This thesis investigates how Color, Material, and Finish (CMF) design can function as a measurable sustainability force in short-haul aviation by integrating bacterial cellulose material variants into aircraft seating. In collaboration with Embraer and Foamlab, a three-class cabin CMF concept was developed for the Embraer 195-E2, combining physical and digital prototyping with passenger perception studies and an operational-phase Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). Two perceptual evaluations, a forced-choice classification test and a within-subject Likert-scale comparison, demonstrate that CMF can effectively communicate cabin class hierarchy and significantly improve perceived passenger experience, with comfort and cleanliness emerging as dominant evaluative drivers. The operational LCA shows that replacing conventional polyurethane-based seat materials with lighter bacterial cellulose alternatives can reduce aircraft weight and yield an estimated operational emission reduction of approximately 355,000 kg CO2 per aircraft per year under representative short-haul conditions. This thesis demonstrates that material-driven CMF decisions can concurrently enhance passenger experience and reduce operational emissions. The findings indicate that lightweight, bio-based CMF strategies represent a high-impact pathway for advancing more sustainable aircraft interior design.

Design goal: Develop a three-class cabin-interior CMF design for the Embraer 195-E2 (KLM Cityhopper) that improves LCA performance by integrating different bacterial cellulose material variants, while maintaining or improving passenger experience relative to the current KLM Cityhopper interior CMF design. ... Read more