The Greening Of An Office: A Case Study

Building an office can be a journey through a maze of complicated choices: balancing location, leasing terms and legal issues with the financial bottom line. What can be missed are the effects of decisions on the environment and the potential for saving energy costs.

Climate Change Central, Alberta's unique private/public catalyst for climate change activities, decided to make its office a demonstration project in sustainable design, hiring a design consultant to reduce emissions during construction, in materials and equipment, and in day-to-day energy use.

Design guidelines were to:

• save energy, thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions
• be affordable for a comparative business or organization
• create a pleasant, productive and healthy working environment
• reflect a sophisticated, professional atmosphere, and
• educate business leaders, policy makers, design professionals and the public about the merits of environmental design.

The Climate Change Central office is only the second in Canada to be certified under the EcoLogo Program, a voluntary standard based on use of environmentally-friendly products and compliance with stringent environmental criteria. EcoLogo requires a green procurement and waste minimization plan. While demanding significant time and finances, the EcoLogo standard is an important part of CCC's commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. For more information about EcoLogo: www.terrachoice.ca

There is no manual for designing a sustainable office. Each organization has its own circumstances to weigh, including location, length of lease, budget and commitment by management. EcoLogo certification may not be the whole answer, but it is a very helpful design tool.

"We are proud our office as a step towards sustainability," says CCC director Simon Knight. "We hope this case study will encourage others to exceed our results."

Locations and landlords:
In spring of 2000, CCC searched for Calgary office space that reflected its not-for-profit status, gave ground-floor accessibility and visibility, and offered parking and access to public transportation. A 4,900-square-foot space was chosen in the Connaught district, an affordable alternative to high-rent downtown properties.

The first major design decision involved the heating/air conditioning system, the biggest single energy consumer of any workspace. The design team found it too expensive to retrofit the system, given the 30-year age of the building and type of lease. Minor modifications were made to the existing system and the airflow was balanced in the office.

The landlord needed to be persuaded of the following:

• green design is mechanically sound and looks professional
• energy-efficient features will save the building owner money, and
• the office can be a showcase for prospective lessees.

The standard triple-net lease can often work against energy efficiency. Because the tenant pays for utilities, building owners have little incentive to make major changes to a space. Tenants need to persuade building owners to make energy-efficient retrofits when negotiating the lease. In the long-term, this is a win/win situation: the tenant saves energy costs, the landlord has a more competitive space for leasing, and fewer emissions are released into the environment.

Length of lease is an essential design and budget consideration. CCC's original lease is for three to five years, prompting the designers to choose moveable furniture and floor coverings (carpet tiles). Moveable wall partitions were also considered, but the landlord preferred permanent walls.

Energy-efficient lighting:
Abundant, free natural light is one of the office's biggest energy savers. The whole office is designed around this free-flowing resource. Glass walls around private offices and meeting rooms help distribute natural light and provide an open, pleasant feeling. A ribbon of self-adhesive obscuring film on the glass gives privacy to occupants of the offices.

Horizontal louver blinds on exterior windows help manage daylight intensity. The blinds are mounted to leave a top gap to harvest daylight while maintaining privacy. Light colours were chosen for the ceiling, window walls and flanking walls to transmit daylight and reduce glare.

CCC's lighting uses one-quarter of the energy of standard office lighting. The office saves 21 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year for lighting, an annual savings of $2,500 at current electrical rates. Lighting features include:

• highly-efficient T5 and T8 fluorescent tubes with electronic ballasts
• 300-500 lux for ambient lighting (old standard of 700-1000 lux is too high for visual comfort, particularly when using computer screens), individual task lighting at work stations
• occupancy sensors that turn lights off when a room is empty.

• purchase energy-efficient computers and screens under Energy Star label
• combine photocopier, fax, printer and scanner in one machine
• purchase dishwasher and fridge under EcoLogo certification
• use paper towel instead of electric hand dryers in washrooms.

• a safety floor outside the shower manufactured from recycled pop bottles
• organic washable flooring in the washrooms, and
• re-use of existing flooring in the file/server room.

• consider air quality, energy and water conservation in every aspect of design
• reuse or refurbish where possible
• buy locally to reduce transportation
• question environmental and social policies of suppliers and manufacturers
• factor health and safety of office staff into all decisions
• choose building materials that are sustainably managed
• consider end-of-cycle life when selecting materials.