YSA Design has appointed Fabiana Vale Dornelas (pictured) and Trond Sigurdsen as Head of Sustainability and Implementation and Head of Sustainability and Technology, respectively. In the newly created roles, Dornelas, Senior Interior Architect, and Sigurdsen, Senior Architect and Partner, will jointly coordinate YSA’s efforts to advance sustainability throughout its own organisation and across every aspect of its cruise ship design work.
Jan Krefting, YSA Design Chairman, Partner and Senior Architect, said: “The creation of a Sustainability department reflects our commitment to achieving the highest environmental standards in our design work as well as in our internal processes. Fabiana and Trond’s experience working on cruise projects with a focus on sustainability made them the ideal candidates to lead this new and important company division.”
As a design studio that counts environmental responsibility among its core values, YSA Design already takes a painstaking approach to materials selection that places as much emphasis on sustainability as it does on style and function. In addition, the company only uses wood from managed forests and, where possible, sources materials locally to minimise transport emissions.
With Dornelas’s input, YSA has increasingly favoured lightweight, durable products that are manufactured using sustainable methods and can be recycled or disposed of responsibly at the end of their service life. Sigurdsen, meanwhile, specialises in state-of-the-art design solutions that can help shipowners to save space and minimise weight on board their vessels for optimal efficiency.
Dornelas said: “I am proud and excited to have been appointed YSA Design Head of Sustainability & Implementation. While environmental concerns have been part of the company’s motivation from the beginning, there is always room for improvement. With this new division, we aim to set new standards in the sustainability of our design processes and materials selection as well as in the running of our office. I look forward to working with Trond and the rest of the team towards a greener future for YSA.”
Sigurdsen added: “Having recently stepped down as YSA Design Chairman, I have been able to dedicate more of my time to the cutting-edge design and project work for which the company is renowned. Now, as heads of the new Sustainability division, Fabiana and I will combine our expertise to frame and implement sustainable strategies relating to our materials selection, architectural processes, use of technology, office procedures – even the planning of our social events. I can’t wait to get started.”
YSA Design has proposed advanced eco-friendly solutions such as photovoltaic technology on vessels to capture energy that would otherwise be lost and solar panelling on penthouse suite roofs to encourage premium guests to pay a supplement for greener accommodation. In a recent project, a YSA team led by Sigurdsen and Dornelas completed extensive design work on board MSC World Europa, a modern LNG-powered vessel featuring sustainable technology such as a solid oxide fuel cell demonstrator and a ‘Baltic standard’ advanced wastewater system.
