Dining by Design Nov 18, 2009 - overlooking the main floor,
San Francisco Design Center Galleria

While I applaud the goal of charitable events, particularly Diffa's Dining by Design yearly event held in 7 American cities to raise money for AIDS research, it would be laudable to see an emphasis on sustainability alongside charity.

This was my second year of involvement with DBD in San Francisco.  In 2008, I ran the coat check booth but was not involved with the design or installation of my school's vignette (I attend Academy of Art University, see my profile for more detail).  This year I was only able to help out with the installation for a short time but I find it rewarding to get a behind-the-scenes peek into what it takes to create and install a beautiful space in just 24 hours.  (Yes, each mirrored piece on the wall in the photo below was painstakingly placed by a team including yours truly.)

Reflections of Hope by Academy of Art University

Thanks to my lightweight volunteer work, I was invited to the cocktail party last night, which is always held the night before the main event.  This allowed me to roam the SF Design Center Galleria building and scope out the designs in advance of the crowds.  I was specifically looking for sustainable, reclaimed, reused and 'green' materials and emphasis.

Hartmann Studios by Robert Fung

I had to look really hard.  Yes, there were the standard reclaimed flooring planks that certainly qualify as eco-friendly.  Some groups re-used their shipping containers to create the floors of their spaces, a clever environmental and financial choice.  One display utilized FSC-certified woods to build their entire dining set.  The Academy of Art University re-used their table and chairs from last year's showcase, which is definitely green.  There were some pretty creative reuses of materials as designer elements - for example Kravet's space featured upside-down sand pails hung above their table as a sort of chandelier for their beachy theme.  I think the strongest nod to sustainable design was by Benjamin Moore paints, who presented their Natura® line with a space made out of, what else, a giant paint can on its side.  But on the whole, there was a distinct lack of sustainable or eco-friendly emphasis throughout the 4 floors of designer showpieces.

High Victorian by JR Studio

This really surprised me, considering the increasing power of the sustainable design movement in the architecture and construction industries today, and how so many companies are falling over themselves to greenwash their history and their products.  If it's important to market sustainable and green features to the general public, why not to charitable benefactors and investors?  Glassware was used instead of disposables for wine, but not for water, which had a high carbon footprint, having been shipped from Fiji in plastic bottles.  Even more disappointing: there were no recycling wastebins for drinks containers, and no bins for compostable foods or plates that were distributed by the dozen or so caterers, sampled and discarded by the hundreds of attendees.  Time to write a letter to the SF Design Center asking for more responsible business practices.

Wildflower Linen by Youngsong Martin Hosted,
Drs Diane Havlir & Art Martinez

Despite this disappointment, Dining By Design is a lovely and worthy event.  It is certainly worth attending or working on an installation in your city if you have the chance in 2010.  In the meantime, enjoy these photos of a few choice selections.

P.S. Congratuations to fellow classmate Karina Kentsis, whose design was selected to represent the Academy of Art University for this year's DBD showcase!

All photos by & copyright of Alan Vesperas Photography 2009