With so many sustainability certifications, ecolabels, and material disclosures available today, why is it still so difficult for architects and designers to compare products and make informed specifications?

In this episode of I Hear Design, host Robert Nieminen welcomes back Natalie Hartkopf, co-founder and CEO of Hightower and a board member of both IIDA and BIFMA, to explore the industry's complicated sustainability landscape and the effort to establish a more consistent approach to evaluating materials.

At the center of their conversation is the Common Materials Framework (CMF), an initiative designed to organize existing certifications and sustainability information into five areas of impact: human health, climate health, ecosystem health, circular economy, and social health and equity.

Hartkopf shares her perspective on the challenges facing designers and manufacturers, including the differences between transparency and sustainability performance, the burden of overlapping reporting requirements, and the practical trade-offs involved in material selection. The conversation also examines how industry organizations can help align standards, why better data management matters, and how AI could reshape the way designers research and specify products.

For architects, interior designers, and specifiers looking to make more informed material choices without getting lost in the complexities of sustainability reporting, this episode offers a thoughtful look at where the industry is making progress and what still needs to change.

Plus, Natalie shares an exclusive announcement about a major new partnership that will help shape Hightower's next chapter.

Meet Our Guest

Key Moments in This Episode

• 00:00:13 | The Sustainability Information Challenge: Why more certifications, ecolabels, and product disclosures haven't necessarily made sustainable material selection easier for designers.

• 00:04:45 | Defining Sustainability Priorities: Natalie discusses the challenge of balancing clients' goals, firm values, and individual sustainability priorities.

• 00:06:41 | Comparing Products and Certifications: Why sustainability reporting varies across product categories and how designers can evaluate which third-party certifications to trust.

• 00:09:31 | The Manufacturer's Perspective: How overlapping reporting requirements create inefficiencies and why distinguishing essential criteria from nice-to-have certifications matters.

• 00:11:58 | Small Manufacturers, Big Challenges: The advantages and disadvantages smaller manufacturers face when pursuing sustainability certifications, including lessons from Hightower's participation in the Declare Equity pilot.

• 00:15:11 | Understanding the Common Materials Framework: How the framework organizes existing certifications into five sustainability impact categories without creating another standard.

• 00:16:49 | Navigating Sustainability Trade-Offs: Natalie uses a wardrobe analogy to explain how designers can combine different sustainability attributes according to project priorities.

• 00:18:45 | Simplifying Without Oversimplifying: How credible multi-attribute certifications can help designers navigate complex sustainability requirements.

• 00:20:46 | Building a Shared Sustainability Language: Why greater alignment among standards organizations and certification bodies could reduce confusion and duplication across the industry.

• 00:22:48 | Making Product Data More Accessible: The challenges of managing sustainability information across multiple platforms and improving access for architects and specifiers.

• 00:26:17 | AI and the Future of Product Research: How generative AI is changing product discovery and why manufacturers must rethink how they organize and publish sustainability information.

• 00:27:27 | The Role of IIDA and BIFMA: How professional associations and standards organizations can help advance industry collaboration and more consistent sustainability practices.

• 00:30:35 | Practical Advice for Designers and Specifiers: Why clear project priorities, effective manufacturer communication, and realistic expectations are essential to responsible material selection.

• 00:32:50 | What Sustainability Progress Looks Like: Natalie considers the next steps for shared standards, social equity, industry education, and better data infrastructure.

• 00:34:58 | Exclusive Hightower Announcement: Natalie reveals a significant new partnership and discusses what it could mean for Hightower's future growth and sustainability commitments.