There are many products for interiors that claim to be “eco-friendly” and have a great backstory, but whether they are truly sustainable depends on a combination of factors. This course, which launches in fall ’22, is designed to give emerging interior designers some of the knowledge they need to make decisions about what textiles, furnishings, finishes, and other products help make a space sustainable. The Sustainable Materials course will be taught by Janet Hild, who also teaches the Sustainable Soft Goods course in the Master of Professional Studies in Sustainable Interior Environments (MPSS), as well as Textiles for Interiors in the MFA and undergraduate programs. She’s a textile and surface pattern designer with a long history of sustainable product development for the commercial sector of the industry, as well as the Design Firm and Design School Engagement Lead for MindClick, a company that offers an index to help brands deliver on the social and environmental commitments they make to their consumers. “When you’re thinking about sustainability in interiors, you’re evaluating the safety of space, the toxins and emissions to the actual space, but also where the products come from—the impact to the environment where they come from and the energy it takes to make and ship the materials,” explains Hild. “There is a saying that will guide us: Design for health. Design for climate. Design for equity.” Registration for the new course is happening this spring and it’s open to MFA and undergraduate students who have taken Introduction to Sustainability and the Built Environment. Designers looking to extend their studies to achieve true expertise in designing sustainable interiors may opt to apply to the Master of Professional Studies in Sustainable Interior Environments.