THE DESIGN of A MORE SUSTAINABLE TRAVELLING EXHIBITION

Abstract

Design and engineering education requires continuous adaptation to the existing environmental and social challenges. The design of sustainable and socio-ethical new solutions that involve not only the design of industrial products but also services and systems that combine products and services is currently considered in several studies as a satisfactory way to work. This study shows how practical methods considering sustainability principles are applied to design a more sustainable cultural service. A project dedicated to the development of a travelling exhibition is addressed. Sustainability has been evaluated using the Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment (LCSA) method that takes into account the environmental, economic, and social dimensions. A set of sustainability indicators have been used and impacts associated with each dimension have been obtained in the three main stages established within the service life cycle: implementation, operation, and dismantling. Factors that cause the highest impact have been identified and design alternatives to improve the sustainability of the service have been proposed. To prove if the new service design generates less impact, a comparison between sustainability indicators of both initial and new service has been conducted. Promoting the improvement of sustainability in design projects is increasingly required. This kind of final degree project underlines the responsibility the designers have to be aware of the impacts of their designs as well as allows the students to gain experience in an area in which they can practice the profession.