Tanya Shively
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ecycled glass, textiles, lighting, indoor plants, salvaged materials, and partnering with local professionals are among the sustainable approaches of Tanya Shively, ASID, LEED AP, CEO and principal designer of Sesshu Design Associates, Ltd. “I have incorporated recycled glass in a few different applications,” Shively says. With Hank Arens Designs, LLC and Samartzis Minchew Design, LLC, Shively recently formed Studio + Partners, LLC, in Scottsdale. For a desert contemporary home at Troon in north Scottsdale, she used black mosaic tile on the face of the wet bar. The California supplier, Oceanside Glass Tile, recycles post-consumer glass bottles into tiles and works to eliminate production waste from going to landfills, she explains. The backsplash in the home’s kitchen is from another eco-friendly company, Encore Ceramics. “They utilize both solar and wind energy in their manufacturing plant and recycle the clay, glaze, and water back into the process,” says Shively. The Arizona desert has been an inspiration in her designs. Shively has also used recycled glass in the master bath of a Paradise Valley contemporary home. The glass mosaic deco, from Ceramica, is recycled content, and the slab on the tub deck and vanity is also recycled glass from Arizona Tile. The ¾-inch-thick-glass slab is a new material and is used similarly to stone slab, she explains. Other new sustainable materials available include hemp, which is used in fabrics, trim, and rugs; bamboo, found in fabrics for upholstery and bedding; and organic cotton and linen for bedding and light-use upholstery. “Organic cotton is highly desirable because it is not only renewable but it also uses zero insecticides, pesticides, and fertilizers,” she says. “Conventional cotton is one of the worst crops for water use and application of toxic chemicals.”
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Shively recently replaced all the recessed cans in a home with energyefficient LED retrofit cans. These, she says, will last 20 years or more without requiring bulb changes, resulting in energy savings, zero heat output and reduced air conditioning consumption. Indoor plants help clean the air and keep interiors healthy. “Live plants remove VOCs, help to regulate humidity, and remove CO2 while generating oxygen,” she says. Reclaimed and salvaged items are regularly incorporated in her work, including antique doors, timbers, and flooring, either for their original use or upcycled as headboards or tables. Working with local professionals — cabinet makers, furniture craftsmen, and upholstery shops — and using locally resourced materials, such as stone from a local quarry, also help reduce environmental impact, Shively says. David M. Brown is a Valley-based writer (david@azwriter.com).
28 greenliving | September 2012
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