NEWH - Spring 2016 - 26

Sustainability Point of View

Eco-Mindset
A design approach with a human touch

Debra Duneier

thinks differently about
sustainability. As a feng
shui master practitioner,
accredited LEED Green
Associate, certified
Eco-Designer, and a New
York State-licensed real
estate broker, Duneier is
the creator of the EcoChi
system of design and
the author of EcoChi:
Designing the Human
Experience.
In the recent NEWH
Green Voice conversation
at BDNY featuring
EcoChi-a design
approach that blends
green practices with
environmental psychology feng shui-Lorraine Francis, NEWH's
director of sustainable hospitality and Gensler's regional director
of hospitality interiors, sat down with Duneier to talk about the
company's 180-Degree certification.

NEWH: You talk about EcoChi and designing the 'human
experience.' What does that mean?
Debra Duneier: EcoChi is an interior design philosophy unlike any
other. We are on the forefront of environmental sustainability and
wellness design. With EcoChi, modern interior design has entered
a new period-where art and science meet to create the human
experience. A core concept of EcoChi is that people feel best when
they are connected to nature. Restorative environments have
been shown to increase attention span, lower pulse rate and blood
pressure, and increase white blood cell counts. EcoChi design brings
the outdoors in and restores our bond with the natural world.
NEWH: How did your path lead you to holistic hospitality design?
DD: I found myself in luxury real estate by accident. I wanted to
invest, so I learned everything I could about the market and got my
real estate broker's license. I was selling a piece of real estate-an
incredible deal per square foot-and there were perspective buyers
who would walk in and run out. There were other properties where
people would walk in, feel comfortable, and hang out. I realized that
people have physical and subconscious reactions to spaces and that
spaces have an energy of their own.

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I was slated to speak at a luxury real estate conference, and I
gave the organizers 20 topic ideas, number 20 being feng shui.
When they chose that topic, I studied feng shui for three months.
I received such a powerful response to my talk that I then studied
for many years with three feng shui masters and a Taoist priest,
and became a certified professional consultant. I think clients
were expecting to find a feng shui practitioner with a feathered
earring and tie-dyed T-shirt. That motivated me to learn everything
possible about sustainability and LEED. It was very challenging
since I had no previous experience in HVAC or water systems. I
also completed a one-year program at New York's Holis Institute for
Ecological Living.
NEWH: How did you merge your studies and experience into the
formation of EcoChi?
DD: I was doing a residential project for a very famous client-a
TV journalist who was convinced her environment had caused
her to become ill. I realized that if I practiced feng shui in her
space, I was only doing half of what was required. With the goals
of heal, rest, and restore, I did feng shui energy mapping, and met
with her architect, recommending Low-VOC finishes, adhesives,
paints, materials, and furnishings. Green Seal-certified and LEEDcompliant products were used for this project, and we flushed out
the space to eliminate any remaining toxins.
NEWH: You also created a multidisciplinary project certification
process, the EcoChi 180-Degree Seal certification. What are the
main criteria?
DD: EcoChi 180 certifies properties and projects involving
conscientious choices about sustainable materials and systems,
feng shui, and environmental psychology. The certification includes
a feng shui audit, documentation of sustainable products and
specification, and ecologically driven choices for people and the
planet, all representing a 180-degree turn for the better. We also
work with tenants who may not be in LEED-certified buildings to
earn EcoChi certification by making sustainable choices.
NEWH: What are the metrics indicating the success of a project
designed around the human experience?
DD: This is such a new way of working that the reporting so far is
firsthand testimonials from clients. I have spoken with Columbia
University about tracking metrics and case studies, and my
contacts there believe we are about two years out from having
metrics to report. I am also working on collecting hospitality
data with an expert from Greenview, which aims to advance
sustainability though increasing the prevalence of metrics,
measurement, and reporting. I've been asked to create the human

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NEWH - Spring 2016

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