed
Sustainability Committee is comprised of 12 emerging leaders from all areas of the company who share a
passion for environmentalism. The group is tasked with taking a fresh look at products, processes,
programs, and facilities from a sustainability point of view, each member working with smaller teams in
their areas to implement department wins while also tackling larger company wide goals.
Caption:
Light pollution is an increasing problem threatening astronomical facilities, ecologically sensitive
habitats, wildfire, and energy use. A wide range of our lighting products are International Dark-Sky
approved.
“I’m proud of Landscape Forms’ commitment to design, quality, and an exceptional customer experience as well
as our renewed commitment to sustainability,” says Simmons. “It’s exciting to be working along side others
who are passionate about protecting the environment and see the impact we can have on our communities now
and into the future.”