The University of Johannesburg’s (UJ) Department of Interior Design recently hosted the Green Building Council South Africa (GBCSA) for a guest lecture titled Designing for Impact: Sustainable Interiors in a Green Building Future. Presented by the GBCSA’s Education Manager, Gretchen Williams, the session formed part of the second-year Sustainable Design module and explored the increasingly important role interior designers play in shaping sustainable built environments.
The GBCSA is a non-profit organisation that has been advancing sustainable practices within South Africa’s property and construction sectors since 2007. Through advocacy, training, certification systems, and industry collaboration, the GBCSA promotes the transition to sustainable, decarbonised built environments. Exposure to the organisation’s expertise assists students with bridging the gap between theory (theoretical teachings) and professional practice.
The Sustainable Design module’s central focus is on encouraging students to consider sustainability not as an additional consideration at the end of the design process, but as an integral part of designers’ decision-making from the outset. The module aims to challenge students to recognise the designer’s broader responsibilities within increasingly complex environmental and societal contexts. Sustainability is thus positioned as both a way of thinking and a means of addressing built-environment concerns. This approach thus aims to instil in students a critical approach to environmental and societal challenges and to encourage them to consider how design can contribute positively to both people and the planet.
The Second-year Interior Design class representative, Ashley Lentz, reflected on the value of engaging directly with professionals working in the field:
“The recent lecture on sustainable design reinforced the importance of designing with responsibility and considering the long-term impact of our decisions on the world around us. It helped me realise that sustainability is not simply a module we study, but a mindset that should influence every aspect of the design process.”
Lentz added that industry guest lectures help students understand how classroom knowledge translates into real projects and professional challenges, while building confidence in their readiness for practice.
Academic initiatives such as Designing for Impact demonstrate the value of connecting higher education, industry expertise and sustainability agendas. By embedding these conversations within the curriculum, UJ’s Department of Interior Design aims to support students in recognising that meaningful interior design involves understanding the impact those spaces have on the world around them.
