Prince Charles: Designers must not forget the miraculous benefits of wool
Architects, interior designers and engineers in the construction industry could, and should, use more wool in their buildings rather than relying on synthetic alternatives.
That is the view of Charles, Prince of Wales, who is fronting a new campaign to inspire creators from multiple disciplines to embrace the possibilities of a material that “is an excellent insulator even when wet, a natural fire retardant, odour-resistant, and absorbent of both shocks and sound.”
In a column for the Telegraph, the prince wrote: “We seem to have rather lost sight of the much bigger contribution that wool should be making in our lives. I want to encourage much greater understanding of it not only as a global environmental resource – versatile, sustainable, renewable and natural – but also as a global fashion [and design] resource of the highest quality.”
Prince Charles added that at a time when we are facing up to the challenges of climate change, more focus should be placed on natural materials that can be recycled and do not require fossil fuels to make them.
Wool, he said, is a “miraculous” material as it grows naturally, requires only grass and water as raw materials, has natural resilience and elasticity and has been used in a wide variety of ways “since Medieval times”.
A conference will be held next week in Scotland by the Campaign for Wool, a group established the the royal to promote its wider usage, to discuss the topic. Weavers, spinners, environmentalists, sheep farmers, fashion and interior designers, mill owners, carpet makers and retailers will be invited to discuss how to help the industry continue bouncing back after a difficult few years – which until recently had seen wool prices fall sharply due to our growing demand for synthetic fibres.
Charles said such demand was “short-sighted in the extreme” as synthetics are not biodegradable.
“Some parts of an industry [are still] sadly dominated by mass-produced chemical fibres, and cost is of course also a factor,” he wrote, “but today’s environmentally aware consumers do seem to be seeking out quality and durability in fashion, lifestyle and interiors.
“That is exactly what wool provides.”
Prince Charles Wool Campaign for Wool design architecture fashionUAE’s first Dior Spa debuts in Dubai at Dorchester Collection’s newest hotel, The Lana
Europe's premier Evian Spa unveiled at Hôtel Royal in France
Clinique La Prairie unveils health resort in China after two-year project
GoCo Health Innovation City in Sweden plans to lead the world in delivering wellness and new science
Four Seasons announces luxury wellness resort and residences at Amaala
Aman sister brand Janu debuts in Tokyo with four-floor urban wellness retreat
€38m geothermal spa and leisure centre to revitalise Croatian city of Bjelovar
Two Santani eco-friendly wellness resorts coming to Oman, partnered with Omran Group
Kerzner shows confidence in its Siro wellness hotel concept, revealing plans to open 100
Ritz-Carlton, Portland unveils skyline spa inspired by unfolding petals of a rose
Rogers Stirk Harbour & Partners are just one of the names behind The Emory hotel London and Surrenne private members club
Peninsula Hot Springs unveils AUS$11.7m sister site in Australian outback
IWBI creates WELL for residential programme to inspire healthy living environments
Conrad Orlando unveils water-inspired spa oasis amid billion-dollar Evermore Resort complex
Studio A+ realises striking urban hot springs retreat in China's Shanxi Province
Populous reveals plans for major e-sports arena in Saudi Arabia
Wake The Tiger launches new 1,000sq m expansion
Othership CEO envisions its urban bathhouses in every city in North America
Merlin teams up with Hasbro and Lego to create Peppa Pig experiences
SHA Wellness unveils highly-anticipated Mexico outpost
One&Only One Za’abeel opens in Dubai featuring striking design by Nikken Sekkei
Luxury spa hotel, Calcot Manor, creates new Grain Store health club
'World's largest' indoor ski centre by 10 Design slated to open in 2025
Murrayshall Country Estate awarded planning permission for multi-million-pound spa and leisure centre
Aman's Janu hotel by Pelli Clarke & Partners will have 4,000sq m of wellness space
Therme Group confirms Incheon Golden Harbor location for South Korean wellbeing resort
Universal Studios eyes the UK for first European resort
King of Bhutan unveils masterplan for Mindfulness City, designed by BIG, Arup and Cistri
Rural locations are the next frontier for expansion for the health club sector
Tonik Associates designs new suburban model for high-end Third Space health and wellness club
Designing an eco hotel for the Galapagos Islands that allowed the stunning natural surroundings to take centre stage while minimising its impact on the land presented its own unique set of challenges, Ecuadorian architect Humberto Plaza tells Kathryn Hudson