I have fallen behind in staying up to date on this blog, because we were all really engrossed with the actual nuts and bolts of moving! Suffice it to say that while our office will remain a work in progress, we are fully up and functioning in the new space and have been for about three weeks. We've already thrown our first small gathering, have hosted a number of meetings, and have had several partners contemplate moving in with us. Actually, more than one member of our staff threatened to give up their home and sleep at work - something that is not sustainable from a social sustainability perspective.
So much has happened on the greening of the office front as well since last I blogged - so I want to give a brief overview of some of what's in the works.
Most recently, two companies are helping us make the kitchen something truly spectacular. Whirlpool is on board to help us create an ecokitchen - a model kitchen for businesses and homes alike. We're still finalizing the specifics, but Whirlpool in general has made a substantive commitment to green building and energy efficient appliances, and we're very excited to partner with them.
These new appliances will be complimented by products from one of the more amazing companies Annette and I have come across in a while - the Denver-based custom frameless cabinet manufacturer General Casework. General Casework builds sustainable cabinets using materials that contain no added urea formaldehyde (NAUF) and come from plants that are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). And their manufacturing facility is one of the greenest, healthiest, and cutting edge shops Annette and I have come across.
Many thanks to the Colorado Chapter's Residential Green Building Advocate, Sean Smith, for introducing us to the team at General Casework. And we're hoping that Sean takes on installing the cabinets for us when they're ready! (You can also see Sean in his starring role on HGTV's Professional Grade - we're still waiting for our shout-out on national TV).
Our LEED / Energy / Mechanical team has coalesced around a core group representing some of Colorado's finest firms. M.E. Group is providing enhanced commissioning, MKK Consulting Engineers & RMH Group will be providing mechanical & energy design services, and YRG Sustainability Consultants are providing LEED consulting services. We are in the early stages so far in this endeavor, but the current focus is on the two ugly, loud and inefficient fan coils (one on each floor). And the effective, low-tech solution of ceiling fans upstairs and down (I'm still looking for a sponsor-source for these).
A related effort has to do with lighting design. We are very fortunate to have one of the nation's leading firms working with us to develop a comprehensive lighting design strategy - addressing both daylighting and the electric lights. We had a wonderful preliminary conversation with Clanton & Associates and are looking forward to this particular collaboration. My favorite part of our initial meeting was when Gregg Adams asked which was more complicated - exploring lighting design or setting up a phone system with Qwest. I'll let you guess what my answer was.
Another exciting development is our partnership with Bristol Botanics, the largest independently owned foliage company in Colorado. Those of you who know me well know that I used to dabble in forest ecology, and plants are near and dear to my heart. We're several steps closer to having an interiorscape and exteriorscape, complete with at least one living wall - hopefully constructed out of donated Woolly Pockets. This very cool product is a modular customizable living wall system.
Of note from a sustainability perspective, plants help not only with the ambience and indoor environmental quality, but chosen correctly can help remove VOCs from the air. They also have some acoustical properties which are of great interest to us, in particular in the upstairs meeting area.
The journey continues! Please come visit us if you're in the neighborhood, just call first to make sure that someone is there to show you around. Our new phone number is 303-292-6180.
