CONTRACT MULTIVITAMIN: JANE HALLINAN OF PERKINS EASTMAN
June 12, 2020
THANK YOU, CONTRACT MAGAZINE, FOR AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE SOME OF MY EXPERIENCES CONNECTING WITH NATURE DURING QUARANTINE!
My time spent outdoors has only continued to fuel my belief that the interior design profession is in desperate need and long overdue for what I consider our own “Green New Deal.” Responsible product specification must be met with increased understanding and demand for products that support a circular economy and eliminate ingredients that are detrimental to human health throughout its entire lifecycle.
Awareness, urgency, and concern must be given to WHERE these products end up at the end of their use. “Of the 73 incinerators across the US, 79% are located within three miles of low-income and minority neighborhoods” according to 2019 research by the Tishman Environmental and Design Center. Ignoring responsibility for this aspect of our work contributes to systemic environmental racism disproportionately impacting Black and Latino communities “where less access to health care often makes this part of the population more vulnerable to chemicals’ toxic effects” (Source: Healthy Materials Lab)
I’m eager to advocate and continue learning by participating in the Healthy Materials Lab through the Parsons New School and exploring opportunities to express solidarity and intersectional environmentalism.
I look forward to the collective change that we can support as an industry.
A dose of designer musings in there own words. Get to know someone new today!
Jane Hallinan, IIDA, LEED Green Associate, Perkins Eastman
Pittsburgh
From the vantage point of my dining room table “desk,” I have watched each leaf unfold on every variety of tree around my home. This is quite a contrast from my typical workday view within the 1900s Beaux Arts building that has housed the Perkins Eastman Pittsburgh studio for the last 25 years.
In all honesty, I have never been very eager to work from home. As an extremely social person, I thrive from the energy of being around my co-workers. However, over the last 11+ weeks, I have learned to embrace more quiet in my workday…but not without some occasional background noise of an episode of Seinfeld playing on TV!
The way that I have felt during this time perfectly summed up as my friend Nina Etnier mentioned in her Contract Multivitamin feature: access to nature is a gift. I will also add that during these times it is definitely a privilege. The home that I share with my partner Chris and our little pug, Judy, is on about two acres of land. Since moving out of the city limits, I’ve strongly believed that we should be stewards for this land, so activities during my time offline have been largely revolved around doing just that.
Most evenings, we walk a mile loop around our neighborhood. While on our walks and admiring the scenery, I also saw a surprising amount of trash in this suburban area. I was totally guilty of telling myself that I would come back later and pick up what I noticed, but then I would forget. On Earth Day, I was inspired to finally follow through with my promise and I was shocked at how quickly my bags filled up with trash that I picked up along the edges of private properties! This is something that I have continued to do in the weeks since.
Back at home, I’m thankful for one hobby that coronavirus hasn’t been able to impact which is beekeeping! My current backyard apiary has two honeybee hives. The time spent tending to the bees is both therapeutic and empowering as I continue to strive for creating a native plant habitat that will be mutually beneficial.
Here is some reality of what I may have made sound a bit too poetic: I spend a lot of time tediously investigating the leaves of things already growing in my backyard attempting to identify them by searching online with obscure phrases like “shrub with elliptical leaves and small white flowers that turn yellow.” (The answer is Morrow’s Honeysuckle, which is unfortunately not native and is invasive.) I find the dedicated “hunt” more satisfying versus a plant identification app. My efforts outside aren’t all for naught! I’ve been pleasantly surprised by many volunteer native woodland plants like Jack-In-The-Pulpit and even an adorable bird’s nest of American Robins!
Each morning when I open my laptop to begin my day, I think about how to incorporate what I learned out in the backyard in more of my professional work. This is why I have committed to completing the Healthier Materials and Sustainable Buildings certificate program from the Parson’s New School this semester. It is long over due for the interior design profession to have their own “Green New Deal.” Environmentally responsible and healthy product specification begins with each of us who has a say on what is written in our project’s finish legends. If there is anything that we have learned through these recent weeks is that we must make equitable changes for the health of one another.
P.S. There are still plenty of shenanigans happening on this side of my computer screen though! The most anticipated activity of the week is our Workplace and Commercial Interiors studio happy hour. We have been dedicated to virtually hosting one every single week of working from home (11 and counting!) Each one features a theme: 80’s movies, lumberjacks, black and yellow, and Fitness Friday to name a few. The time decompressing from the week with my “teammates” is invaluable and our dedication to each other and our work is even stronger than my attempts to come up with a more comical outfit each and every week.
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Contract Magazine - Contract Multivitamin: Jane Hallinan of Perkins Eastman