Cradle to Cradle by William McDonough & Michael Braungart

Overall Rating: 9/10

Reviewed by James Novak

Overview:

This truly is a must read for any designer or architect, and indeed anyone who creates ‘stuff.’ McDonough and Braungart have together formalised their philosophy in this book, which as the title suggests, revolves around the notion of ‘cradle to cradle’ design, contrasting the common phrase ‘cradle to grave,’ which refers to the life-cycle of a product or building. It is easy to read, well referenced, and cites real-life examples of both authors’ work with global companies like the Ford Motor Company and Nike. Unlike many philosophies related to sustainability that call for instant and radical changes that cannot operate within our current global economic structure, McDonough and Braungart demonstrate their ability to integrate radical changes that appeal to the current business model with significant environmental changes resulting in significant financial savings. Ultimately the actions of the 2 authors speak for themselves, inspiring all designers with the possibilities of a ‘cradle to cradle’ manifesto.

About the authors:

William McDonough is an architect with an established practice, William McDonough + Partners. He has been recognised by Time magazine as a “Hero for the Planet,” and has received the Presidential Award for Sustainable Development in 1996, the highest environmental honour awarded by the United States. Michael Braungart is a chemist and founder of the Environmental Protection Encouragement Agency (EPEA) in Hamburg, Germany. Prior to this, he was director of the chemistry section of Greenpeace, and is highly awarded and honoured for his years of work. Together, William and Michael have created McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry, promoting their philosophy and actively changing the way influential companies approach their entire operation, from the materials they use, waste produced, and efficiency of their buildings.

Relevance to product design: 10/10

Designers are responsible for bringing more things into the world; we use finite resources, select processes that produce toxic by-products, and create products and packaging that end up in landfill. To simply specify recyclable materials or use materials that are made up of a percentage of recycled material is what the authors describe as being “less bad.” But being less bad is to accept things as they are and turn away from the real problems created by human development. We need to be good for the environment, like a tree that enriches its environment at every level, from micro to macro. As product designers we are in a position to adopt this philosophy and implement the changes necessary to generate products that are good for the environment, from the way they are manufactured to the way they are returned to the environment or manufacturing process as “food” for further processes.

Is the book informative?:  10/10

While the challenge of designing products that are good for the environment may seem too big or too difficult to implement alongside client needs, this book teaches you the way to think about sustainability and the changes we must make to our practice. It is not simply a message of ‘doom and gloom’ trying to shock us into action, or a promotion of the authors and the work they have done. There are clear explanations guiding you as a designer firstly how to think, and secondly how to implement this way of thinking into practice. The authors also make reference to other authors and organisations who you may consider investigating to find out more.

Is the book easy to read?: 9/10

This book was surprisingly enjoyable to read, as many books I have seen on the subject of sustainability are very scientific and jargon rich. Ideas are explained thoroughly with plenty of examples and analogies making difficult concepts relatively easy to understand. However it is important to note that there are no photos or diagrams, so you may want to look up some of the projects the authors refer to in order to visualise concepts like the grass roofing at the Ford Motor Company.

Is it aesthetically pleasing?: 7/10

While the information in the book is excellent, in terms of the aesthetics of the book itself, the lack of images is a little disappointing. However the truly unique element of the books’ aesthetics is that it is made from plastic! To quote from the book, the “material is not only waterproof, extremely durable, and (in many localities) recyclable by conventional means; it is also a prototype for the book as a “technical nutrient,” that is, a product that can be broken down and circulated infinitely in industrial cycles – made and remade as “paper” or other products.” As you absorb the information within its pages, you are simultaneously holding a product that embodies the philosophy of the authors, which is a very well considered and executed relationship.

Is it a favourite book?: DEFINITELY A MUST READ

As I have already mentioned, this is really one of those books you must read, particularly as a student who is trying to wrap your head around the extremely complex issue of environmental sustainability. Often this issue seems too big, too difficult to tackle; ‘Cradle to Cradle’ makes the issue much easier to understand, teaching a way of thinking that allows you to implement the philosophy on any project. Once you read this book you feel compelled to make a change, not so much because you suddenly have some realisation that the environment is in a critical situation, but because you can understand firstly what the problem is, and secondly how to solve it.

 

I also recommend you look at the authors websites to understand the sort of changes they are implementing, and to visualise the projects they discuss in the book.

 

http://www.mcdonoughpartners.com – William McDonough’s Architecture firm

http://www.braungart.com/indexEN.html - Michael Braungart’s website

http://www.mbdc.com – McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry