Meta-, in Greek, means “beside”, “beyond”. At Metasus we reach beyond the dialogue on sustainable design and embed it into our philosophy. Metasus Design is a community of designers who share a broad outlook on sustainability. Energy efficiency, social justice, environmental protection, economic development, cultural expression--all these factors are a necessary part of sustainable design. Everything that people make--cities, buildings, tools, works of art--should reflect a holistic perspective about life on earth. Metasus designers place a high value on energy and resource efficiency, durability, adaptability, environmental health, natural diversity, craftsmanship, and cultural significance. Their work is a challenge to consumerism and the myth of limitless economic growth.
Sustainable design is entering its third generation. The first revolution, in the 70's, was driven by new ideas in passive and active solar design and the need to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. The second revolution, still underway, has been driven by improved energy- and performance-modeling technologies to improve the liveability of sustainable buildings, and to reduce our carbon footprint. The third revolution, just beginning, is more holistic. Sustainable design is not just about energy efficiency and the reduction of CO2, although these remain important.
Threats to environmental and social health are more extensive and complex than the problem of increased CO2. We see the consequences in air pollution; erosion and loss of soil fertility; destruction of natural habitat; species endangerment; scarcity of potable water; unrest due to resource competition and growing income inequality; loss of cultural heritage and identity due to generic urbanization; and the increased vulnerability of social structures due to dependence on complex technological systems.
All these threats to societies and the planet are interlinked. Sustainable design should acknowledge all of these issues as we come to realize that a multi-faceted response is likely to be the most effective. Metasus designers think across disciplines and across scales. Both traditional solutions and new technologies are useful, depending on the situation. Sustainable societies respect future generations by making the necessary adjustments to development and consumption patterns in order to pass on a world no less healthy or abundant than the one they have experienced.
Sustainable design helps everything flourish--cultures, communities, individuals, and the planet--without selfishness or a preference to any one society, generation, or species.
Philosophy
Inspiring projects
The American Restaurant
An iconic design by renowned architect Warren Platner in 1974. The airy interior is set by the oak columns branching into layered flower canopies that is both decorative and functional. The pink velvet upholstery and brass lamps complete the look with beautiful contrasts.
Belle Epoque Brasserie
The design of Belle Epoque is a meditation on the industrial era in Continental Europe (1870-1930), a period where tradition met scientific development and handcraft techniques were challenged by industrial processes. Mankind began to explore creative possibilities latent in new methods and materials; the result was a synthesis of artistic sensibility and mechanical power. At this stage, when industrialization showed its potential to dominate and threaten the natural environment, a counteracting dream, art nouveau, began to take hold: the desire to express a world transformed by the organic life force.
Casa Mollino
Casa Mollino remained a mystery until after the death of the designer in 1973. Only in 1999 did it pass into the hands of Ferrari, who has a similarly diverse background to Mollino, having been a chemist, restaurateur and design dealer. With the help of the meticulous inventory of the property made by Mollino’s lawyers, he was able to recreate the original appearance of the apartment and open it to the public by appointment. While renovating the interiors, Ferrari discovered the cover of a book by Mollino, titled Il Messaggio Dalla Camera Oscura (‘The Message from the Dark Room’), depicting the head of an Egyptian queen. This reference to Egyptian funerary art became the key to decoding a series of symbols, which suggest Mollino’s project was conceived in the manner of a Pharaoh’s pyramid, as an intended final resting place.
The Gallery at Sketch
Celebrated British artist, David Shrigley, has transformed the gallery at Sketch as part of a long-term programme of artist-conceived restaurants. India Mahdavi, who has created a backdrop for David Shrigley’s artwork, conceived a soothing, monochromatic, strikingly comprehensive interior. The classic, almost bourgeois design invites a deliberately playful contrast with the witty, outré art works; all is most certainly not what it seems. While matching sketch’s delight in the avant-garde, this harmonious vibe breaks with the Gallery’s usual eclecticism.
Casa Tabarelli
Hidden in the slopes of the vineyard village of Cornaiano near Bolzano, Italy is Casa Tabarelli, a modernist masterpiece designed in 1968 by Carlo Scarpa and Sergio Los for the Tabarelli family. The spacious interior is dominated by a colorful abstract ceiling that creates rooms with varying ceiling heights. Many of the masterful works within the house combine art and function, such as the entrance gate made from orthogonal metal rods, the steel abstract kinetic sculpture, and the sliding wall with painted geometry and hinged panels.
Salon 10
Salon No.10 is a private member’s salon—a gathering place for the city’s creative professionals, connoisseurs, international entrepreneurs and discerning travelers. set within the clamor of Central Hong Kong. Passing through the massive, hatch-like front door, one feels as if one has entered another space and time. The noise and traffic of Arbuthnot Road, visible through the window, seems distant and unreal, as if one has dropped twenty fathoms under the sea on a timeless subterranean journey to a far away place.
