It’s time to re-evaluate how we build and how we live. It’s time we stop to think before we act, ask before we consume, and check before we discard; these habits will help us practice sustainability in its entirety. Now, more than ever, it has become even more crucial for designers, manufacturers and brands around the world to amplify their sustainability efforts.
“We at Nivasa have been working on developing “The Nivasa Foundation” for almost a year, and the World Environment Day seemed like the perfect day to launch this endeavour. The Nivasa Foundation’s primary focus will be both environmental sustainability and social sustainability. Environmental sustainability is the key to creating an ecosystem where natural and man-made environments can co-exist. The first ensures low environmental damage and low carbon footprints. The latter will drive efforts to enhance lives of Indian craftsmen, artisans, sculptors and the artist. This turns will drive preservation of cultural beliefs, practices, crafts and heritage,” states Saba Kapoor, regarding the launch of The Nivasa Foundation.
SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY
The Nivasa Foundation is deeply grounded in the philosophy of ‘Make In India’— we are proud of our Indian roots, and want to continue to give back to our country the local economy and celebrating its immense heritage and talent. We strive to preserve age-old Indian crafts such as marble inlay, wooden carving, hand tufting, and embroidery that have seamlessly transcended generations of artisan families. We believe in marrying these traditional crafts with contemporary techniques and processes, in an effort to revive and reinvent craft-based production and help them stay relevant in today’s world. While our furniture pieces already incorporate these traditions, going forward, with the Nivasa Foundation, we plan on launching collections focused on preserving these crafts under the umbrella of ‘Nivasa Conscious‘. The proceeds of these special collections will go directly towards the welfare of the crafts and the craftsmen of India
We at Nivasa Foundation will take the first step to bridge the prominent inequality gap . We will work to enhance the lives and livelihoods of our craftsmen and artisans, give them the recognition that they deserve and positively impact the quality of their lives. We plan on undertaking welfare initiatives such as sponsoring the education of the artisans’ children and providing healthcare.
Moreover, with the Nivasa Foundation, we will continue to celebrate and promote Indian art and artists. India has a rich heritage of indigenous artists . We will work to discover these local artists and provide a platform to them to showcase their art to the world by hosting exhibitions of their works or by connecting them to potential customers.
ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY
Our initiatives to help contribute to the preservation of the environment will make conscious changes to better the environment—not just for us, but also for generations to come. For instance, plantation drives will be undertaken, where we will plant the same amount of trees that are cut for our furniture. This will not only help preserve the environment, but also will help encourage people to give back to the environment.
Additionally, we will start a program known as ‘Nivasa Recycle,’ where we will help restore our clients’ existing furniture by with the help of unique techniques and technology. When new clients purchase furniture worth a certain amount, we will offer to help extend the life of their old pieces of furniture.
Furthermore,existing clients can come back to Nivasa anytime to restore their Nivasa furniture. This initiative will encourage people to live more sustainably, and will show how certain pieces of furniture can be revived simply through refurbishing ideas and techniques.
Under the Nivasa Foundation umbrella, we plan on launching an environmentally friendly range of furniture called ‘Nivasa Conscious. This collection will include pieces made of techniques and materials that are either environmentally friendly or reduce the negative impact on the environment. For instance, the collection will include the use of reclaimed wood, up-cycled fabrics from leftover upholstery, water based polishes and stains, cane furniture etc. All proceeds from this collection will be employed towards the charitable work done by the Nivasa Foundation.
Through these social and environmental initiatives, we at Nivasa Foundation hope to make a real positive change in the lives of people and take the first steps to help preserve our environment.
