Designers design, and business people do business and never the twain shall meet—right? Wrong. Contemporary design in the hands of talented designers is attractive, sustainable and aligned with business goals.
Teknion is an award-winning Canadian firm that designs office furnishings incorporating green manufacturing and material standards for sustainable design. Its plants are ISO 14001 certified and all major product lines have achieved Greenguard certification to meet stringent indoor air quality standards. Teknion is the first company to partner with Green Solutions, which revitalizes and reuses outdated office furniture.
Working closely with clients to understand their needs, Teknion’s LEED® Accredited Professionals support organizations to reduce office space rental costs, design for a new demographic in the workplace and meet the highest protocols for green interior design.
Factors Driving Change in Office Design
Social, economic and environmental factors are behind the changing workplace environment.
- Gen Y employees do not care to be isolated from peers and other employees in high-walled cubicles; they thrive on interaction in open settings and have fewer concerns about privacy.
- Rising costs for commercial floor space are spurring companies to find ways to reduce their real estate costs; that is translating into less floor space per occupant and the realization not every employee requires a dedicated desk.
- Research has shown that conventional cubicles with high walls result in lower productivity because they impair communication between employees, especially when it comes to team work.
A concern with greater sustainability is also having an impact on office layouts. Green design recognizes that everyone in the office deserves access to natural light, a view and fresh air. As companies renovate building interiors and replace aging mechanical systems with energy efficient units, open office planning is being adopted for its ability to deliver on environmental objectives.
Wetland Studies and Solutions Institute: Design of a LEED-certified Office
Wetland Studies and Solutions Institute (WSSI) is a Virginia-based water and natural resources consulting company. With a professional practice devoted to the environment, the firm decided to make sustainability a key feature of its new, larger facility.
Teknion supplied office furnishings for the project, collaborating with interior designers from Bartzen and Ball. With design guidance from a LEED-accredited Teknion employee, the project earned LEED Gold Certification. Contributing factors included work station materials composed of recycled materials and fabrics derived from corn.
A collegial environment was achieved with combinations of group work spaces and individual workplace stations in an open office format, supplemented by defined quiet zones for concentrated work. Lounge areas accommodate informal meetings.
Busting the Myth of Space as Status Symbol
Many organizations believe that recruiting and retaining employees requires that each employee have an enclosed, private office space. Space is often equated with power and status in an organization.
Productivity studies are challenging the idea that walling people off from each other is good for business. Research has demonstrated that more open environments, where groups of people can engage in collaborative activity and communicate easily, actually result in higher productivity and employee satisfaction.
Teknion educates clients in appreciating the benefits of getting away from the compartmentalized environment typical of conventional cubicle design. A plethora of products makes it possible for organizations to choose between a completely open office environment or a hybrid solution composed of private and open spaces.
The ultimate solution combines elements of green design and a pleasant work setting uniquely tailored to meet each client’s business demands.
Andree Iffrig - Andrée Iffrig LEED AP is a writer and award-winning graduate architect. She uses her broad background in environmental design and ...
