Q+A with Kevin O’Donnell, Thread Collaborative

You’re a strong advocate for sustainable design. What’s the number one reason why retailers should go green?
It’s the most viable long-term economic solution. Resource stewardship is as much a long-term business concern as it is an ecological one.

How has green retail design changed during the last 5 years?
Awareness and interest among both retailers and designers have increased appreciably. Eventually this will translate into meaningful change. We now know that there are better ways to design, develop, construct and operate buildings. We can’t possibly go backward.

What will the green retail landscape look like 10 years from now?
I’m hopeful that sustainability will be core to all retail brands rather than an added feature as it is today. Ideally, 10 years from now we won’t discuss whether material choices are environmentally favorable, whether equipment is energy efficient or whether design strategies are sustainable.

Name one retailer you think really “walks the walk.”
Whole Foods Market. They’re a good example of a retailer that’s looking at every aspect of the brand, including product, policy, people, buildings and community, and their relation to sustainability.

Give one step or piece of advice for a retailer looking to green its operations.
Make a move. I see too many retailers suffering from analysis paralysis. Sustainability is not fixed or permanent. Strategies, technologies and understanding will continue to evolve.

What’s one personal habit you’ve changed to become more eco-minded?
Practicing thoughtful consumption. Six years ago, I wouldn’t have given a moment’s thought to where or how a product is produced, who are the people behind that product or the attitudes and beliefs of the company making it. Today, I question everything.

If you could spend 15 minutes talking to anyone, living or dead, who would it be and why?
Alan Kay. He coined the phrase, “The best way to predict the future is to invent it,” and was a key figure at Xerox PARC (the Palo Alto Research Center). He is the father of the graphical user interface and his Dynabook concept is the foundation that all laptops and tablets are built upon.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Having architectural drawings and models acquired by the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art as part of its permanent collection for architecture and design.
 

Favorite city to visit?
San Francisco. The city has fantastic food, easy public transportation and a good mix of old and new architecture.

One destination still on your must-see list?
Paris.

“When I retire, I will…”
Live in Italy.