Terence Conran Goes Green with "The Eco House Book"

Terence Conran is a design world legend; a designer, furniture-maker, restaurateur and retailer (founder of both Habitat and The Conran Shops), Conran has a hand in all realms of design since the 1950s. He's also penned dozens of books, and recently, he stopped in to New York City to promote his latest title, The Eco House Book.

As dapper as ever in one of his signature blue shirts, Sir Terence Conran drank tea and signed books at his self-named shop, The Terence Conran Shop on 59th Street. Fans who came to have books autographed frequently noted they'd been fans "for years." While there was much enthusiasm for the celebrated design, no one engaged Sir Conran on the subject of his latest book: Greening our homes.

With more than 30 books to his name, you might be tempted to think that a green home tome is just another excuse for a book. However, a conversation with Sir Conran makes it clear that environmental issues are not just a passing fad.

In fact, it is very clear that green issues have long been important to Sir Conran's work and that his thoughts on green homes are intertwined with eco-issues in politics. He transitioned seamlessly from talking about the importance of insulating a roof to recounting a recent conversation with Gordon Brown, whom Sir Conran said is concerned that America is not going to be able to step up to the plate at the upcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen.

When asked when the design world became aware of environmental concerns for design, Sir Conran told me, "I think most designers have always been aware of green issues and have been responsible about the world." However, when asked to point to the watershed moment, Sir Conran pointed to the signing of the Kyoto Treaty as the turning point for green design.

While many of us worry about the carbon footprint of our latest flight or whether or not to buy organic vegetables, Sir Conran points out that the greatest environmental culprits are actually our homes. He says that we all need to be agents of change and we must start with our homes. "It's got to be our contribution," says Sir Conran, "Most people that I talk to realize this."

The Eco House Book is filled with beautiful, full color gallery of contemporary homes, but the text is devoted to the real nitty-gritty of reducing your home's carbon footprint. Sir Conran details how minor changes can be made to existing homes to make them more energy efficient and better able to conserve resources. Says Sir Conran: "I hope this book makes people think more about what they can do in their own homes."